Biography
Born in 1960 in Norwalk, Connecticut, Rinehart works as a balladeer, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has compared the function of his songs to that of minstrels in medieval Europe or the griots of West Africa. Exposure to multiple traditions began with a mobile upbringing and a household soundtrack that spanned classical repertoire and contemporary pop. Guitar lessons started in childhood; at ten, a substitute teacher at his elementary school chose him to provide backing vocals on two numbers for a Judy Collins television appearance. Piano followed, along with participation in several rock bands throughout high school. He later pursued music and theatre at the progressive college Simon’s Rock, where he first encountered non-Western instruments and musical systems. His listening moved outward from singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell to progressive and hard-rock ensembles like Genesis and Led Zeppelin. By the early eighties his attention had turned toward what he called more dramatic music, encompassing Talking Heads and Laurie Anderson together with Celtic folk from the Chieftains and traditional repertoires from eastern Europe, Africa and India. Full-time study of African and Indian music took him to the California Institute of the Arts. After hitchhiking for a year in 1982, he returned to California for a luthier apprenticeship that led to work as a journeyman instrument repairer; during this period he also constructed his own instruments, one of which—an mbira—was later played by Robert Fripp. In 1984 he settled back in Connecticut, where he worked as a studio engineer and performed with various rock bands. He continued his training by enrolling in the classical conservatory at the State University of New York, investigating connections among rhythm, culture and perception. His 1992 graduation included a special merit award for the thesis Rhythm In Culture. While at the university he founded the ensemble Zulife and supported the regular CBGB’s headliners Being Don And Nothingness. His debut album, Walking Home, issued on his own label, earned favorable notices in Guitar Player and Music Technology. On 1995’s Jason’s Chord he collaborated with guitarist David Torn, a Windham Hill Records recording artist, bassist Mick Karn, formerly of Japan, and drummer Kurt Wortmann, who had toured with Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison.
Albums
