Sometimes you can find a hidden gem right in your back yard. Being from New Jersey (USA), I recently discovered a fantastic band from a few towns away. This is their story:
For the musicians and composers who comprise Advent, tradition is important. Whether drawing upon the accumulated experience of one's predecessors or simply separating the timeless from the transient, traditions are, in fact, indispensable. In order to draw upon them, however, one must first respect them.
The eclectic tastes which fire the imaginations of Advent have led its members to seek inspiration in sources ranging from music of the English and Italian Renaissance to church motets, from sea chanteys to film scores, and such progressive bands as Gentle Giant and Procol Harum. The group attempts to combine a contemporary sound with an extensive variety of influences solidly rooted in western musical sources, whether they be folk, classical-romantic, or popular. The group's material features lyrics ranging from the reflective to the mysterious, complemented by a descriptive "cinematic" musical style that, while not always danceable, recalls the drama and fire of music which has always called the listener to listen.
In short, Advent views its musical heritage as a legacy left to us by our forebears in love, for our appreciation and education—an essential ingredient for progress. It should thus be gratefully received and built upon in that same spirit.
Initially formed over 20 years ago as a collaboration between guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Alan Benjamin and keyboardist/vocalist/composer Henry Ptak, with keyboardist/vocalist Mark Ptak (Henry’s brother) joining upon his graduation from the Berklee College of Music about a year later, this early incarnation of the group quickly developed a demo tape that received an extraordinary amount of praise at the time—including a lengthy write-up in the original (printed) version of the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock and serious interest from major labels Polygram and EMI Classical.
As a result of the band’s participation in two Gentle Giant tribute projects—the independently released Giant Tracks (alongside such talented artists as Kevin Gilbert and Mike Keneally) and Giant for a Life, which was organized and released on the Italian label Mellow Records—Advent received an enthusiastic offer to press its self-titled debut album as well, with Mellow releasing the CD in April of 1997. In spite of the sonic limitations associated with its rather modest production, the album was greeted with numerous accolades and also sold out more quickly than just about any other title in Mellow’s expansive catalog. After working on a tune for ESPN Classic (which they featured in a Flyers-vs.-Capitals game) and another tribute recording (The Best of the Whalers, a double-CD tribute to Procol Harum), the group concentrated nearly all its efforts on creating a second album that would expand and improve significantly upon the first, both in terms of creativity and audio fidelity. With the addition of accomplished jazz drummer Drew Siciliano, Advent completed this effort, culminating in the release of Cantus Firmus in 2006—a CD that received a host rave reviews (including one in the March 2007 issue of Guitar Player magazine), as well as impressively high rankings in several “best of 2006” lists.
Feeling very strongly that it was time to bring the band’s music to a live setting, Advent rehearsed intensely for a series of concerts that began with a much-heralded debuton May 19, 2007 Advent debuted their live performances at the NJ Proghouse. There set was 70 min. of excellent prog and quite remarkable for their first gig. Greg Katona even stayed to see the second band Pinnacle. Henry Ptak handled most of the vocals, and though the venue was small (but packed), the band was excited to perform and did so with gusto and passion.Since that time, the group has gone on to deliver striking performances at ProgDay (the world’s longest-running annual prog festival, held in North Carolina) and the Bowery Poetry Club (NYC)—and has also helped to kick off a series of progressive-rock shows at the North Star Bar (Philadelphia) and a brand new festival in Connecticut called MARPROG. During this time, Advent’s then-expanded six-piece lineup also recorded “Canto XXVI (The Evil Counselors)” for the Colossus/Musea Dante’s Inferno 4-CD concept compilation—another effort which has generated a significant amount of recognition. Armed with a powerful new rhythm section of Joe D’Andrea (drums/vocals/violin) and Brian Mooney (bass/vocals), the group has spent the last few years refining its live performance and composing groundbreaking material for the new album, Silent Sentinel, which was officially released on August 11, 2015.
BIO of Members:
ALAN BENJAMIN
guitars, Stick®, bass, mandolin, violin, keyboards, glockenspiel, recorder, backing vocals
A lifelong musician who first studied piano at age three, switched to violin several years later (playing in two New York City orchestras), and picked up several other instruments in between, Alan experienced his first serious encounter with the guitar at age 14 upon being prevented from bringing his violin to boarding school. Taking to the instrument quite naturally, he quickly formed the school's most popular rock band—Amber—who later went on to record a professional demo under the technical supervision of engineer Les Paul Jr.
Later that year, at age 16, Alan attended a semester at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Impatient with the first-year curriculum, he left to seek experience in the real world, which soon led to an 18-month stint playing clubs in the Philadelphia-based band Merlin. In the late 1980s, Alan recorded several solo pieces (playing all instruments himself) and also received advanced guitar instruction from jazz-rock maestro Glenn Alexander. Shortly afterward, he met up with keyboardist Henry Ptak, and Advent was born.
In addition to maintaining a full-time commitment with Advent, Alan joined (the newly re-formed) Mirthrandir—one of the most highly respected independent progressive acts from the 1970s—in October of 2005. The band enjoyed three successful performances (a New Jersey Proghouse debut, followed by festival appearances at Baja Prog and RoSfest) in the first half of 2006, and hopes to play a number of other venues in the near future as well.
GREG KATONA
guitars, backing vocals
Greg started studying the guitar at age nine and shortly thereafter discovered two musical forces that were to shape the direction of his playing and listening for the rest of his life. "One was the music of classical guitarist Andrés Segovia, in which I began to see what the guitar could be in the hands of a virtuoso." The other was Genesis.
What followed was a period of voraciously consuming the music of other progressive bands such as Yes, Gentle Giant, ELP, Gryphon, and King Crimson (to name a few). Some time later came a fascination with classical music—especially that of Arnold Schönberg, Hans Werner Henze, and the post-WWII, avant-garde music of Gyorgy Ligeti and Krzysztof Penderecki—and, simultaneously, the jazz fusion of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever. After years of private study, Greg enrolled in college and subsequently graduated magna cum laude with a BA degree in music from New Jersey City University as a classical guitar major.
"Alan Benjamin of Advent recently attended a performance of my Genesis tribute band, Foxtrot, and a week later I received a call asking if I would like to join Advent. After listening to their two wonderful CD releases, I quickly agreed!"
Greg teaches guitar at Monmouth Academy of the Musical Arts in Marlboro, N.J. Performance background includes classical solo, classical guitar-vocal duo, solo with orchestra, rock bands, and even a stint with a jazz big band.
HENRY PTAK
keyboards, lead vocals, mandolin, electronic percussion
Henry—keyboardist, composer/arranger, and co-founder of Advent—began his music studies at age nine, taking guitar lessons at the local music store. He switched to keyboards a few years later, having discovered Procol Harum and J.S. Bach at about the same time. His interest in composing and arranging was sparked largely by various artists (most notably, The Nice and Fairport Convention—as well as Dick Halligan and Fred Lipsius of Blood, Sweat and Tears) who, at this time, were busy uniting popular music with jazz, classical, and traditional folk-music forms.
While pursuing a fine arts degree, Henry continued his musical education—both on campus and privately—studying theory, harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, 20th-century music, and piano. An interest in choral music also grew out of his involvement as a singer in the choir at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church in his hometown of Hawthorne, N.J., and later as a member of Newark’s Sacred Heart Cathedral Choir.
Henry insists that his musical influences are too numerous to list ("anything worthwhile from the present all the way back to St. Gregory the Great"). His hopes for Advent are "to be wherever popular music is an outgrowth of the very best that western musical culture and tradition can offer."
MARK PTAK
keyboards, lead vocals, percussion
Mark is a 1990 graduate of the Berklee College of Music. While pursuing a major in Music Production & Engineering, and studying traditional theory and jazz harmony, Mark augmented his music-industry experience by taking on the role of production director for the ASCAP Award-winning New England Philharmonic Orchestra under music director and conductor Jeffrey Rink.
Mark also took time to develop his vocal skills by serving as a tenor in Berklee's Concert Choir, as well as singing liturgical music in Roman Catholic Church choirs in both Massachusetts and New Jersey. Soon after leaving Berklee, he joined up with Alan and Henry as Advent's second keyboardist.
Influential bands? Well, besides his "big three" (Gentle Giant, Genesis, and Procol Harum), Mark enjoys groups such as Ambrosia, The Tubes, Utopia, and Weather Report, though he does admit these days to listening to more "long-hair" music. In this world, his favorites include Bach (especially organ music), Schubert (piano music), Haydn (organ masses), and various works by Elgar, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, and Bartók. "What I really am attracted to, though (no matter what the style or genre), are musical ideas that sneak up on you and make you think—you know, like puzzles or word games. When a piece of music speaks to me in this way, I get a real charge out of it. Discovering it is almost like finding a buried treasure. And then, just like a Hitchcock movie, you almost wish you hadn't found it so you could go back and experience the suspense again."
Brian Mooney (bass, backing vocals)
Native New Jerseyan, bassist/composer Brian Mooney in his late teens studied harmony, physiology, and improvisation with Gerald Carboy (bassist for jazz/fusion pioneers Barry Miles and David Sancious & Tone).
On both electric and double bass, Brian’s experience spans jazz, fusion, soul, progressive rock, R&B/funk, Latin, classical, pop, and rock—both live and in the studios. Brian has been on the New Jersey music scene for years and has performed with many artists including Rob Paparozzi, Glenn Alexander (Jan Hammer/Stretch), Gary Oleyar (Loggins and Messina), Anthony Krizan (Lenny Kravitz/Spin Doctors), Bernard Purdie, Ritchie “LaBamba” Rosenberg, and Mark Pender (Conan O’Brien show). Brian also co-leads the phenomenal jazz-fusion group Piktor’s Metamorphosis, which spans tributes of classic jazz/rock fusion to original compositions.
Joe D’Andrea (drums, violin, backing vocals)
A lifelong New Jerseyan, Joe grew up listening to music incessantly. From singing with the local choir to dissecting countless songs—and playing in everything from rock bands to orchestras—Joe developed a healthy appreciation for musical genres of all kinds. At college in Hoboken, Joe continued to embrace musical opportunities, first as a glee club tenor/soloist, and later as a jazz-ensemble drummer. Initially self-taught, Joe has studied violin with Nadia Koutzen, piano and theory with Harold Van Hise, musical theater with Faith Kline, and drum rudiments with Tommy Igoe.
Joe considers his 20-year association with “touch-style” player/multi-instrumentalist Ray Ashley among his fondest memories. Along with Ray, he has had the privilege of sharing concert lineups with artists such as Project/Object, Bon Lozaga, Dark Aether Project, Greg Howard, and Mike Keneally. Joe continues to perform with local musicians, having logged numerous hours at concerts, on-air sets, and festivals throughout the northeast US—and has also been on stage, behind the scenes, and in pit bands for a variety of New Jersey area theatrical productions.
In approaching the drums, Joe brings an orchestral, sometimes driving, always dynamic aesthetic. He enjoys moments of “lyrical synchronicity” and is not averse to singing or harmonizing while behind the kit. Through his impromptu session work and live shows, Joe has earned a reputation as a quick study who is always eager to push boundaries. Elsewhere, Joe can be heard on studio recordings by Broadside Electric, Three Hour Detour, Mike Agranoff, and Ken Galipeau.
Biographies courtesy of Advent.
Advent Discography
Silent Sentinel (independent release, 2015)
Advent’s majestic 77.5-minute near-concept album of thoughtfully composed progressive rock music, ranging in scope from extended symphonic workouts to intimate acoustic guitar duets and much more in between—featuring rich multi-part vocal segments, quite a bit of additional dual-guitar work within the context of larger arrangements, and expanded instrumentation that includes many vintage keyboards (B3, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, CP-70, Clavinet, Moog Source, Sequential Circuits Pro One) along with real choir. Audiophile mastering by Bob Katz.
Track list:
In Illo Tempore
To Dunsinane
On the Wings of an Ant (verse 1)
Voices from California
The Uncharted Path
Reloj de Sol
On the Wings of an Ant (verse 2)
The Silent Sentinel
12/12
Sentinel’s Reprise: The Exit Interview
Second Thoughts
On the Wings of an Ant (verse 3)
Full Moon and Empty Hours
Riptide in Aeternum
Romanitas
Cantus Firmus (independent release, 2006)
Advent’s long-awaited second release finds the band once again pushing the limit of its members’ collective talent. Boasting eight new dynamic and inventive original compositions—including what is arguably the group’s crowning achievement to date, “Ramblin’ Sailor”—the album features wonderfully elaborate arrangements, beautiful guitar work (including a substantial amount of classical and acoustic guitars), and tight vocal interplay. Also includes two previously unreleased 24-track recordings of songs from the band’s debut CD as bonus tracks.
Track list:
GK Contramundum
Awaiting the Call …
Parenting Parents
Utter Once Her Name
Remembering When
Ramblin’ Sailor
Your Healing Hand
Firmus Finale
Rear View Mirror [bonus track/previously unreleased 24-track recording]
Alison Waits (A Ghost Story) [bonus track/previously unreleased 24-track recording]
Advent (Mellow Records [Italy], 1997)
In addition to all the original material that helped forge the group’s reputation in the early 1990s, Advent’s debut CD also features two classical arrangements, as well as “BITB”—the band’s premiere tribute to Gentle Giant. While the music covers a wide range of the progressive-rock spectrum, it is all tied together by a commonality that truly defines the “Advent sound.” As the group’s sense of poetry and storytelling has always been a strong focal point, a full set of lyrics is included in the disc’s six-page booklet.
Track list:
Maginot Line
Alison Waits (A Ghost Story)
Rear View Mirror
Trompe L’Oeil
Nowhere Else To Go
In The Tree
Marche To The Fighte/The Retreat
Caminando
BITB
Gentle Giant Tributes
Giant Tracks (HyberNation Music, 1997)
The definitive independent tribute to one of the greatest progressive-rock bands of all time. Conceived, organized, administered, documented, and released exclusively via the Internet, Giant Tracks features contributions from 21 of the most talented Gentle Giant fans, including Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa’s last “stunt guitarist”), Kevin Gilbert (prestigious producer, solo artist, and former member of Giraffe), and Dan Barrett (creator/administrator of the “Gentle Giant Home Page”). Advent’s “BITB,” originally commissioned for the project, appears on this limited-edition two-CD set.
Giant for a Life (Mellow Records [Italy], 1997)
An equally impressive counterpart to Giant Tracks, Mellow’s Giant for a Life proves that Gentle Giant is one of the few groups whose material is worthy of at least two double-CD tributes. 18 artists from the US, UK, and Italy provide their individual insight into the music of Mr. Minnear and the brothers Shulman. In addition to “BITB,” Advent’s medley of “Experience/For Nobody” makes its exclusive recorded appearance here.
Procol Harum Tribute
The Best of the Whalers (Brokkelfish Records [Germany], 2000)
Another independent tribute, this time in honor of Procol Harum. Released in the winter of 2000, this double-disc set contains 10 recordings of Procol Harum material, as well as 11 original compositions by fans of the band—quite a unique twist for a tribute project. In addition to Advent’s cover of “Robert’s Box” (from the Grand Hotel album), “Alison Waits (A Ghost Story)” is also featured.
Colossus Project
Dante’s Inferno (Musea Records [France], 2008)
Advent contributed “Canto XXVI (The Evil Counselors)” to this four-disc compilation that features 34 artists, each covering one canto from the first part of Dante Alighieri’s 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy.
