Whale music captivates NJIT Professor David Rothenberg for new book, CD

Whale sounds from thump to song have long struck a chord with NJIT humanities professor, writer and musician David Rothenberg. The rhythms so captivated the intrepid clarinetist that he spent much of last year playing interspecies duets with these melodic mammals. The results have been captured live on compact disc. (ATTENTION EDITORS: Rothenberg is available to discuss his zeal, music or recording sessions. Call Sheryl Weinstein, 973-596-3436 for interviews.)

Whale Music can be heard at http://cdbaby.com/cd/davidrothenberg2 iTunes or www.thousandmilesong.com. Rothenberg’s newest musical offering on CD heralds his also new book (of course, about whales, too): Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound (Basic Books, May 1, 2008). Creature lovers may recall that in 2005, Rothenberg authored the bestselling Why Birds Sing (Basic Books).

To produce the new material, Rothenberg traveled from Hawaii to Russia to play his bass clarinet while recording the sounds of beluga, killer and humpback whales. A never-before-recorded Pete Seeger song, “The World’s Last Whale,” also debuts.

“I see this recording changing how we listen to the sea, leading us to appreciate beautiful and little-known sounds from the world’s watery depths,” Rothenberg said. ECM violinists Nils Økland and Michelle Makarski appear on some tracks.

Rothenberg’s previous recordings include On the Cliffs of the Heart (New Tone Records, 1995) featuring percussionist Glen Velez and banjo player Graeme Boone. The work, praised by composer John Cage, was named a top ten release of 1995 by Jazziz.