Acclaimed arrangement of top album of the 90's gets live debut at Largo this Saturday

The release of Radiohead's OK Computer in 1997 was a watershed for popular and alternative music, evoking awe, debate and passion from fans, critics and musicians worldwide. Naturally, reworkings and interpretations followed, but none has been so powerfully received as Strung Out on OK Computer: The String Quartet Tribute to Radiohead (Vitamin Records), performed by Los Angeles group The Section and arranged by Eric Gorfain.

Now, this arrangement - which has awed fans of Radiohead, rock and classical music alike - will be performed live by the quartet that recorded it at Hollywood's renowned space Largo on Saturday, February 23, at 9 p.m.

Gorfain - lead violin in The Section - is the young yet amazingly accomplished talent who straddles the divide between rock and classical music as a true fan of both. He translates the work of popular music's most pivotal artists for strings to demonstrate the beauty and melody of a genre which the classical world has long considered disposable, while exposing fans of rock music to the power of these classical instruments.

A California native, Gorfain is an expert multi-instrumentalist (violin, mandolin, guitar) with extensive production and arrangement credits. Before graduating from UCLA he was concertmaster of the university's symphony; afterwards, he became the first-ever foreign violinist to infiltrate the recording studios of Tokyo, working there for almost three years. In 1996, Gorfain toured with Jimmy Page & Robert Plant in Japan during their "Unledded Tour", which included a six-night stand at the legendary Budokan. A partial list of other artists Gorfain has worked with on tour and in the studio includes Sinead O'Connor, Don Was, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Van Dyke Parks, Dwight Yoakam, Natalie Cole, Placido Domingo, Wyclef Jean, Ray Charles, Faith Hill and Live.

Following the performance of Strung Out on February 23, Gorfain and The Section will join Grant Lee Phillips for the evening's headlining set. More live dates for Strung Out and The Section will follow and are sure to draw wide interest.

Reviewers at Amazon.com describe Strung Out: A Tribute to OK Computer as:

• "The best of the re-worked Radiohead."
• "Amazing It evokes the same level of emotional involvement as the originals, revealing the power and beauty of the music."
• "Classical Radiohead is a classic I thought I had heard the perfect group put to an orchestra when I heard Led Zeppelin, but I recommend this to any Radiohead or non-Radiohead listener."
• "This is about as close as anything will come to outclassing OK Computer. The classical minimalism really gives one a fresh grasp of the melancholy expressed in the original in a way that electric instruments cannot convey. The 'guitar solos' from Paranoid Android are absolutely chilling and Let Down alone is worth the price of admission."
• "This CD is surprisingly sublime. Airbag and Exit Music stand as pillars by capturing the understated mood through their beautiful harmonies. However, Paranoid Android is the pinnacle of this CD. The translation of this song makes it seem as if it were originally intended to be played by a string quartet. The overall success in execution on this work lends credence to the fact that not only are Radiohead excellent musicians, but outstanding composers as well."
• "It remains completely faithful to the Radiohead songs it interprets, yet can stand alone so solidly that even someone who has never heard Radiohead or OK Computer can still enjoy the beauty, turmoil, and resolution of this album. A must have for any Radiohead fan, and a good idea for any fan of string quartets or contemporary classical music."
• "A Truly Unique Experience. The Section's Tribute to Radiohead is an amazingly deep album that captures the essence of OK Computer. Very rarely does a tribute album have this much profound power behind it. Truly an instrumental masterpiece."

  In addition, Eric Gorfain has completed arrangements for string quartet interpretations of work by U2, Bjork, Tool and Led Zeppelin - all currently available through Vitamin Records - as well as The Cure (April 2002) and Nine Inch Nails (June 2002).
  
  
  

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  FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES, contact Lisa Garibay at 213-840-3517 or email at lyg@thenitmustbetrue.com.

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