The Players: Beth Schneider, vocals, dance; Greg Harris, keyboards; Angelo Metz, guitar; Leo Noble, bass; Eleni Maureas, flute; Austin Wrinkle, drums.

Material: This unusual act borrows exotic melodies and sacred texts from the Mediterranean/Moroccan area to sculpt songs that combine ancient sounds with modern world rock. With tunes like “The Rose,” Beth Schneider captures forlorn love in Medieval times where death is preferable to a loveless life. Most of these songs are constructed around themes that are both profound and mystical. And, though odd at first, the material is so enthralling that by the end of the set you’re left wanting more.

Musicianship: Schneider’s ethereal, but operatic, voice is the perfect complement to the madrigal material. Strong, yet soft, her vocals have the ability to touch hearts and soothe souls. The band... they come across as a unit that not only supports, but also frequently elevates the music.

Performance: The stage is hung with drapery while Schneider is wrapped in silk scarves that trail behind her. Reminiscent of Isadora Duncan, this performer becomes a nymph princess as she twirls, bows and floats across the floorboards. Schneider’s dances are a unique interpretation of diverse cultures amid magical wonder.

Summary: Seductive, theatrical and enchanting, Beth The Sybil transports their audience into uncharted realms. Sophisticated yet simple, this Medieval sextet offers an enchanting experience like no other, weaving their magic from the Dark Ages to the present.
––Bernard Baur
Music Connection Magazine
Vol. XXVI, No. 12  June 10 - June 23, 2002

Material: Beth The Sybil play heady intellectual jazz-rock that is inspired by Medieval folklore and posturing. Led primarily by Beth Schneider’s engaging vocals and costume choices, this group performs a fascinating myriad of musical styles that cover everything from jazz to classic rock & roll.

Musicianship: The musicianship is excellent
and the compositions are so intelligent they would make Einstein squint! From the opening notes, Beth The Sybil’s seasoned chops crackle to jazzy beats. Schneider’s seductive and sultry stage presence lends itself to the atmosphere of the music. Reminiscent of Before These Crowded Streets-era Dave Matthews Band, Beth The Sybil are sure to delight the jam-band crowd as they build hooks under their world influenced lyrics.

Summary: Beth The Sybil has a lot to offer. Their compositions are interesting and lead singer Beth Schneider offers a seductive stage performance that is supported by her soaring vocals. These artists can offer the L.A. club scene a refreshing eclectic performance with theatrical results.

––Brendan McMahon
Music Connection Magazine
Vol. XXV, No. 9 April 23 - May 6, 2001

My King Nimrod, the debut independent release from Beth The Sybil, is a dark, melodic, mid-evil journey. Eight mid-tempo spiritual songs take the listener across the globe and through time. Arabic moods float eerily inside the title track. Orgasmic melodies drip through The Rose. Sounding like the perfect mood music to strip for your boyfriend after a sensual belly dance, The Rose oozes with sexuality as lead singer Beth Schneider beautifully bellows,”And passion slays me”. The Rose begs to fill a slot on an upcoming Bond movie soundtrack.

Haunting electric violin intermingles with soft piano riffs to spook Nightingale. Mortal Flesh could fill an 800-year old church with its beauty and dark grace. Much of My King Nimrod belongs in large dark wooden rooms made hundreds of years ago. In the spirit of mid-evil times, My King Nimrod is intentionally not modern. Brilliant musicians mix jazz and classical elements into the mix of most of this somber release. Greg Harris’ flawless piano and keyboard playing guides this effort. Aaron Malone’s electric violin steers The Sybil along winding curvy roads in each selection. Austin Wrinkle’s percussion and Orest Balaban’s bass provide the perfect steady rhythm section. Pat Byrne’s bazouki playing fills this mid-evil sound. Beth Schneider’s voice soars across this disc.

Billed as a Medieval Rock Odyssey slightly steers the consumer away from the New Age section of the music store where this record belongs. An interesting journey through hundreds of years of religious history, My King Nimrod provides a new way of enjoying 700-year old scripture. My King Nimrod is a treat for history buffs, classical music aficionados and those of us rock geeks that like something different.

Brendan McMahon

$15.00

Interview with Greg Harris - composer/keyboardist
By Megan Perry; freelance journalist/photographer for Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Spin, Polstar and Guitar Player
11/01


Megan Perry: Beth the Sybil is a band with a unique vision- where ancient melodies are reinterpreted and transposed into present day musical compositions. How did you dive into the world of Medieval and ancient Mediterranean music? Was this part of your musical background?

Greg Harris: Beth and I were exploring various styles to see which might best serve as a vehicle for her vocal and lyrical expression. She seemed to resonate strongly to the medieval songs and sensabilities, as well as music from the some of the oldest written songs (2nd century) and all the way up to and including the renaissance period. Since the interpretation of such material is usually quite scholarly with the intent to render it as true to form and style as possible - I thought it an excellent launching point for compositional manipulation and experimentation from a modern day perspective. I thought we might be on to something.

MP: Research for this type of historical and musical project must have been essential for the band to evolve properly—how did you go about digging around the archives for the songs you wanted to reconstruct?

GH: We listened to numerous recordings covering a vast area with their roots as far north as England, down through Europe and as far south as the middle-east, and found ourselves gravitating mostly to the area around the Mediterranean.

MP: When you finally decided upon the pieces that you were going to use - how did the translation process begin?

GH: I'd put the recordings on, and when I wasn't actively listening to them they would be on in the background finding their way into my unconscious. Then after an incubating period certain tunes began to emerge with an energy and spirit all their own, with a striking distinction to the melodic, rhythmic and harmonic content. Originally these features tended to be quite amorphous and sometimes without any harmonic or rhythmic element, perse. Then it was just a matter of doing a bit of crafting structually and translating it in the context of our instrumentation.

MP: Since medieval music tends to have only a drone for the main instrumentation- was it hard to create musical notation for the guitar, flute, drums and keyboards?

GH: No, not really. Being that the harmonic and contrapunctal qualities were something added to the original form, it was fairly easy to transcribe these to the band, after being conceived.

MP: By using new gear and instruments did this affect your recording process?

GH: During recording we kept everything as simple as possible -- tracking in one room to keep it as raw-- allowing the music between us to flow. As for affect, we kept it simple-- maybe some compression here and there but nothing too extravagant.

MP: The instruments you use for creating Beth the Sybil’s sonic structure work extremely well, each instrument blends into each other as well as Beth’s vocals. How did you decide on the instrumentation?

GH: For the songs on the CD, I knew we'd need a rhythm section. Then to replace your standard rhythm guitar part with bouzouki seemed like a great device for connecting the "old" with a modern sound. The electric violin provided a pleasing melodic counterpart to Beth's vocal. In our current set-up, with new tunes for our 2nd CD, this material seemed better suited with a bit more edge to the rhythm, so we added electric guitar. The addition of the flute allows for a softer and more ethereal quality to the upper register of the sonic range.

MP: Was it hard to rework the pieces since the live set up of Beth the Sybil now includes different instruments?

GH: Well, reworking the parts was perhaps at first a bit rough as for any change; however, once the flute and guitar became a part of the ensemble I noticed that the music instantly became edgier ? the songs evolved into almost more of a jam rock / jazz climate.

MP: Since your songs have an ethereal storytelling aspect to them, do you think that improvisation may be another addition to your live show?

GH: At the moment I don’t think so. At the present time our live show is very tight. We generally stick to the script-- but instruments do go off into solos-- allowing for the instrument to take on the storytelling aspect.

MP: How did the dance element of Beth the Sybil become a central storytelling theme?

GH: Well it was one of those conceptual things. It evolved naturally. Dance as a visual element that has been around as long as music. It makes the songs come to life. The dances that Beth performs are quite natural and breathtaking. They enhance the musical performance. It makes for a captivating atmosphere and the audience can settle into the story telling side of each song.

MP: Do you and Beth choreograph together?

GH: I leave the choreography up to Beth to interpret. As the vocalist she can interpret the lyrics and juxtapose what she is feeling from the audience to make a natural dance transition. She gets the feedback from the audience more than the rest of the band so it is only natural that she interprets those feelings into dance.

MP: What is the next step for Beth the Sybil as purveyors of medieval modern rock?

GH: Well, we are already working on our second CD ? looking for our next set of ancient pieces. Hopefully these new songs will be a bridge for people ? and allow them to rediscover ancient melodies. We want to forge ahead ---to bring this untouched musical time period into the global world of today.

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