• Original Music Review by Kate Jenkins, The Bloomington Music Scene (Bloomington, IN), May 1999 Brian E. Paulson is a multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Westfield, Indiana. His new CD "Endo Ecto Morpho" depicts Lewy the Lump putting some redheaded kid in a headlock. To refer to Mr. Paulson as a multi-instrumentalist may be a bit of an understatement. The total number of instruments at his command was 230 at last count. Included amoung those timbres featured on Endo... are Lakota flutes, Australian didgeridu, Middle Eastern duduk, Hawaiian xaphone, and others. The disc also features some stunning production, and perfect musicianship. The result is "future pop": a jazz-influenced batch of instrumentals that borrows from far too many genres to be easily classifiable. There are occassional moments of moody new age, poprock, tribal, proto-funk, and sci-fi. Such categories though are merely generalizations and can only hint at the variety within.

    In more rock moments of this CD, I was reminded of Toto in both musical progressions and mix/production - however we're talking Toto with a lot more texture and mood. I don't want to do too many "comparisons" though. I do want to mention that the guitar work (if indeed that is indeed a guitar*) in track 2 "Rawk-a sore-ass" is breathtaking - especially with volume cranked. Incidentally, this track was a winner in Keyboard Magazine's 20th anniversary keyboard competition.

    My girlfriend made the comment a couple of times that some of the tracks would fit well into Rayman so perhaps that's worth mentioning. (She's a Rayman fanatic so coming from her that's a huge compliment.)
    If any of this sounds intriguing to you, check out Brian's web page (link below.) It features what he calls "personal attunement music" whose stated intention is "to remind ourselves of our connection to a higher source and our need to heal and uplift the consciousness of the Universe." Brian has also produced music for a number of television and radio productions and musical scores for clients as diverse as Union Federal Savings Bank, Coca-Cola, and Curry Buick Cadillac.

    * Brian informs me the processed guitar tone is actually, "a multi-velocity sample of a strat (pure clean tone that morphed into a muted clean strat.) This was recorded in realtime through a RP-1 and a morley volume-wah.The solo was a spontaneous first take(no loops and no overdubs).Even though I play guitar,this was done on a keyboard.
  • Review at Indie-Music.com, 07/05/2001 Intro/general thoughts: As a Hoosier, I always like to review Indiana artists so I can get an idea of what’s going on in my home state. Man, was I surprised when I heard Brian Paulson’s latest CD “Endo Ecto Morpho.” Performed and produced completely by Paulson, it’s a jazz journey into the realms of what one great musician can do with a lot of different instruments and a whole lot of ability.

    Notable: In addition to his numerous awards and compositions (Paulson was a winner in Keyboard Magazine’s 20th Anniversary Reader’s Keyboard Competition), Brian Paulson has performed in concert with Dizzy Gillespie, Airto and Flora Purim, Spyro Gyra, Kathy Mattea, Papa John Creech, and Donald Byrd and The Blackbirds. His solo concerts use close to 230 different instruments including different native instruments.

    Highs: The album rocks in some places, and is smooth and relaxing in others. It featured his writing abilities on some tracks, and showcased his playing skills in others. The album hit all my jazz hot buttons.

    Lows: The first track, “We Are Not Alone,” didn’t give me a clue of the music that was going to follow. I thought this was going to be a complete free-form jazz album. Everything that followed that track fits into the previous “High” category, but “We Are Not Alone” didn’t seem to fit with the 19 other tracks.

    Fans: If you’re a fan of Laurie Anderson, Spyro Gyra, or 3hole Punch (reviewed right here on Indie-Music.com), then “Endo Ecto Morpho” is definitely worth your time.

    Foes: People who need lyrics to their songs.

    Production notes: The whole album is well-engineered and well balanced. Since it didn’t list anything on the CD cover, I can only assume Paulson mixed and engineered his own stuff. If that’s the case, then his engineering skills are beaten only by his musical skills.

    Promo notes or Indie-Notes: Endo Ecto Morpho is a completely home-grown package, from the producing, performing, and distributing. Even the CD cover is homemade. That shows a serious love of, and commitment to, his music, and his desires to get it out to the people.

    Summary: In the realm of jazz fusion, it usually takes a group of several people to put out a decent sound. Brian E. Paulson has managed to do it all on his own, with an armada of instrumentation, and a whole lot of creativity and talent.