The Entourage Music And Theater Ensemble was a
visionary collective of performing composers who created a music based
on flow energy and dream state experience. The primary members were
founder and director Joe Clark : saxophones (soprano and sopranino) and keyboards, Rusti Clark (no
relation) : viola and guitar, Michael Smith : drums and percussion, and Wall Matthews : guitar, keyboards, and
percussion. Matthews is the only surviving member.
Entourage existed from 1971 - 1983 . It started in Millbrook , NY
(1970), moved to New London , CT. (1974-77), and, finally, Baltimore, MD
(1977-1983). Over the years Entourage performed primarily in theaters,
usually in combination with performing choreographers , presenting its
rich imagistic material in a seamless unfolding of music and dance.
Moses Asch, President and Founder of Folkways Records supported the
group and produced its only 2 recordings : "Entourage" (1973), and "The
Neptune Collection" (1975) . Choreographer Murray Louis commissioned
Entourage to create a 2 hour original score based on Cleopatra for the
Royal Danish Ballet (1976). Nebraska Public Television commissioned the
ensemble to create a 1/2 hour national television special, "Ceremony Of
Dreams" (1978). In 2003, a composition from The Neptune
Collection, "Neptune Rising", was used as the basis for the single "She
Moves She" from the album "Rounds" by the artist Four Tet.
Entourage was an early proponent of " World Music ", drawing inspiration from global folk and ethnic traditions. Its members, while coming from diverse backgrounds that included jazz, blues, and classical music, shared a common vision of creating an original music that included the essence of those forms while eliminating their idiomatic characteristcs. Entourage shared connections with Terry Riley, LaMonte Young, The Paul Winter Consort, and the Third Ear Band, but remained unique in its dedication to the inclusion of dance and theater in its live presentations.
ψ THE NEPTUNE COLLECTION ψ
"When
Michael Smith of Entourage accentuates the eerie "Druid Dance' with a
series of fists, knuckles, and finger pops, he becomes the device pacing
the pacing is voiced through. All this is part and parcel of the
framework in which Entourage operates; an often sinister, but more often
frighteningly intricate series of compositions adaptable for dance
purposes. On their own, without visual aid,the recordings are awesomely
imagistic; a maelstrom of impressions...."
Russell Shaw, CRAWDADDY MAGAZINE 1978
ψ ENTOURAGE ψ
"Entourage
is one of the most unique groups since The Paul Winter Consort....a
beautiful album unlike anything I've heard before."
STEREO MAGAZINE 1974
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