Henry Kaiser (born September 19, 1952[1]) is an American guitarist and composer, known as an idiosyncratic soloist, a sideman, an ethnomusicologist, and a film score composer. Recording and performing prolifically in many styles of music, Kaiser is a fixture on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. He is considered a member of the "second generation" of American free improvisers.[2] He is married to Canadian artist Brandy Gale. He is the son of Henry J. Kaiser Jr. and the grandson of industrialist Henry J. Kaiser.[3]
Henry Kaiser
Kaiser with Timberdance Swamp Angel Guitar
Background information
Born
(1952-09-19) September 19, 1952 (age 71) Oakland, California, U.S.
In 1991, Kaiser went to Madagascar with guitarist David Lindley.[1] They recorded roots music with Malagasy musicians and discovered music that, he says, "changed us radically and permanently". Three volumes of this music were released by Shanachie under the title A World Out of Time. In 1994 he made a similar trip to Norway, again with Lindley, recording music that was released as Sweet Sunny North (2 volumes, 1994 and 1996).[4]
In 2001, Kaiser spent two and a half months in Antarctica on a National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers Program grant.[4] He has subsequently returned for nine more visits to work as a research diver. His underwater camera work was featured in two Herzog films, The Wild Blue Yonder (2005) and Encounters at the End of the World (2007), which he also produced, and for which he and Lindley composed the score.[4] Kaiser served as music producer for Herzog's Grizzly Man (2005). He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work as a producer on Encounters at the End of the World.
Instruments and effectsedit
Kaiser "has amassed an immense collection of guitars, amplifiers, and effect pedals" to achieve "sonic diversity". A favorite of his is a Klein electric with Alembic pickups (his favorites), which he uses when traveling. He owns a Dumble handmade amplifier. He has been looping since at least 1984 (It's a Wonderful Life), initially with an MXR digital delay, and later with Lexicon equipment—he sets modulation rates to "either heart or breathing rate, because those are natural healing rhythm rates". He often uses two delays to provide three different voices. He is also an avid user of a large number of effects pedals including the Hall & Collins Echo unit and a range of fuzzes.
Kaiser has listed his essential effects as the Old World 1960 Compressor, Barber Tone Press, Origin Effects Slide Rig, Tech 21 Comptortion, Burns Buzzaround Clones, Tanabe Zenkudo or Dumkudo, Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight, Eventide Pitchfactor, Eventide Eclipse Harmonizer, TC Flashback, Red Panda Particle, and Neunaber Wet Reverb.[9]
^Boisen, Myles. "Henry Kaiser". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
^Permanente, Kaiser (26 January 2017). "Founder's Grandson Among First Santa Cruz Patients". Kaiser Permanente News. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
^ abcdCleveland, Barry (February 2014). "Encounters With the Deep Unreal: Henry Kaiser's Magic Land". Guitar Player.
^ abAnderson, Rick. "Henry Kaiser / Wadada Leo Smith / Yo Miles!". AllMusic. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
^ abcdeCleveland, Barry (January 9, 2014). "Henry Kaiser on His Miles Davis-Inspired Yo Miles! Recordings". Guitar Player. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
^"Alvaro Domene & Henry Kaiser: Guitar Duos & Solos". San Francisco Classical Voice. Retrieved November 21, 2019.