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1. An American Quixote - a much earlier version of this was originally titled
2. The Journey - the beginning of the search, actively seeking out the unknown and trying to understand it. 3:35
3. The Approaching Unknown - seeing the unknown approach, there is a curiosity and a fear of the mysterious at the same time. A sense of apprehension and exhilaration occur simultaneously. 3:56
4. An Encounter with the Unknown - often when we meet the unknown, needlessly battle forces we do not understand. When we're limited to past experiences; we oftentimes engage in fights or battles that are either unnecessary or undesirable. Frequently, we fall in the heat of battle and then find ourselves needing to recover. 5:17
5. Love for the Lady - in at least one point in our lives, each of us has done something just for the love of someone else. In Cervantes’ Quixote, the lady did not know of his love. This track is play completely with the left hand. 4:49
6. Freedom Flight Over the Countryside - the exhilaration of a purely simple enjoyable experience without the hassles of consequence. 3:19
7. Pure of Heart - developed on the simple five tones of the black keys, no white keys throughout the track. We all began with a heart that is pure, without hatred. Over the years that may have changed, giving us something to try to get back to, if we should desire the pure heart again. 4:12
8. The Dance of Adventure - the joy of dance, the excitement of adventure, it can be a wild experience……… 2:56
9. Quixote’s Confusion - while searching for those who are in need, we sometimes will get confused in our focus, our real goals in life. In the tangled mess that is today’s world, it is very easy to get lost or confused, and not know which is the best way to proceed. 4:02
10. The Giants of Fear - Our reactions to
11. Veritas (Truth) - some seek only the truth, some hide from the truth, but it is always there whether one wants to acknowledge it or not. This track is composed for only the right hand. 4:02
12. Disillusionment and the Unraveling Mind - after seeing so much negativity and constantly struggling with the world condition, disillusionment settles in and the mind begins to unravel. This kind of surrender in a person often creates misconceptions beyond the scope of reality, causing further set-backs. 5:11
13. Resolution to Continue the Search - despite all that has happened, the resolve to continue the search is still strong. Hope shines on in the eyes of the American Quixote. 7:17

Credits
  • Written, performed and produced by Richard Carr.
  • Graphic design by Noah William Gilman.
  • Visionary cover art by Joel Chavez.
  • Photography by Wendy Norris.
  • Mastered by Parker Dinkins at MasterDigital, Inc New Orleans, LA.
  • Recording Engineering by Lenny Bertrand.
  • Recorded January – June, 1999 at the Dixon Annex Lecture Recital Hall, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.
New Age Voice Top 100 Rankings
Nov/Dec 1999
Jan 2000		 #48
#31
Visionary Cover Art
Visionary Art is a unique art form blend of the surreal featuring fantasy and science fiction in an intriguing technique using aerosol paint cans. Though this art form traces its roots back to the Mexico City of the late 1970s, with Sadot (1959-1989), numerous followers have continued the tradition over the years. Three such artists (Ricardo Ponce, Joel Chavez, and Hugo Montero) are now located in New Orleans, LA. They can be found almost nightly in front of Jackson Square, "in the French Quarter of New Orleans", preserving the legacy of the master Sadot.
AN AMERICAN QUIXOTE Reviews
"On An American Quixote, Richard Carr's new release, his piano is in it's finest form to date....with the arrival of An American Quixote, the complete Richard Carr has arrived. This could very well be one of the best piano releases of 1999. It becomes better with each listen....." - Erik de Jonge, Bep's, New Orleans, LA
"On this, his third release for the New Orleans-based Rec’D Music label, classical piano virtuoso Richard Carr has taken the Don Quixote legend and infused it with a distinctly American flavor.

Cervantes’ hopelessly romantic hero is the inspiration for this solo sojourn up and down the keyboard, as Carr treats each track as a separate episode in the hero’s life’s journey. In the manner of Quixote roaming the countryside seeking windmills and other allegorical adversaries to conquer for the heart of his idealized Dulcinea, Carr appears to absorb the Don’s romantic characteristics in the process of becoming his American counterpart. The tracks are an eclectic mix of fast and slow riffs that attempt to convey the message of each title and, taken as a whole, the pieces of the puzzle flow and fit together.....good listening music......" - Dean M. Shapiro, Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans, LA (December,1999 issue)
To see review of Quixote by Senior Editor Richard Fuller of Metaphysical Reviews... click here--An American Quixote
"Richard Carr is the master of hypnotic piano magic and his third album, An American Quixote, twists and turns in a delightful series of scenes that invite you to lose yourself in reflection...." - Melyssa Harmon, Get Fancy! (Fall 2000, Vol 1 Iss 4)

Click here to read the reviews in their entirety

A Few Notes from Richard
An American Quixote conjures up many different images - everyone has a different notion of what it might mean. Cervantes’ Quixote was a man in search of adventure and justice, seeking out those who were in need of his help. He was a noble man with a chivalrous and pure heart and his good intentions caused him to attempt the impossible, tilting at windmills, following his dreams. Often misled by his own confusion with the real world, he continued on his quest to improve the world - - all for the love of a lady. This project was born from ideas about Quixotes, fictional or otherwise. Each of the selections represents an aspect of the quest. An American Quixote acknowledges that each of us, in some small way, seeks to improve the world around us each and every day. Some of us take it more seriously than others, whether consciously or not, and live our lives in a quixotic fashion. Seeking to achieve a perfect world where nobility and purity of heart win out every time.

Music Award

An American Quixote was chosen as 1st Runner-up for the New Age Album of the Year for the 2000 Just Plain Folks Music Awards.
The title track, An American Quixote, was 1st Runner-up for the Instrumental Song of the Year!

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