| Tor Olson |
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| Albums | |
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Two
Worlds All songs written by Tor Olson. |
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Pictures Clubhouse's second release, Picture, is Olson's first album. His resonant baritone is the focal point of Picture's lyrics. A women's chorus of remarkably versatile voices accompanies him on almost every piece. From straight forward rock ballad backup to the mysterious dissonance of Bulgarian choir harmonies, the female voices that weave in and out of Picture's musical tapestry give the album an unexpected richness and variety. Picture is comprised of songs written by Olson and co-produced and engineered by studio veteran Phil Hirsch. Their first collaboration since the heyday of the San Francisco music scene, Picture reflects a maturity and depth of expression that was only implied in Olson and Hirsch's recordings from that turbulent era. "In the tradition of classical impressionistic composers, Olson has created a series of musical landscapes that evoke strong visual images. From the bright calypso steel drums of 'Nassau' to the haunting heartbeat of the Brazilian surdo in 'Amazon'" says reviewer Elizabeth Holmes. |
| Biography | |
| Tor Olson was born in Chicago and grew up in Northfield, a
suburb of Chicago. He graduated from New Trier High School in
Winnetica Illinois in 1956 and spent one to two years each of
liberal arts study at the University of North Carolina, Michigan
State University, and Lake Forest College. After college Olson
studied classical guitar with world renowned teacher, Richard
Pick. Olson is currently studying with another great, vocal coach
Judy Davis, in Berkeley, CA. (She was the 1995 recipient of the
prestigious Bill Graham Life Time Achievement Award.) He was married (now divorced) in 1959 and has 3 children. From 1965 to 1969 the Olson family lived on "Boss Ranch" in Novato CA (North of San Francisco) where Olson started the band "The Only Alternative" which played in the bay area and included his current Clubhouse partner, Phil Hirsch. The band disbanded in 1969 and Olson moved to Taos, New Mexico for a few years before returning to California to work intermittently on music with Hirsch. From 1972 until 1988 Olson practiced architecture in the Santa Rosa area. He became a licensed architect and started his own firm in 1979.
According to Olson the primary influences in his life were:
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