AIRCASTLE
o
The
Aircastle album "Castle In The
Air" celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band. It includes
18 tracks of studio material from 1974-2025. Six of the tracks were newly
recorded, and all but three of the tracks have been remixed.
Aircastle founders Robert Gilmore and
David Godet met in 1973, when they were assigned as roommates in the Sonoma
State dorms in Northern California. The band name was inspired by the Maxfield
Parrish painting entitled "Air Castles."
Aircastle soon started playing around
Sonoma County as a flute and acoustic guitar duo, in an English
folk/classically influenced style. Venues included the local Cotati coffee
house "The Last Great Hiding Place" and the "West of the Laguna"
in Sebastopol.
The late Kate Wolf took Aircastle under
her wing when she interviewed them on her radio show "Singer's
Circle" on KSRO, and gave them the opportunity to perform their music on
the air. Aircastle also played in a number of her concerts, including at
McConnell’s Grove and Sonoma State.
Later, with the addition of violin,
cello and female vocalist, the band became known for its complex acoustic
material as well as for the excellence of its string players (including Jeremy
Cohen [Quartet San Francisco], Teri and Jim Lee [National Symphony Orchestra],
Barbara Vivian Rogers, Dawn Hyde and Tim Kennedy). Aircastle gained popularity
throughout the SF Bay Area, calling their music Renaissance Jazz.
Aircastle spent the summer of 1975
living in a house on the boardwalk in Venice, CA, and they performed at such
storied venues as McCabe’s Guitar Shoppe in Santa Monica, The Ice House in
Pasadena and the Comeback Inn in Venice. Aircastle became the house band at the
Comeback Inn that summer, and one night they were joined onstage and jammed
with Jimmy Page (of Led Zeppelin).
The late 1970s saw the addition of
bass, drums and keyboards, transitioning to a more electric progressive rock
approach. Over the years, they shared the bill with Kate Wolf, George Winston,
David LaFlamme (It's a Beautiful Day), Robin Williamson (Incredible String
Band), The Sons (with Terry Haggerty) and Merle Saunders (Jerry Garcia).
Aircastle was initially active from 1973-1982.
Aircastle's last gig of that era was at
a SoNoMore Atomics rally in the Cotati Plaza, The
Bohemian Blast, which took place in June of 1982. This was one of many such
benefit concerts organized by Rebel Fagin and Bar Ponneck. Rebel was also a frequent contributing
lyricist with Aircastle, as was writer and newspaper editor Seth Kaplan.
Of this concert, Dr. Boogie wrote in
Song Magazine: “Aircastle took the stage and cooked with one of their best sets
to date. ... They said this was going to be one of their last gigs for a while.
It was an awfully strong set for a swan song. I'm sure we'll be hearing
more."
Fast forward to 2006, and the founding
Aircastle duo reunited after 20 years apart, thanks to their longtime friend
Michael Fleshman, an anti-apartheid activist who worked for the UN at that
time.
In 2007, the Aircastle duo reunited and
played together onstage for the first time in 25 years, opening for the
Poyntlyss Sistars at the Forestville Club on the Russian River. In April of
2008, Aircastle performed at the “Be There Now” festival at Sonoma State
University, a 30 year re-union with past members Karen
Haygood (vocals) and Jeremy Cohen (violin), founder of Grammy nominated Quartet
San Francisco. The Aircastle duo also played the "Be There Now"
festival the following day at the Cotati Plaza, the site of Aircastle original
swan song gig back in 1982.
Aircastle resumed performing throughout
the SF Bay Area at various venues including nightclubs, churches and art
galleries.
The Aircastle quartet
performed in July 2010 at Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland, CA. This
performance was part of a service celebrating the music in the ministry of
Reverend Karen Haygood, who had been the minister at MPC for the past 12 years.
In 2011 and 2012, the Aircastle
duo/trio performed at Paula Smith’s art exhibits in Windsor and Fred Kaplan’s
photography gallery premiers in Oakland.
2014 marked the 40th
anniversary of Aircastle with the release of the digital single "Dead
Giveaway." This song showcases Aircastle's unique blend of composed rock,
three-part vocal harmonies, orchestrated strings, syncopated rhythms, jazz
flute and wild guitar solos. "Dead Giveaway" features Davey Go on
electric guitar. The follow up digital single "Magic Night" features
Don Detrich on lead vocals, Teri Lee on violin and Robert Gilmore on flute.
"Dead Giveaway" and "Magic Night" were recorded and mixed
in 1979 at Prairie Sun Recording Studios in Cotati, CA, at its original
location on East Cotati Avenue.
Mark "Mooka" Rennick, the
owner of Prairie Sun, engineered the sessions through the Beach Boys' legendary
'Clover' mixing board onto a 1-inch 8-track tape machine. The original stereo
master tapes were later "baked" and transferred from analog to
digital by Tardon Feathered at Mr. Toad's in San Francisco, CA, and "Dead
Giveaway" and "Magic Night" were mastered by Abbey Road Online
Mastering Services.
On April 3rd, 2016, Aircastle and Muse
reunited for a 40th Anniversary “Fools Concert” at Sonoma State
University, Ives Hall, Room 119.
This sold-out show featured the
combined talents of Jan Ferrin, Jeremy Cohen, Steve Puleo, Robert Gilmore,
Davey Go, Carroll Glenn, Barbara Vivian Rogers, Albert Wollmer, Fran Carbonaro
and special guests.
Jan Ferrin wrote: "A rare reunion
of once upon a time band mates and friends, performing original concept
progressive rock in concert in the same performance space where they presented
their music for the first time forty years ago.”
On April 15, 2017, the First Annual SSU
Music Department Alumni Concert took place in Schroeder Hall, at the Green
Center, Sonoma State University. The
concert included three-time Grammy nominated Quartet San Francisco, led by
violinist Jeremy Cohen, and the groups Muse and Aircastle, featuring Jan
Ferrin, Robert Gilmore, David Godet, Steve Puleo, Barbara Vivian Rogers, Rita
Thies, Carroll Glenn, Albert Wollmer, Moira Little, Trevor Kinsel and others.
The music, composed/arranged by Robert Gilmore, Jan Ferrin, Jeremy Cohen, David
Godet and others, encompassed a variety of styles ranging from classical to
jazz, cartoon music to progressive rock. Proceeds from the concert benefited
the Ezra G. Rust Scholarship fund. Here’s the SSU Music Dept. article about the
concert: https://music.sonoma.edu/news/theyre-getting-bands-back-together
In 2020 and 2021, Aircastle released the
digital singles “Modern Days 2020” and “Joeli.”
In December of 2025, Aircastle released
the album "Castle In The
Air." This album celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band,
and includes 18 tracks of studio material from 1974-2025. Six of the tracks
were newly recorded, and all but three of the tracks have been remixed. The
album was mastered by Myles Boisen. Graphic design by John Gilmore. Photography
by Dorian Cohen, Fred Kaplan and Patrick Johnson.
The Aircastle album "Castle In The Air" is available on
CD, digital download and streaming on all major platforms.
https://www.aircastlemusic.com/