Entrancing Electromagnetic Excursions from Spanish Ambient Master — Bruno Sanfilippo – Subliminal Pulse

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Scott Ericson
Bruno Sanfilippo - Subliminal Pulse (2011)

Bruno Sanfilippo - Subliminal Pulse (2011)

Bruno Sanfilippo – Subliminal Pulse (2011)

1. The Third Geometry – (5:52)
2. Santa Luminosa – (6:40)
3. Spirit Allies – (5:47)
4. Intrinsic Fluctuations – (14:00)
5. Subliminal Pulse – (5:58)
6. Slipped Time – (7:29)
7. Alchemical Powers – (6:29)
8. Pulsum Sacrum – (7:21)
9. Mantram – (7:58)

Playlist length: 1 hour 7 minutes 34 seconds

Summary: Masterful ambient excursions that evoke the classic ambient masters such as Robert Rich, Steve Roach, Klaus Schulze and even early Tangerine Dream.  These complex and intricate compositions range from airy to intense, haunting, mysterious and droning to harmonious and ethereal.  Taken in its entirety, the album might be interpreted as a journey from the beginning of time through the formation of life, or a similar evolutionary or developmental theme.  Bruno Sanfilippo is an accomplished electronic artist and his many years of composing and performing yield another excellent ambient collection here.

Artist’s Background & Details:
Bruno Sanfilippo may be new to some ambient listeners as “Subliminal Pulse” is his first release in the United States, due to his joining with the excellent “Spotted Peccary” label.

His works go back to as early as 1991 when, after several years experimenting with electronic music and studying composing, he released his first album “Sons of the Light,” which was later released by EPSA Music and then distributed in Argentina and some other South American countries.

In the 1990′s he searched for new sounds and experimented with every electronic sound device that he could.  He released a second work “The New Kingdom” in 1995.

In 1998 he created his own label “ad21music” for both his solo and collaborative projects.   From 2000 -2010 he released ten albums on his “ad21music” label, plus one in between on another label:

2000 – Solemnis
2000 – Suite Patagonia – a tribute to the Patagonia
2003 – Visuala (released on Neuronium Records)
2004 – Indalo – a collaboration with Max Corbacho.
2004 – Ad Libitum
2006 – InTRO – with a collaboration of Alio Die [Stefano Musso] on one track
2007 – Piano Textures
2008 – Ambessence piano & drones – a collaboration work with Mathias Grassow
2009 – Auralspace
2009 – Piano Textures 2
2010 – CROMO [piano & drones] – second collaborative work between Bruno Sanfilippo and Mathias Grassow

I personally had the pleasure of playing from many of his prior releases starting from the early releases “Suite Patagonia,” “Visuala” and “Indalo” for “Ambient Caverns” (Music Sojourn / Coolstreams) thanks to the artist sending them over.  Many of these albums have now been made available on Amazon.com in the US (though most show the add dates there of 2010 or 2011).  For newcomers, I recommend starting with the current “Subliminal Pulse” and working back through his catalog.

By Track:
1. The Third Geometry – (5:52) – Opens airy and soaring becoming infiltrated with heavier layering, droning and percussive elements, punctuated by tubular or heavy string like pulsations, drifting off into an airy void with some spooky vocalizations barely audible at the fade

2. Santa Luminosa – (6:40) – opens with a generator like pulsation takeoff into an airy, ascending, ethereal layered flight traversing past a variety of sound posts before climaxing into a dissonant sounding spiral out

3. Spirit Allies – (5:47) – opens with an electro- mechanical sounding pulsation becoming woven with increasing harmonious layerings of soprano and baritone synths and shadowy vocalizations

4. Intrinsic Fluctuations – (14:00) – opens soaring and hovering while added layers build a sense of conflicting themes, eventually descending into darker, brooding pulsating textures with metallic-like droppings and lathe cuttings, with a spooky spirit-like riff permeating the ending minutes

5. Subliminal Pulse – (5:58) – dark, spooky, and mysterious with dissonant keyboard-like riffs and chords and other-worldly vocalizations woven through various intricate layerings

6. Slipped Time – (7:29) – smooth, textured intro into an evocative, familiar piano-like riff and soaring textures, very reminiscent of past masters

7. Alchemical Powers – (6:29) – Opens dark and mysterious, suggestive of experimentation or origination and alchemy with boiling, bubbling underlayments, progressively more dark & dissonant and punctuated by bell and percussive soundings, degenerating into life sounds accompanied by thunder and ran backdrops, suggestive of primordial formations

8. Pulsum Sacrum – (7:21) – opens smoothly textured quickly augmented by male-like and then female-like vocalise layerings along with Tibetan bell-like soundings and explosive backdrops, use your imagination based on the title

9. Mantram – (7:58) – opens with smoothly textured layers joined with a soaring but morose cello-like layering, somewhat sad in emotion but harmonious in sound, a musical mantra as the title suggests.

Genres (& sub genres): Ambient, Electronic, Space Music, Dark Ambient

Listening Impressions: electronic, space music, airy, atmospheric, classic ambient, ethereal, mysterious, alien, intense, haunting, complex, deep space, droning, chilling (not as a music tag), spooky, soaring, dissonant, discordant;

Similar to: Alpha Wave Movement, Between Interval, Rudy Adrian, Robert Rich, Markus Reuter, Klaus Schulze, Steve Roach

Website:
bruno-sanfilippo.com

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Engaging Ambient Excursion – Amongst Myselves – Fragments

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Scott Ericson
Amongst Myselves - Fragments (2010)

Amongst Myselves - Fragments (2010)

Amongst Myselves – Fragments (2010)

1. – Smell Of The Sun – (5:08)
2. – She Who Loves Silence – (6:14)
3. – Morning In The Bowl Of Night – (10:24)
4. – Field Of Broken Mirrors – (7:36)
5. – The Sunlit Tower – (6:17)
6. – Clouds Of Unknowing – (7:42)
7. – City Of A Hundred Gates – (3:27)
8. – Town On The Hill – (4:39)
9. – Haunted By The Ghosts Of Sounds – (5:26)

Playlist length: 56 minutes 53 seconds

Summary: There are many varied ambient excursions traversed throughout the uninterrupted 57 minute soundscape of “Fragments” (there are 9 track markers, but no fades or blanks between tracks). While the layered synths, guitar and environmental elements are fragments, they are woven on the album into a cohesive soundscape evocative of a continually developing theme.

Interpretations might include darkness to enlightenment, or an evolutionary process or cycle, whether in a petri dish, sub space, or dawn on an earthly wilderness – my dominant impression was the latter, perhaps as part of an exploratory wilderness journey.

The overall theme begins dark, brooding and minimal throughout the first 11 minutes (tracks 1 & 2), with the environmental backdrops intimating night or cavernous or dark void settings, the titles suggestive of deep night approaching first light.  Intensity picks up through “Morning In The Bowl Of Night” with the environmental sounds shifting from night ambience to a low heating or warming crackling / static.  “Field Of Broken Mirrors” evokes a further development of a lighting process (sunlight glistening), with an electric guitar spiral up interrupting the environmental ambience (sunrise), and the theme spirals continually higher through “The Sunlit Tower” to a climax ending at an oceanscape drifting into “Clouds Of Unknowing.”  There the soundscape introduces elements of uncertainty, which then develop into more ominous tones in City Of A Hundred Gates.”  The environmental backdrop of rain bridges “City Of A Hundred Gates” into “Town On The Hill,” which is light and airy, perhaps suggestive of exploration and discovery, combined with the environmental sounds of birds.  The final track unfolds with wispy ambient environmental sounds of people, footsteps, and other activity as the electronic layering builds, which might be an envisioning of the past inhabitants (“Haunted By The Ghosts Of Sounds”) of Town On The Hill.

Whatever your interpretations, “Fragments” is an engaging listen – especially in its entirety, and one that lends itself to repeated listens and re-interpretations without becoming tiresome.

 

Genres (& sub genres): Ambient, Dark Ambient, Electronica, Space Music

Listening Impressions: Ambient, Dark, Brooding, Gloomy, Droning, Other Worldly, Intense, Environmental, Space Music, Dreamy, Airy;

Similar to: Between Interval, J. Arif Verner, Rudy Adrian, Sante, Richard Bone, Jon Jenkins;

Web Site:

http://amongstmyselves.com/

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Ambient, Ambient & New Age, Ambient Caverns | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pianist Emerges From Ambient Closet! – Ken Elkinson – Music For Commuting

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Scott Ericson

Ken Elkinson – Music For Commuting (2011)

vols. 1 – 2

1. Unfolding
2. Move Over, Sunrise
3. Renewal
4. Eventual Morning
5. Miles
6. Submerge
7. Glass House
8. Incandescence
9. The Window West
10. Soleri
11. Far Rockaway (Gulls)
12. Radiate
13. Something More
14. Silver Maple
15. Violins/Escape
16. Infinity
17. Enigma
18. Well Lit
19. Riverside Park
20. Plateau

vols. 3 – 4

1. Stephanie Seymour
2. Serena
3. Getting Over, Or Trying
4. (The) Tapestry
5. Almost
6. Snow Day
7. The Thin Veil
8. Ascend
9. Blue Monorail
10. Life Support
11. Abundance
12. Daughters
13. John Hughes
14. Ireland (Imagined)
15. Solitude
16. Chasing Twilight
17. Kyoto (Actual)
18. The Unforgiving Fog
19. Teasing Trees
20. Kt-22
vols. 5 – 6

1. Changes From The Sea
2. Locusts
3. Spheres
4. Paper Kaleidoscope
5. Spiraling
6. Solenko
7. Goodbye, Richard
8. Past Life
9. Diffreaction
10. Lancer
11. Dirty Breeze
12. Squint
13. 4 a.m. (Bright Lights)
14. Ambivalence
15. Iron Lung
16. The Man With The Orange Shoes
17. Fluorescence
18. Flash Forward
19. Typewriter, Dentist
20. Mission Accomplished?

Summary: I have enjoyed and programmed Ken Elkinson’s New Age Instrumental piano solo CDs for many years now, but when a box set of 3 cds arrived, titled Music For Commuting Volumes 1-6, I was not sure I was going to get through 3+ hours of piano solos and maintain enough interest.  So it was a complete surprise to hear what played upon inserting the first disc.  Well crafted, engaging Ambient & Electronica sound bytes!  I use bytes because the 3 disc set contains 60 short (by current Ambient norms) 3-4 minute tracks (the longest track is 4:38), 20 per disc.  Obviously, this won’t be anything like Robert Rich’s Somnium, or the typical soundscapes of Rudy Adrian, Between interval, Darshan Ambient, etc., and the majority of Ken’s compositions are not quite that intricate, nor are they dark or brooding – more are airy and bright.  They are quite satisfying, however, and most will take you on a brief journey into a space or atmospheric realm of your choosing, or, when combined with the suggestion of the title, may evoke a new perspective on a specific segment of your commuting patterns.  The set is organized into Monday thru Friday volumes of 10 songs each (Monday & Tuesday on disc 1, Wed & Thur on disc 2, etc.), with the final 10 song theme volume titled “beyond”  including the intruging “typewriter, dentist” (beware that almost subliminal high speed drill).

I am impressed with Ken’s unexpected shift from the Ivorys to the synths.  While some ambient connoisseurs may shun the consistently short tracks, they are enjoyable nonetheless, with the only complaint that they may end a bit too soon after you have become immersed in the theme.  Noting that many tracks are, to me, reminiscent of earlier (1980s-1990s) electronic artists, one curiousity of mine is why Ken did not include the actual piano in at least some of these compositions because the closest comparison in that case may have been to perenial favorite Tim Story (“Plateau” in Vol. 2 comes closest to this sound). 

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Genres (& sub genres): Ambient, New Age, Relaxation, Electronic, Space Music, Electronica

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Listening Impressions: Tranquil, peaceful, relaxing, exciting, soaring, drifting, calming, reminiscent, harmonius

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Similar to: Michael Stribling, some aspects of Richard Bone, Alpha Wave Movement, and in Robert Rich’s Catalogue: Geometry (1988);
Many tracks are also reminiscent of earlier electronic music artists like Windsor Reily (The Move Of Life), Ray Lynch, Vangelis, Michael Genest, Peter Maunu & others.

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Notes from the artist / label: Ken will be donating a portion of the proceeds from this project to the ALS Association (fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

Note to Ken: (refer to the liner notes to decipher): I do the same with spiders, stink bugs and other uninvited guests, though perhaps more to avoid the cleanup.

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Posted in 2010's, 2011, Ambient, Ambient & New Age, Ambient Caverns, Elkinson - Ken, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | Leave a comment

New Age Fusion Cruise Across The Ancient Northern Seas! Al Conti – Northern Seas

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Scott Ericson
Al Conti - Northern Seas
Al Conti – Northern Seas (2010)

Al Conti – Northern Seas (2010)

1. – Veil Of Mist – (3:24)
2. – Northern Seas – (4:24)
3. – Spring Maiden – (4:47)
4. – Song Of Rig – (4:15)
5. – Thor’s Journey – (4:11)
6. – Dans For Loki (Loki’s Jig) – (3:45)
7. – Odin The Wanderer – (4:45)
8. – Baldur – (5:22)
9. – Valkyria – (5:34)
10. – Ragnarok – (3:55)
11. – The Rainbow Bridge – (4:37)

Summary: Al Conti Rivals the Best! Lush and evocative, mysterious and energetic, Al Conti takes you on an ancient journey through the Northern Seas of olde.  Even if you are don’t embrace the interpretive theme, you will still enjoy a solidly crafted and superbly performed New Age / World Fusion album of songs that are both inspiring and uplifting.  If you are not familiar with Al Conti, you will find that his efforts rival the very best artists of the genre.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Genres (& sub genres): New Age, world fusion, World Rhythms, Meditation Relaxation & Inspiration,

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Listening Impressions: Mystical, haunting, mysterious, lush, vocalise, vicarious traveling, vibrant, energetic, uplifting, playful, reminiscent, renaisance;
Dans For Loki (Loki’s Jig) has a celtic flavor;
Odin The Wanderer is very reminiscent of Patrick O’Hearn’s fabulous Sacred Heart (Indigo, 1991);

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Similar to: Suzanne Sterling, Paul Avgerinos, Bodhi (Trans Ukraine), David Arkenstone, Diane Arkenstone, Lis Addison, Open Canvas (Travel By Sound), Patrick O’Hearn (Indigo), Chris Spheris, Richard Burmer, David Arkenstone with Andrew White (Island, 1989), Cusco, Vangelis

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Great Segues (with songs from this album, Northern Seas):
1. Patrick O’Hearn (1991) – Sacred Heart – Indigo (5:56)
+ Al Conti (2010) – Odin The Wanderer – Northern Seas (4:45);

2. Bodhi (2006) – Crimea I – Trans Ukraine (10:38)
+ Al Conti (2010) – Song Of Rig – Northern Seas (4:15)

3. Al Conti (2010) – Veil Of Mist – Northern Seas (3:24)
+ Deborah Martin (2010) – Deep Roots, Hidden Water – Deep Roots, Hidden Water (3:44);

4. Al Conti (2010) – Baldur – Northern Seas (5:22)
+ Open Canvas (2009) – Surya – Travel By Sound (4:34);

5. Suzanne Sterling (2010) – Om Mane Padme Hum (Secret Blessing) – Blue Fire Soul (6:53)
+ Al Conti (2010) – Thor’s Journey – Northern Seas (4:11);

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Posted in 2010, 2010's, Ambient & New Age, Conti - Al, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Beautiful Reflections Of A Perfect Mood! Acoustic Ocean – Reflections on Still Water (2010)

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Scott Ericson
Acoustic Ocean - Reflections on Still Water

Acoustic Ocean - Reflections on Still Water (2010)

Acoustic Ocean – Reflections on Still Water (2010)

1. Night Flight – (4:18)
2. Moon Over Mauna Kea – (4:46)
3. Rainbow Falls – (4:20)
4. Dancers Of The Deep – (4:40)
5. Motherless Child – (4:16)
6. Devas In The Garden – (3:54)
7. Place Of Refuge – (5:22)
8. Voyager – (5:27)
9. Reflections on Still Water - (5:07)
10. Safe Journey Home – (5:00)

Playlist length: 47 minutes 10 seconds

Summary: Beautiful harmonies of Celtic Harp and acoustic guitar form the basis of 10 mostly relaxing and enchanting new age style songs, with a celtic flavor.  All of the tracks are supported with Fretless bass, and other supporting sounds include cello, cedar flute, piano, Mandolin, Uillean Pipes, Pennywhistle, and Hammered Dulcimer (See instrumentation by track below), plus vocalise on track #3 “Rainbow Falls.”

The compositions are beautiful and the performances superb.

This is the second CD release by Acoustic Ocean (who are Peggy Morgan, harp, and Bette Phelan, all other stinged instruments and keyboards).  For those familiar with their first effort, titled “Light Returning” (2008), “Reflections on Still Water” is very similar in musical style, with the exception that it has less vocalise, and does not employ the enviromental sounds of ocean waves, water, birds & gulls, and forest sounds that were embeded in most tracks on the previous “Light Returning”.

Those familiar with the group Magical Strings will find the music on “Reflections On Still Water” similar to their work, particularly the album “Islands Calling” (1996), but others as well.  “Reflections On Still Water” is also reminiscent of many of Wind Machine’s albums of the 1980s – 1990s.

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Genres (& sub genres): Instrumental, New Age music, Celtic Harp Music, Celtic New Age music, World Rhythms, Acoustic Music, Acoustic Guitar, Relaxing Music, Celtic Music, World Rhythms

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Listening Impressions: Acoustic, tranquil, peaceful, tropical, magical, enchanting, relaxing, haunting;
vocalise (on #3 Rainbow Falls);

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Similar to: Magical Strings, Wind Machine, Lisa Lynne & Aryeh Frankfurter, Aine Minogue

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Instrumentation by track:
1. Night Flight – (4:18) – Celtic Harp, Guitar, Cedar Flute, Fretless Bass
2. Moon Over Mauna Kea – (4:46) – Celtic Harp, Piano, Cello, Fretless Bass
3. Rainbow Falls – (4:20) – Celtic Harp, Guitar, Mandolin, Hammered Dulcimer, Fretless Bass
4. Dancers Of The Deep – (4:40) – Celtic Harp, Guitar, Flute, Fretless Bass
5. Motherless Child – (4:16) – Celtic Harp, Cello, Fretless Bass
6. Devas In The Garden – (3:54) – Celtic Harp, Guitar, Mountain Dulcimer, Uillean Pipes, Fretless Bass
7. Place Of Refuge – (5:22) – Celtic Harp, Guitar, Mountain Dulcimer, Electric Guitar, Pennywhistle, Fretless Bass
8. Voyager – (5:27) – Celtic Harp, Guitar, Cello, Fretless Bass
9. Reflections On Still Water – (5:07) – Celtic Harp, Guitar, Fretless Bass
10. Safe Journey Home – (5:00) – Celtic Harp, Guitar, Pennywhistle, Uillean Pipes, Fretless Bass

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Great Segues (with songs from this album, Reflections On Still Water):

1. Acoustic Ocean (2010) – Rainbow Falls – Reflections On Still Water (4:20) +
Magical Strings (1996) – Warm Island – Islands Calling (4:52)

2. Acoustic Ocean (2010) – Dancers Of The Deep – Reflections On Still Water (4:40) +
Magical Strings (1996) – Ferry to Islesboro – Islands Calling (3:54)

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Ambient & New Age, Celtic, Celtic Currents, MRI, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Impressive Debut! Feel The Energy! – Shambhu – Sacred Love, Feel The Journey

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Scott Ericson

Shambhu (2010) - Sacred Love, Feel The JourneyShambhu (2010) – Sacred Love, Feel The Journey

Released: October 1, 2010
1. Together 4:51
2. Edge Of Eternal 4:49
3. Eyes Of A Child 3:47
4. Natural Moment 4:32
5. Revelation 4:10
6. Imagine 3:25
7. Maui Breeze 4:41
8. Nirab Amare 4:48
9. Hide And Seek 3:34
10. Shiva Grove 5:25
11. Call To Spirit 6:17
12. Humility 7:16

Summary: William Ackerman is helping create and release nearly as much great new music at his Vermont based Imaginary Road Sudios as he did previously with his Windham Hill Records label.  Now add Shambhu’s “Sacred Love, Feel The Journey” to an already impressive list of albums from Imaginary Road Sudios.  Suprebly crafted by both Ackerman and Sahmbhu, the tracks range from Meditative (though not boring) to New Age to uptempo World Rhythms, and are played by an equally impressive lineup of artists backing Shambhu’s guitars: Tony Levin – bass, Will Ackerman – guitar & piano, George Brooks – sax, Ravichandra Kular – flute, Premik Russell Tubbs – flute, Charlie Bishart – violin, Jeff Oster – flugelhorn, Michael Manring – bass, Eugene Friesen – cello, Jeff Haynes – percussion, Celso Alberti – drums, and Jill Haley – English Horn.   Shambhu’s compositions are beautiful and intriguing, engaging over repeated listens.  An impressive debut, highly recommended.

Genres (& sub genres): Ambient, New Age, Meditation Relaxation & Inspiration, Smooth Jazz, World Rhythms

Listening Impressions: Acoustic, tranquil, peaceful, tropical, sensual, relaxing, haunting;
The melody of “Together” is evocative of “Darkness Darkness” (Iain Matthews / Youngbloods);

Similar to: Sundad, Will Ackerman, Tingstead & Rumbel, Brian Rolland,  Jill Haley, Eugene Friesen, Ravi Shankar (11 & 12)

Notes from the artist / label:
“Stellar In Every Respect” – William Ackerman

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, MRI, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | 3 Comments

Re-imagining George Martin’s Interpretations Of The Beatles – David Lanz – Liverpool (2010)

Posted on September 25, 2010 by Scott Ericson

David Lanz - Liverpool (2010)David Lanz, Featuring Gary Stroutsos and Walter Gray – Liverpool (2010)

Released: July 6, 2010

1. Liverpool (feat. Walter Gray & Gary Lanz) 3:01
2. Things We Said Today (feat. Gary Stroutsos, Keith Lowe, Eric Eagle, David Revelli & Alonzo Davideo) 5:40
3. Rain Eight Days A Week (feat. Gary Stroutsos, Keith Lowe, Larry Knechtel, Eric Eagle & David Revelli) 7:09
4. Teatime for Rita (feat. Richard Olivier) 0:13
5. Lovely Rita 3:50
6. Because I’m Only Sleeping (feat. Gary Stroutsos, Walter Gray,Keith Lowe, Eric Eagle & David Revelli) 9:31
7. Norwegian Wood (feat. Gary Stroutsos, Eric Eagle & Keith Lowe) 5:15
8. Yes It Is (feat. Gary Stroutsos & Walter Gray) 5:48
9. London Skies A John Lennon Suite (feat. Gary Stroutsos, Walter Gray & James Reynolds) 11:01

Summary: David Lanz needs no introduction to any but the newest of new Age / New Acoustic music fans.  As one of the most recognized names on the Narada Label from the early 1980′s, Lanz is, perhaps, more often thought of as a solo Instrumentalist based more on his early Narada albums “Heartsongs” and “Nightfall” and later “Return To the Heart.”  But, at roughly the same period (1985-1986), lanz also collaborated on two albums with electric guitarist Paul Speer, “Nightfall” and “Deseert Vision.” which were considerably more aggressive and, well, electric!  That is not any indication as to where “Liverpool, Re-imagining The Beatles” is going, but just adds a little background as to the more varied interests and performances from Lanz over the years beyond a solo instrumentalist label generally applied.

“Liverpool, Re-imagining The Beatles” does not invoke any electric guitars or shades of rock and roll, but rather are done in David’s more traditional style of piano with orchestration, perhaps, for some (myself included, as I still have the vinyl copies of…), a modern revisitation of George Martin’s Orchestrated albums of Beatle’s songs from back in the 60′s.  Each track is built around David’s piano stylings as well as Gary Stroutsos’ flute and Walter Gray’s Cello.  All are pleasant and engaging, well crafted and arranged, and expertly played.  You will need to pay attention, if you just relax and drift off with the music, you may even lose track of the underlying melody as the arrangements are not (nor meant to be) bluntly obvious (e.g.: Rain * Eight Days A Week) but often more subtly crafted around the theme.  Someone not familiar with Lanz’s musical style and just looking for instrumental versions of the listed songs might be lost on some of these tracks, but fans of David Lanz will be as pleased with “Liverpool” as with any of his prior efforts.  “Things We Said Today” takes off on a pleasant New Age Jazz style, and “Lovely Rita” is the only solo track by Lanz.   My personal favorite from the album is “Norwegian Wood” as it seems like the perfect style of song suited for this effort and is beautifully interpreted by a perfectly harmonius Lanz piano and Stroutsos flute atop Eric Eagle & Keith Lowe’s percussion and bass foundation, and the following track ”Yes It Is * PS, I Love You” is equally inspired between Lanz and Gray on Cello, as well as Stroutsos on flute.  The final track, “London Skies A John Lennon Suite,” takes several turns, but featues a particularly moving interpretation of “Tomorrow Never Knows” by Stroutsos.   Overall, the album is a pleasant listen completly through with many other highlights, and is highly recommended!

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Genres (& sub genres):  New Age, Instrumental, Piano, Meditation Relaxation & Inspiration,

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Listening Impressions: Acoustic, tranquil, peaceful, reminiscent;

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Similar to: Wayne Gratz, David Nevue, Spencer Brewer

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Cool Age Ivory, MRI, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | Leave a comment

Tim Farrell (2010) – Codas

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Scott Ericson

Tim Farrell (2010) - CodasTim Farrell (2010) – Codas

Released: July, 2010

1. All Over Again 4:03
2. Rosewood Alley 5:33
3. Open Sea 4:49
4. Memories of Shadowfax 5:02
5. The Fine Print 4:39
6. Echoes of Ages 9:13
7. The Backpacker 3:10
8. To My Eye 6:23
9. Wind At My Back 7:00
Play  10. Coda 1:00

The Fifth album from fingerstyle guitarist Tim Farrell charms throughout for both Folk and New Age Guitar fans.  His compositions ae as solid as his playing on ten tracks, ranging from the energetic (1. All Over Again, 2. Rosewood Alley) to introspective (5. The Fine Print) to New Age styles (4. Memories Of Shadowfax, and 6. Echoes Of Ages [which also has a Shadowfax style  through it]).  Highly recommended, as well as his prior releases.

Visit Tim’s Website:

http://timfarrellmusic.com/

From the Artist / Label:

Tim is on the roster of Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a wonderful organization that provides grant money to help non-profit organizations fund concert and residency programs performed by it’s juried roster of artists. 

Tim is on the faculty of the Community Conservatory in Doylestown, PA where he is also the Artistic Director of the Stretched Strings Concert and Workshop Series. He teaches private lessons, does workshops, and visits schools as part of his desire to further develop the knowledge, enjoyment, and appreciation of music.

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Coffee House, folk, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | Leave a comment

Bill Leslie (2010) – Simple Beauty

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Scott Ericson

Bill Leslie (2010) - Simple BeautyBill Leslie (2010) – Simple Beauty

Released: September 1, 2010

1. Walking Rufus 3:38
2. Smitten 2:40
3. Chreagain 4:28
4. Lauren Marie 3:41
5. Cascade Johnny 3:14
6. Holy Smile 3:01
7. Intimate 2:41
8. Calum Sgaire 2:50
9. Way Down South 3:02
10. River Angel 3:41
11. Maid of Coolmore 4:11
12. Glade Valley 4:34
13. Watauga Wind 3:18
14. Coinleach Glas an Fhomhair 6:54

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Celtic, Celtic Currents, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | Leave a comment

Eric Harry (2009) – Fly

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Scott Ericson

Eric Harry (2009) - FlyEric Harry (2009) – Fly

Released: January, 2009

1. I Am the Sea 3:40
2. My Secret Muse 4:26
3. Dance For Little Feet 6:47
4. Are You Listening 4:15
5. Skipping Stones 3:35
6. Fly 4:56
7. Surrounded by Sunflowers 3:04
8. Cloudless 3:36
9. A Girl Named Alice 2:35
10. Next Time Can I Dance With You 4:57

Piano with Cello, and occasional multi-layered voices.  From soothing to soaring, ten beautiful compositions evoking feelings of calm, introspection, accomplishment, wonder, and relaxation.  Most songs are suited for New Age to Classical crossover, and the majority fit perfectly with our “Meditation, Relaxation and Inspiration” stream theme.

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Posted in 2000's, 2009, Ambient & New Age, Cool Age Ivory, MRI, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age, Uncategorized | Leave a comment