“The only thing better than hearing this recording would be seeing the band live.” — Downbeat
Moondog, aka Louis Hardin, was one of the 20th century’s most imaginative composers. He lived in NYC from the late 40s up until 1972, during which time he could be found costumed in Viking attire, busking on 6th Avenue and 52nd Street, selling records and performing poetry. Blinded as a teenager, he wrote hundreds of beautiful songs, madrigals and symphoniques in Braille which inspired minimalist composers such as Philip Glass and Steve Reich, who deemed Moondog “the godfather of minimalism.”
With their new record Songs and Symphoniques, NYC’s Ghost Train Orchestra have reimagined the work of Moondog into a large-scale production, inviting the trailblazing Kronos Quartet and many special guest vocalists to take a variety of approaches to Moondog’s music. Ghost Train Orchestra presents their album release show at Roulette.