Frontiers by George Wallace

It is also here inside the mantle of this great solitary sanctuary that we may slowly come to understand our own energies.

Then from this earthbound frontier valley we are delivered upwards into the mysterious heights of the Himalaya; now we are on the pinnacle between Earth and Space. It is a lovely Indian moon that smiles down tonight. She shines her sultry light on the dancing figure of a young woman high up on a lonely cliff. Finally it seems that Frontiers has left Earth altogether. As our humble 'Space Airplane' hurtles past the small-talk of local, interplanetary traffic towards the outer reaches (and other such scary unknowns) of our experience, a comforting thought occurs: that no matter how 'far out' the journey may take him, the Traveller can always count on there being a last ship home. We all have our particular Shenandoahs to return to; we need only keep possibilities open to find our way back.

Throughout Frontiers there are the sounds of electric violin, bagpipes, tamboura, gentle percussions, and some not-so-gentle. We can hear at various times the influences of Jan Hammer, Wendy Carlos, Weather Report, and Bill Nelson, as well as renowned space musicians Jonn Serrie, Michael Stearns, and Steve Roach. Whether it be through the sounds of shimmering, interstellar spacecraft, an orchestral passage in full-rejoice, or a simple piano melody played against a wall of stunningly beautiful harmonics, the soaring, visionary music of Frontiers promises to intrigue and enrich us.

George's flair for composing and playing first appeared when he began classical piano and theory lessons at age eight in Philadelphia, PA. At 13 he encountered the absolute coolness of the electric guitar. He soon threw himself into a series of late'60s-influenced bands (with names like Dark Side, Soul Society, Mass Confusion) as bass player, vocalist, keyboardist, and writer. At Berklee College of Music in Boston, he majored in composition and arranging and played with other groups, settling in with "Fate", a busy, successful club act headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts. During this time, he was initiated into multitrack recording. The group recorded a string of singles, all written and/or produced by George.

He left the group after six years to pursue a solo recording career in New York City. After signing a major multi-album deal with CBS/Epic Records and a publishing agreement with Screen Gems, his two albums under that label were: Heroes like You and Me in 1980 and What It Is in 1982. Virtually all parts were sung or played by George himself. Both albums enjoyed enviable critical acclaim by numerous industry publications such as the Gavin Report, High Fidelity, Record World, Trouser Press, and Billboard.

According to one reporter, George had created a "high-level synthesis of style and influences...yet with something indefinably original about it, possessed of its own quirky energy... a real thing" according to Matt Damsker of the Philiadelphia Bulletin (April 26, 1981).

In 1983 George left New York for Bucks County, PA, where he was free to explore the finer subtleties of his maturing songwriter's persona. He wrote and recorded over an increasingly wide range of dynamic and lyric styles. He occasionally produced other acts and produced several planetarium show soundtracks. For a little while longer, he continued writing "crash-boom-bang" material for Screen Gems; several songs from this period received airplay through cover versions from such artists as Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, and Joan Jett, as well as some European artists generally unknown in the American mainstream.

His subject matter expanded into compositions more introspective and spiritual. In 1985 George formed his own new studio and production company, AirBorn Music, and produced three landmark instrumental works: Sacred Earth (1985), Communion (1988), and Frontiers (1993). All three AirBorn releases were soon taken to heart by radio audiences for whom unique new music is the norm. He was a featured artist on Philadelphia-produced shows Diaspar and Star's End, and nationally recognized on widely syndicated shows like Echoes, Hearts of Space, and Musical Starstreams. He found himself in good radio company; the compositions of Kate Bush, Tangerine Dream, Steve Roach, Richard Burmer, Andreas Vollenweider, and Philip Glass were apt to be heard before or after a George Wallace cut had been played.

In 1997-98 George spent a year and a half in Japan, performing with a small jazz/pop ensemble. During this period he wrote a potpourri of instrumentals, If I Had A Ship…, and a vocal collection entitled Set Free. In the spring of 2000, having now completed those two projects, George reconnected with his first love from many years before. Ultimately he moved out to Alaska to be with her. From his studio there amidst the mountains he has just released a new CD of songs, Passion Play: songs of spirit, love, and outrage. Passion Play offers a rich, expansive musical ride with a calculated flow of tender love songs, aching search for meaning, and loony-tune satire, all delivered with a fiery honesty and George’s trademark dazzling production. Unifying Passion Play are his lifelong themes: the love for another, the quest for that which is higher, and the heartfelt wish for a better world.

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