J. Ralph

J. Ralph
Born 1975 (age 40–41)
New York City, USA
Occupations
  • Composer
  • singer-songwriter
  • producer
  • engineer
  • mixer
  • arranger
Instruments
Years active 1997–present
Labels
Website www.jralph.com

Josh Ralph[1] (born 1975), known professionally as J. Ralph, is an American composer, producer, singer/songwriter and social activist who focuses on creating awareness and change through music and film.[2][3][4][5][6] [7] A two time Academy Award nominated composer, his professional career began when he was signed to Atlantic Records at the age of 22 as a recording artist.[8] He is the founder of a music production company The Rumor Mill,[9][10][11] and has written and produced the music for Grammy Award-winning artists, symphony orchestras, the United Nations, and the President of the United States.[12] His music has sold more than 10 million records worldwide reaching the number one position on the Billboard "Hot 100" charts in over 22 countries.[4]

Music career

Ralph is completely self-taught[13] and does not read or write a single note of music.[1] He is the founder of production company The Rumor Mill and many of his songs have been featured in modern commercial advertisements for companies including Porsche, Nike, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Chrysler.[1]

Ralph has recorded two CDs, The Illusionary Movements of Geraldine and Nazu (2005) and Music to Mauzner By (1999), the latter under the moniker "Spy".[14][15] He has also written for live performance, with 2008's "Fanfare for the Uncommon Ellie and Mr. Greene" performed by the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus.[16]

Described by The Hollywood Reporter as the "go-to producer of documentary film scores",[17] and by Indiewire as “Perhaps the best documentary composer working today”,[18] Over the last eight years, Ralph has written and produced the music for seven of the Oscar-winning/nominated documentary feature films including Man on Wire (2009),[19] The Cove (2010),[20] Hell and Back Again (2012),[21] Chasing Ice (2013),[17][22] Finding Vivian Maier (2015), Virunga (2015) and Racing Extinction (2016). For his contribution to Chasing Ice, Ralph received an Oscar nomination for his song "Before My Time", performed by Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell. For his contribution to Racing Extinction, he received his second Oscar nomination for his song "Manta Ray" co-written and performed by Anohni (F.K.A. Antony of Antony and the Johnsons). In the entire history of the Academy Awards, only six songs from documentaries have ever been nominated for Best Original Song. Ralph is the only composer in the history of the Oscars to have received more than one of those nominations.[23] Additionally Ralph is the first composer in Academy Award's history to write and produce the original music for multiple Oscar nominated documentary films in the same year.[24]

On Saturday, February 22, 2014. Ralph was invited to perform a special concert with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra in Colorado. The orchestra performed several of his works including his Oscar Nominated song "Before My Time" which Ralph sang.[25]

On August 1, 2015, Ralph created the music for the Projecting Change art installation event on the Empire State Building in NYC to raise awareness worldwide for species extinction. The event was organized by Louie Psihoyos as part of the Racing Extinction documentary. All of the images and lighting were choreographed in synch with the original songs Ralph wrote and produced for the film including "One Candle" which was written and performed by Ralph and Sia and "Manta Ray" written and performed by Ralph and Anohni (of Antony and the Johnsons). It is the first time the owner of the Empire State Building and New York City officials ever allowed projections onto the building.[26]

For the Academy Award nominated documentary Virunga, Ralph wrote and produced the song "We Will Not Go" which was performed by 3 of Africa's most famous music legends: Youssou Ndour, Salif Keita, and Fally Ipupa. For the project he traveled across 3 continents (Africa, Europe, North America), 4 countries (Bamako, Mali / Paris, France / London, England / New York, United States) while writing and recording the song in 5 different languages (Bambara, Lingala, Wolof, French and English) [5]

Ralph was commissioned by Discovery to write an original symphonic piece for shark week 2015 called "Theodora" to raise awareness for species extinction, oceanic preservation, and sharks. Featuring violinist Joshua Bell, The London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices, the piece was recorded at Abbey Road studios in London.[27]

On January 5, 2016 it was announced that Ralph and Sting have written an original song "The Empty Chair" for the documentary, Jim: The James Foley Story.[28]

Collaborations

Ralph has written and produced songs in collaboration with a wide variety of artists, including Sting, Sia, Wynton Marsalis, Liza Minnelli, Willie Nelson, Anohni (of Antony and the Johnsons), Joshua Bell, Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's), Ezra Koneig (of Vampire Weekend), The London Symphony Orchestra, The London Voices, The PS22 Chorus, Youssou Ndour, Salif Keita, Fally Ipupa, Sean Lennon, Philippe Petit, Dr. John, Devendra Banhart, Stephen Stills, Carly Simon, Vincent Gallo, David Garza, Ben Harper, Scarlett Johansson, Bob Weir (of the Grateful Dead), Aston "Family Man" Barrett (of Bob Marley & The Wailers), Matisyahu, KRS-One, Paul Brady, Bonnie Bramlett, Vashti Bunyan, Martin Carthy, Judy Collins, Lila Downs, Nic Jones, Norah Jones, Leah Siegel and Ben Taylor.[29][30][31][32][33][34]

Filmography as composer

References

  1. 1 2 3 Block, Melissa (June 22, 2005). "J. Ralph: Ad Tune Master". All Things Considered. NPR. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  2. ↑ Grobar, Matthew. "Making The Environment A Better Place, One Note At A Time: J. Ralph & His Oscar-Nominated Song "Manta Ray"". deadline.com. deadline. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "ASCAP Café announces new performance by Sting and J. Ralph". parckrecord.com. park record. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 Neale, April (July 3, 2015). "Shark Week 'Theodora' Soaring Symphonic Score By J. Ralph Debuts". Monster & Critics. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  5. 1 2 Feinberg, Scott (November 23, 2014). "J. Ralph Could Make Oscar History With Second Song Nom for Doc-Featured Tune". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  6. ↑ D’Alessandro, Anthony; Lynn, Cari (January 10, 2013). "Oscars: Reactions To Academy's Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  7. ↑ Cusmano, Katherine. "Sia's "One Candle" Lyrics Show She's All About The Environment". Bustle.com. Bustle. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  8. ↑ Kurutz, Steven (February 15, 2011). "A Prodigy's Second Act". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013.
  9. ↑ Sun, Rebecca (2013-03-13). "Oscar-Nominated Songwriter Signs With WME". Hollywood Reporter.
  10. ↑ "Volkswagen Adverts & Commercials Archive BIG DAY". Advertolog.
  11. ↑ "Volkswagen Squares". We Love Ad.
  12. ↑ "J. Ralph on Chasing Ice". ASCAP Playback.
  13. ↑ Rosenbloom, Etan (2012-11-23). "J. Ralph on Chasing Ice". Playback.
  14. ↑ "Illusionary Movements of Geraldine and Nazu". Allmusic. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  15. ↑ Bush, John. "Spy". Allmusic. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  16. ↑ Zuck, Barbara (November 9, 2008). "Soloists, premiere cap energetic night". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  17. 1 2 Carlson, Erin (2013-02-20). "Oscars 2013: Best Song Contender J. Ralph on Scarlett Johansson's 'World-Class' Singing Voice". Hollywood Reporter.
  18. ↑ The Playlist Staff. "The 20 Best Documentaries Of 2015". Indiewire. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Nominees & Winners for the 81st Academy Awards". Nominees & Winners. AMPAS. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Nominees & Winners for the 82nd Academy Awards". Nominees & Winners. AMPAS. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Nominees and Winners for the 84th Academy Awards". Nominees & Winners. AMPAS. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Nominees for the 85th Academy Awards". Nominees & Winners. AMPAS. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  23. ↑ Anita, Busch. "Oscar Nom Reactions: Saoirse Ronan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bryan Cranston, Sylvester Stallone & More". deadline. deadline.com. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  24. ↑ Neman, Melinda. "J. Ralph & Antony Hegarty's Oscar-Nominated Song Was Inspired By Singing of Extinct Bird". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Boulder Philharmonic Celebrates 10 Years Of BIFF".
  26. ↑ Roston, Tom. "Illuminating the Plight of Endangered Species, at the Empire State Building". New York Times. NY Times. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Discovery To Feature New Music By Composer J. Ralph". thehollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter.
  28. ↑ Sneider, Jeff. "HBO lands Jim documentary about journalist murdered by isis". The Wrap. The Wrap. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  29. ↑ Barker, Andrew (2010-11-18). "Ralph's score veers to the vulnerable". Variety.
  30. ↑ "Wretches & Jabberers Soundtrack". Wretches & Jabberers Official Website.
  31. ↑ Jeffries, David. "Matisyahu Spark Seeker (Credits)". Crossroads. Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
  32. ↑ Florino, Rick (2011-10-19). "J. Ralph Talks "Hell and Back Again"". Artist Direct.
  33. ↑ "illuminating the plight of endangered species at the empire state building". NYTimes.com. NY TIMES.
  34. ↑ "Shark Week To Feature New Music From Composer J. Ralph". Billboard.com. Billboard.
  35. ↑ J. Ralph at the Internet Movie Database

External links

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