Bee And Flower - Last Sight Of Land

Bee and Flower’s cinematic sound weaves a dynamic combination of intimacy and subtlety, delicacy, power and release.

The unusual songwriting is filled with surprising melodic twists, and the carefully orchestrated instrumentation comes into full focus when paired with Dana Schechter’s smoky, emotive vocals. From the delicate and minimal, to dense ominous crescendos, the sounds stay with you long after the music has stopped.

Bee and Flower (Berlin/NYC) is the musical vision of singer-songwriter, bassist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Dana Schechter. Born and raised in San Francisco, Dana moved to New York City in 1997 where she founded Bee and Flower with keyboardist Roderick Miller. In New York, the group made their debut album (What’s Mine is Yours, 2003), composed two Film Scores, and performed and toured regularly.

In Spring 2004, Dana and Roderick flew to Berlin, along with producer Toby Dammit, with plans to create Bee and Flower’s second album. The original idea was to stay for 3 months to complete the new recordings. The trio felt that Berlin offered them creative freedom and sense of renewal, compared to the daily stresses of a life in New York City.

Dana’s newest songwriting reached a completely unique realm; blending aspects of Chicago blues with Eastern European classical music, both lands which tied to her families’ heritage. Producer Toby Dammit heard this unusual recipe and utilized his own classical and electronic arranging style to explore these musical possibilities in the setting of today’s Berlin. Upon their arrival, they reached out to both young classical musicians studying in the city, as well as a hierarchy of Berlin’s avantgarde underground.

Working closely with veteran engineer Ingo Krauss (known for his work at Conny Plank Studios, Köln), the core group of Schechter, Miller and Dammit enlisted drummer Thomas Wydler of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Initial recordings took place in the former 1953 DDR radio and television broadcasting center located outside Berlin’s eastern frontier, while further tracking was done on location in train stations, warehouses, hotels and apartments all around Europe. In all, the record took one year to complete.

The journey’s result is “Last Sight of Land”, featuring a 25-piece string section, a whirlwind of grand pianos, a mammoth ‘bass section’, a maze of vintage electronics, delicate melodic percussion, guitars, lap steel, and sweeping vocal choirs. Defining Bee and Flower’s new sound in this garden of instrumental landscapes has brought a sense of clarity to Schechter’s development as a gifted songwriter. This fearless step should, beyond any doubt, place her as a force to be considered among today’s young composers.

Though coming from a uniquely personal perspective, these songs have an inherent grace and are universally understood: lyrical tales of the universal human experience; of hope and heartbreak; of love and living; of leaving things behind for a dream of renewal.

“Last Sight of Land” features many special musical guests, namely drummer Thomas Wydler (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds), guitarists Kristof Hahn (Les Hommes Sauvages, Angels of Light, SWANS), Peter Von Poehl (Doriand, A.S Dragon) and Beate Bartel (Liaisons Dangereuses).

Dana Schechter has worked as a bassist for Bertrand Burgalat, Keren Ann, April March, and Angels of Light. Toby Dammit’s credits include working as a drummer/percussionist with Iggy Pop, Rufus Wainright, SWANS, Bertrand Burgalat, Stephan Eicher; Roderick Miller has worked as a keyboardist with April March and Richard Ruin.

More information: www.beeandflower.com