David Mauk (2010) – Ground Swell

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Scott Ericson

David Mauk (2010) - Ground Swell

David Mauk (2010) – Ground Swell

Released: May 18, 2010

1. Dawn In Pennsylvania 4:27 $0.89 
2. Summertime 3:56
3. Ground Swell 4:44
4. Chop Suey 4:26
5. Second Story Sunlight 3:44
6. Western Motel 5:04
7. Chair Car 3:43
8. Queensburo Bridge 4:07
9. Seawatchers 4:35
10. Cape Cod Evening 3:39
11. New York Movie 4:13
12. Railroad Sunset 4:38
13. Gas 4:11
14. Drug Store

Note that the package includes a DVD also, this review is only of the audio CD.

An excellent compilation of songs equally suitable for Ambient and New Age soundscapes.  David has captured, on some of the compositions, a more classic New Age sound reminiscient of some of the better sounds out of the 1980′s and 90′s, with some of the more ambient selections evoking some memories of early Tim Story, Ray Lynch, Iverson & Walters, and similar early electronica ambience.  This is certainly not meant to imply that the music sounds dated or old, it is meant as a compliment and invitation to those that still enjoy the early ambient new age sounds (as I still do).  My picks from this album are:  8. Queensburo Bridge; 6. Western Motel; 10. Cape Cod Evening; 12. Railroad Sunset; & 13. Gas.  Ground Swell provides a pleasing listen all the way through.  All 14 tracks are suited to New Age programs, my picks for Ambient soundscapes are tracks 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 & 13.

Background From the artist (from amazon.com):

Hi, I’m David Mauk, the composer for the Ambient/Electronica/New Age CD, “Ground Swell”, 12 songs and 5 videos inspired by the art of Edward Hopper. (The physical album contains a CD for the music and a DVD for the videos). This is the follow-up to my first CD, “12 Months”, featuring the song “April (rain)”. I also composed the official background music for the current National Geographic Exhibits about King Tut and the search for Cleopatra.

I began this CD with the idea of ‘musicalizing” different paintings by the artist who awakened to me the beauty of Art. I was on a vacation when I first saw the painting “Cape Cod Evening” while walking through the Smithsonian, and I knew I had to learn more about Edward Hopper and his paintings. What I really like about them is that they almost seem like a story frozen in time, with clues to what might be happening lying all around the frame of the composition. I wanted to explore what these different paintings might “sound like”.

After I completed the music, I realized I had the opportunity to make some videos using period footage from the same time Hopper was painting America in the mid 20th century. So, I took 5 songs and edited the appropriate black and white footage from the period and came up with another view into the universe I discovered with the music. “Summertime” accompanies footage from Coney Island presenting a nostalgic look at the amusement park experience. “New York Movie” reveals an intimate video portrait of movie icon Marilyn Monroe, “Dawn in Pennslyvania” explores the struggles of Pittsburgh workers and families during the Great Depression, “Chop Suey” shows the whimsical side of newsreels from the period and “Queensboro Bridge” captures the building of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco and Oakland with some eye-poping camera shots that are truly breathtaking. 

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Ambient, Ambient Caverns, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Sora (2009) – Heartwood

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Scott Ericson

Sora (2010) - HeartwoodSora (2009) – Heartwood

Released: April 19, 2009

1. Heartwood 4:23
2. Drift 3:21
3. Eurydice 4:42
4. Winter 3:08
5. Hurricane 6:53
6. Light 2:53
7. Twilight 5:07
8. Children of Lir 4:35
9. The Juniper 2:46
10. The Birch’s Lament 4:07
11. Madron Well 3:53

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Posted in 2000's, 2009, Alt, Alt Aspects, Ambient, Ambient Caverns, Celtic, Celtic Currents, Coffee House, folk, Folk Rock Cafe, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | Leave a comment

The Best Of David and Diane Arkenstone (2010)

Posted on March 28, 2010 by Scott Ericson
The Best Of David and Diane Arkenstone

The Best Of David and Diane Arkenstone

The Best Of David and Diane Arkenstone:

Released: March, 2010

1. Jewel In The Sun (From the album: Jewel In The Sun – 2002) 4:47
2. The Spirit Of Excalibur (AS: Eniad – From the album: Avalon: A Celltic Legend – 2002) 4:41
3. Edge Of The World (From the album: Following The Equator) 4:34
4. The Angel’s Voice (From the album: The Healing Spirit – 2001) 4:38
5. The Red Tower (AS: Ah *Nee* Mah – From the album: The Grand Circle – 2002) 4:30
6. Night Flight (From the album: Spirits Of The Rainforest – 2004) 4:23
7. Through The Veil (From the album: Aquaria – A Liquid Blue Trancescape – 2001) 4:47
8. Morning Mist (From the album: Reflections From The Wine Country – 2001) 4:38
9. Firefall (AS: Ah *Nee* Mah – From the album: Spirit Of The Canyon – 2001) 5:24
10. Ocean Dreams (From the album: Oddysea) 4:29
11. Seduction (From the album: Echoes Of Egypt – 2004) 4:29
12. Flight Of The Raven (From the album: The Spirit Of Mesa Verde – 2000) 5:17
13: The White Feather (AS: Ah *Nee* Mah – From the album: Ancient Voices – 2001) 4:26
14. Horizon Of Stars ((AS: Ah *Nee* Mah – From the album: African Skies – 2003) 4:26
15. Arwen And Aragorn (From the album: Middle Earth – 2001) 3:28
16. Rhythm Of The Night ((AS: Earth Trybe – From the album: Rhythm Of The Earth – 2002) 4:28

From The Artist:

” It has been fun putting this project together. We have done a lot of music in the last 10 years and this is a collection of some of our favorites.

“It has also been a great opportunity to revisit many of the albums we’ve released, and though it reminds us of lots of enjoyable work, it also reminds us of what having the right collaborator can accomplish. The explorations and adventures we’ve gon on have been rewarding, exciting, and sometimes surprising.  It’s been quite a remarkable journey and we hope you enjoy this special selection.”

Scott’s Notes:

And a remarkable collection of 16 tracks, each from a different album from their vast, past archive of sound.  If you need a place to start to explore the more recent David and Diane Arkenstone body of work, start here.  And, of course, there’s even more to find when you trace back through David’s catalog into the 1980s.

Both David and Diane have recorded numerous albums under their own names, and under other group names as collaborations.  For a more concise breakdown of these albums and the group names that they were released under, see these pages on our old site’s artist pages section:

Diane Arkenstone:
http://musicsojourn.com/AR/AmbN/page/a/ArkenstoneDiane.htm

David Arkenstone:
http://musicsojourn.com/AR/AmbN/page/a/ArkenstoneDavid.htm

EarthTrybe / Enaid:
http://musicsojourn.com/AR/AmbN/page/e/EarthTrybe.htm

Ah *Nee* Mah:
http://musicsojourn.com/AR/AmbN/page/a/AhNeeMah.htm

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Arkenstone - David, Arkenstone - Diane, New Age, Timeless Canyons Archives, Timeless Canyons Cool Age, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Cruel Seamus – The Irish Wake Of Cruel Seamus

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Scott Ericson
Cruel Seamus - The Irish Wake Of Cruel Seamus

Cruel Seamus - The Irish Wake Of Cruel Seamus

Cruel Seamus – The Irish Wake Of Cruel Seamus:

Released:  July, 2009:

1. Queen of the IRA – 4:30
2. Beauty of Your Creation – 4:43
3. Neil Gow’s Lament – Maid – Capt Fraser – 5:25
4. Last Breath – 4:27
5. Auld Triangle – 3:29
6. Here I Am – 3:58
7. 3000 Miles – 3:51
8. Jigs- Morrison’s, Swallowtail, Apples – 2:59
9. Irish Pride – 4:04
10. Song of the Chanter – 2:41
11. Garden Rose – 5:53

Coolstreams Adds:

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Celtic Rock ‘N Reel:

1. Queen of the IRA – 4:30
2. Beauty of Your Creation – 4:43
3. Neil Gow’s Lament – Maid – Capt Fraser – 5:25
4. Last Breath – 4:27
5. Auld Triangle – 3:29
6. Here I Am – 3:58
7. 3000 Miles – 3:51
9. Irish Pride – 4:04
11. Garden Rose – 5:53

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Celtic Traditions:

8. Jigs- Morrison’s, Swallowtail, Apples – 2:59
10. Song of the Chanter – 2:41

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Alt Aspects:

1. Queen of the IRA – 4:30
6. Here I Am – 3:58
7. 3000 Miles – 3:51
9. Irish Pride – 4:04

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Posted in 2000's, 2009, Alt Aspects, Celtic, Celtic Irish & Scottish, Celtic Rock 'N Reel, Celtic Traditions, Cruel Seamus, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Irish Tenors – Ireland:

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Scott Ericson
The Irish Tenors - Ireland

The Irish Tenors - Ireland

The Irish Tenors – Ireland:

Released: February, 2010:

1. Dublin Medley – 4:16
2. Galway Bay – 3:23
3. Beautiful Dreamer – 3:06
4. Lift the wings – 3:00
5. The Irish Rover – 2:56
6. Knocknashee – 4:33
7. Sweet Sixteen – 3:05
8. Whiskey In The Jar – 2:32
9. The Water Is Wide – 3:15
10. Toora Loora & Irish Eyes – 5:30
11. Glocca Morra – 3:30
12. Danny Boy – 3:06
13. Galway Girl – 2:25

From The Label:

The Irish Tenors powerful vocal line-up of Finbar Wright, Anthony Kearns and Karl Scully is unquestionably the leading brand of this genre in the market. All classically trained singers, each having performed in leading concert halls across the world, together they combine to produce a sound and concert experience which touches hearts and stirs the emotions. Happy songs of celebration and humour, mixed with touching melodies and songs that warm the heart.

Just in time for St Patrick’s Day, Razor & Tie will release their latest album, Ireland, featuring thirteen of the most beloved Irish standards including, “Whiskey In The Jar” and of course “Danny Boy” as only the Tenors can deliver!

Scott’s Notes:

For the Classically oriented, superb, inspiring vocal renditions of Irish staples and a few more adventurous tunes, including that “Whiskey In The Jar” obligation for March 17th!

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Celtic, Celtic Irish & Scottish, Celtic Vocalists, Classical Xover, Irish Tenors, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Richard Bone – Mind Environs Alpha Theta Delta

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Scott Ericson
Richard Bone - Mind Environs Alpha Theta Delta

Richard Bone - Mind Environs Alpha Theta Delta

Richard Bone – Mind Environs Alpha Theta Delta:

Released: March, 2010:

1. The Theta Loops (10:12)
2. The Delta Loops (10:08)
3. The Alpha Loops (9:56)

From The Artist:  Richard has, in conjunction with Don McCarty of CodeDimensions, created his first iTunes application entitled “Mind Environs”. Now live on iTunes, “Mind Environs” is a meditation/ambient application featuring 3 separate “Environs”, each having a brainwave tone plus 6 ambient loops. The volume of all seven tracks in each Envirion can be adjusted by the listener to create almost endless possibilities.

“Mind Environs” is also available in a very limited edition thirty-minute CD or to download. This recording contains three 10-minute tracks — each track one possible mix of the  nearly infinite variations possible with the iTunes ‘Environs’. Ordering links, titles, samples and more can be found on Richard Bone’s Web Site (www.richardbone.com/) >>>.

Coolstreams Adds:
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Ambient Caverns: All Tracks;  Scott’s Picks: All Tracks;

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Posted in 2010, 2010's, Ambient, Ambient & New Age, Ambient Caverns, Bone - Richard, Timeless Canyons Cool Age, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Various Artists – Whiskey In The Jar

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Scott Ericson

Various Artists - Whiskey In The Jar:

Various Artists - Whiskey In The Jar:

Various Artists – Whiskey In The Jar:

Released: February, 2006:

With: The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Frank Patterson, The Young Dubliners, The Dropkick Murphys, Joe Hurley & Rogue’s March, The Pogues, and The Dropkick Murphys

Disc # 1:
1. Whiskey In The Jar – The Dubliners 3:01
2. Irish Rover – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – 2:12
3. South Australia – The Clancy Brothers;Tommy Makem – 2:00
4. The Galway Races – The Dubliners – 3:19
5. I’m A Free Born Man – The Dubliners – 3:53
6. I’m A Rover – The Dubliners – 4:51
7. Drink It Up Men – The Dubliners – 2:03
8. Weila Waile – The Dubliners – 3:27
9. The Jug Of Punch (Live) – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – 4:19
10. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling – Frank Patterson – 2:48
11. Danny Boy – Frank Patterson – 4:36
12. Kelly, The Boy From Killan – Dubliners – 2:30
13. Mountain Dew – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – 2:10
14. The Pub With No Beer – The Dubliners – 2:26
15. The Rocky Road To Dublin – The Young Dubliners – 4:04
16. Fields Of Athenry – The Dropkick Murphys – 4:26

Disc #2:
1. Holy Ground (Live) – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – 2:11
2. Maloney Wants A Drink – The Dubliners – 2:15
3. The Leaving Of Liverpool – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – 2:47
4. The Rising Of The Moon – Dubliners – 2:38
5. Fare Thee Well Enniskillen – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – 2:40
6. Muirsheen Durkin’ – Dubliners – 2:33
7. All For Me Grog – The Clancy Brothers – 2:03
8. Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – 3:45
9. A Nation Once Again – The Dubliners – 2:43
10. The Rose of Tralee – Frank Patterson – 3:37
11. Seven Drunken Nights – The Dubliners – 3:45
12. Black Velvet Band – The Dubliners – 4:28
13. Amsterdam Mistress – Joe Hurley & Rogue’s March – 6:29
14. Sally MacLennane (Live) – The Pogues – 2:51
15. The Dirty Glass – The Dropkick Murphys – 3:39
16. Whiskey, You’re The Devil (Live) – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – 2:12
17. Dirty Old Town (Live) – The Pogues – 4:03

Scott’s Notes:
All good songs and first rate artists here, but quite a disparate range from very traditional to celtic rock. We used this CD as the basis for a great St. Patrick’s day songs playlist for Cool Celtic (Music Sojourn) with similarly eclectic additions. The Pogues, the Young Dubliners, and The Drop Kick Murphys make up most of the more mod sounds on here – too bad that the Pogues version of “Whiskey In The Jar” didn’t make it on this CD (it would have provided the same kind of contrast with the Dubliners’ version as the rest of the cd does with the mix of artists & songs). At least it progresses through the tunes on each disc from more traditional to more punk – if you’re drinking along with the tunes as they play, that ought to work out just about right by the end. This collection may be too eclectic for some. Those looking for the Traditional songs get more for their money here and can ignore the few rockers at the end of each disc. Those into the Pogues and Drop Kick Murphys more rockus sounds may not find enough of that to keep it playing except for around St. Patrick’s day each year. However, for that purpose, it does satisfy!

Note that a number of songs are “Live” recordings: Disc 1: Tracks 9, 10 & 11; on Disc 2: tracks 10, 14, 16 & 17 (the two Pogues songs on the disc are Live).

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Posted in 2006, Celtic, Celtic Irish & Scottish, Celtic Rock 'N Reel, Clancy Brothers, Dropkick Murphys, Dubliners, Makem - Tommy, Pogues, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Robert Rich – Ylang

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Scott Ericson
Robert Rich - Ylang

Robert Rich - Ylang

Robert Rich – Ylang:

Released: February, 2010:

Ambergris 4:14
Translucent 4:59
Attar 6:38
Verbena 5:03
Kalyani 8:09
Vetiver 6:25
Tamarack 5:38
Charukesi 7:11
First Rain 4:59

From The Artist: Organic, lush and sensual
Robert Rich’s first solo studio album in three years seductively blends languid polyrhythms with influences as diverse as South Indian Karnatic music, post-rock, jazz, and minimalism.

The title comes from ylang ylang, a flowering tree that grows in South Asia, with a mysterious fragrance that embodies elements of shadow and light, eros and gnosis, earth and sky.

Musicians:

Robert Rich: flutes, lap steel , piano, percussion, MOTM modular & synths
Ricky Carter: drums
Sakthivel Muruganandhan: mrdungam
Sunilkumar Sankarapillai: bansuri
Haroun Serang: guitar
Emily Bezar: voice
Forrest Fang: violin
Hans Christian: cello
Paul Olguin: upright bass

Pushing the boundaries of Robert’s melodic world-fusion vocabulary, such as on Seven Veils or Propagation, Ylang blends Rich’s expressive steel guitar, shimmering organic electronics and yearning flute melodies with influences as diverse as south Indian Karnatic music, pulsing minimalism and pensive jazz; while its deconstructed drums and blurry guitar feedback might feel at home with Sigur Ros or Bark Psychosis.

Rich enlists help for this undertaking from a circle of trusted musician friends. The rhythmic scaffolding for the album comes from two very different drummers. Ricky Carter adds his intelligent sparse drumming, fluid with syncopation but complex in meter. These rhythms could be a slow tempo homage to Jaki Leibzeit from Can. Post-processing transforms them into rubbery chuffing abstractions. The other rhythmic foundation comes from the Karnatic mrdungam playing of Sakthivel Muruganandhan, which also wanders into Rich”s sonic blender, shifting from time- stretched blurs into organic live duets with bansuri master Sunilkumar Sankarapillai.

Lilting in and out of this heady atmosphere of South Indian music and minimalist space jazz, the wordless voice of art-pop virtuoso Emily Bezar adds a feminine intelligence to several pieces, and subtle melodic guitar additions from Haroun Serang augment Rich’s soaring lap steel feedback. With acoustic bass from Paul Olguin and string additions from Forrest Fang and Hans Christian, the sonic texture warms to a glowing woody earthiness. Rich’s audiophile production and delicate sound design glue the textures together into a seductive and inviting mossy nest. From these disparate elements, Ylang forms a sonic entity unto itself.

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Coolstreams Adds:
Ambient Caverns: ALL TRACKS;

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Robert Rich’s Web Site >>>

Posted in 2010, 2010's, Ambient, Ambient & New Age, Ambient Caverns, Rich - Robert | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Bruce Mitchell – Celtic Compilation

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Scott Ericson
Bruce Mitchell - Celtic Compilation

Bruce Mitchell - Celtic Compilation

Bruce Mitchell – Celtic Compilation:

Released: January, 2010:

1. Border Country [4:12]
2. Realm [5:36]
3. Gaelic Morn [3:14]
4. Lady of the Unicorn [4:20]
5. Mystic Summer [4:21]
6. Ancient Runes [5:43]
7. Crossroads [5:12]
8. Remembrance [3:29]
9. The Book Of Days [4:26]
10. Dream of a Warrior [5:04]
11. Distant Drummers [4:52]
12. Stone of Destiny [3:51]
13. The Book of Wishes [5:26]
14. The Offering [5:23]
15. Sanctity [4:42]
16. Beyond The Horizon [3:20]
17. Worldview [5:01]

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Coolstreams Adds: See Original Albums:

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From The Artist:
Composer Pianist Bruce Mitchell began his recording career in 1987 with the release of ‘Hidden Pathways’ on Narada. Following up soon after was ‘Dancing on The Edge’. Moving on to more creative projects he formed a long term association with Oasis Records of Canada and released ‘The Gathering’, ‘Celtic Destiny’ and ‘Celtic Sanctity’. Recently Bruce started his own label for the release of ‘New Earth Goddess’ a mystical journey into the Heart of The Goddess.

Mitchell writes with a wide symphonic palette featuring unusual ethnic instruments played by world class performers such as Ron Korb.  His sound ranges from a delicate pianissimo to thundering harmonics. Evocative, uplifting and just plain WOW are some of the words used to describe his unique compositional visions. Bruce has also written the soundtracks to Television shows as ‘Nature Watch’ and ‘The Global Family’ by NHK Japan which had a very successful European prime time run. His music has been enjoyed by millions around the world.

Scott’s Notes:
From his initial release “Hidden Pathways” (December, 1987) Bruce Mitchell has always delighted with masterful instrumental performances.  While “Hidden Pathways” was primarliy Electronic Synthesizer based, he did touch on some Celtic moods and themes even back then.  On later albums, Bruce features acoustic instramentation, primarily composing for Piano with orchestration.  The majority of Mitchell’s celtic tracks are melodic & lush, many orchestrated in complement to traditional celtic instrumentation.  Fans of Phil Coulter’s Scottish Tranquility will find many of these songs a perfect complement.
Celtic Compilation is an anthology of songs from 3 prior albums:
The Gathering (Millennia) (1994)
Celtic Destiny (Oasis) (1997)
Celtic Sanctity (Oasis) (2001)

(Tracks With Original Albums noted *)
1. Border Country [4:12] * from: Celtic Destiny (1997)
2. Realm [5:36] * from: Celtic Sanctity (2001)
3. Gaelic Morn [3:14] * from: Celtic Destiny (1997)
4. Lady of the Unicorn [4:20] * from: Celtic Destiny (1997)
5. Mystic Summer [4:21] * from: Celtic Sanctity (2001)
6. Ancient Runes [5:43] * from: Celtic Destiny (1997)
7. Crossroads [5:12] * from: Celtic Sanctity (2001)
8. Remembrance [3:29] * from: Celtic Sanctity (2001)
9. The Book Of Days [4:26] * from: Celtic Sanctity (2001)
10. Dream of a Warrior [5:04] * from: Celtic Destiny (1997)
11. Distant Drummers [4:52] * from: Celtic Destiny (1997)
12. Stone of Destiny [3:51] * from: Celtic Destiny (1997)
13. The Book of Wishes [5:26] * from: Celtic Sanctity (2001)
14. The Offering [5:23] * from: Celtic Sanctity (2001)
15. Sanctity [4:42] * from: Celtic Sanctity (2001)
16. Beyond The Horizon [3:20] * from: The Gathering  (1994)
17. Worldview [5:01] * from: The Gathering  (1994)

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Other Bruce Mitchell Albums:

Hidden Pathways (1987)
Dancing On The Edge (1989)
The Gathering  (1994)
Celtic Destiny (1997)
Celtic Sanctity (2001)
New Earth Goddess (2009)
Celtic Compilation (2010)

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Bruce Mitchell’s Web Site >>>

Posted in 2010, 2010's, Ambient & New Age, Celtic, Celtic Currents, Celtic Irish & Scottish, Mitchell - Bruce, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Project Trio – Project Trio

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Scott Ericson
Project Trio - Project Trio

Project Trio - Project Trio

Project Trio (2010) - Project Trio:

Released: February, 2010:

1. Dr. Nick 3:35
2. Dup Dup 2:18
3. Fast 4:29
4. Blue Rondo a la Turk 5:00
5. 3 Movie Scenes 2:43
6. City of Dreams 5:21
7. Visual Machine 6:57
8. Grass 3:34
9. Arco/Pizz 8:05
10. Sweet Child O’Mine 4:57

Posted in 2010, 2010's, Class Crossover, Classical Crossover, Classical Xover, Jazz, New Age, Timeless Canyons Cool Age, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment