[null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1AMDBUAVa68/Vhghf6bz7MI/AAAAAAAAAUo/J6PCAjVkY_A/s1600/annetrenning.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1AMDBUAVa68/Vhghf6bz7MI/AAAAAAAAAUo/J6PCAjVkY_A/s1600/annetrenning.jpg", "formatted_filename": "annetrenning"}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5j2Ym6EGDIs/VfnV8aXSSdI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/eb7_K9uJ24s/s200/asia%2Bbeauty.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5j2Ym6EGDIs/VfnV8aXSSdI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/eb7_K9uJ24s/s200/asia%2Bbeauty.jpg", "formatted_filename": "asia Bbeauty", "rendered_width": 200, "rendered_height": 200}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kr6CTQ78sIE/VdjYfxc-9wI/AAAAAAAAATo/ZbOU3jtHjJk/s1600/heart%2Bsong.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kr6CTQ78sIE/VdjYfxc-9wI/AAAAAAAAATo/ZbOU3jtHjJk/s1600/heart%2Bsong.jpg", "formatted_filename": "heart Bsong"}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gRR85DH9ec/VdjXMRYftdI/AAAAAAAAATc/9xQtVQ9CfRg/s1600/imaginings.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gRR85DH9ec/VdjXMRYftdI/AAAAAAAAATc/9xQtVQ9CfRg/s1600/imaginings.jpg", "formatted_filename": "imaginings"}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QuZiCKmTGuA/VWsZdKk5Q_I/AAAAAAAAATA/8KQsiq1uYTc/s200/fire%2Bin%2Bthe%2Brainstorm.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QuZiCKmTGuA/VWsZdKk5Q_I/AAAAAAAAATA/8KQsiq1uYTc/s200/fire%2Bin%2Bthe%2Brainstorm.jpg", "formatted_filename": "fire Bin Bthe Brainstorm", "rendered_width": 200, "rendered_height": 200}, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "file:///C:/Users/Bill/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg", "src": "https://windandwire.blogspot.com/file:///C:/Users/Bill/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg", "formatted_filename": "clip image", "alt_text": "cdbaby-logo", "rendered_width": 96, "rendered_height": 36}, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "file:///C:/Users/Bill/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg", "src": "https://windandwire.blogspot.com/file:///C:/Users/Bill/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg", "formatted_filename": "clip image", "alt_text": "cdbaby-logo", "rendered_width": 96, "rendered_height": 36}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-koEtWAbd9Sk/VU0PS60qWHI/AAAAAAAAASY/pHiSlO-1NzY/s200/Fiona-Joy_Signature-Solo_TIM.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-koEtWAbd9Sk/VU0PS60qWHI/AAAAAAAAASY/pHiSlO-1NzY/s200/Fiona-Joy_Signature-Solo_TIM.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Fiona Joy Signature Solo TIM", "rendered_width": 200, "rendered_height": 200}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OmPmKcxow8k/VUz3SfQrXkI/AAAAAAAAASI/N6XFj3SUfb8/s200/next.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OmPmKcxow8k/VUz3SfQrXkI/AAAAAAAAASI/N6XFj3SUfb8/s200/next.jpg", "formatted_filename": "next", "rendered_width": 200, "rendered_height": 178}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81dgD9Z-79o/VTpwYYZl-FI/AAAAAAAAARw/Yc-XtRyYdog/s1600/spirits.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81dgD9Z-79o/VTpwYYZl-FI/AAAAAAAAARw/Yc-XtRyYdog/s1600/spirits.jpg", "formatted_filename": "spirits"}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EIYqKhXRDi4/VTm2reVV3UI/AAAAAAAAARc/4HQsQfQKrIk/s1600/Issue%2B12%2Bcover.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EIYqKhXRDi4/VTm2reVV3UI/AAAAAAAAARc/4HQsQfQKrIk/s1600/Issue%2B12%2Bcover.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Issue B Bcover", "rendered_width": 246, "rendered_height": 320}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bVa-dJXTZnE/VTmyiN3LdEI/AAAAAAAAARQ/396ZfIoK5lc/s1600/Issue%2B11%2Bcover.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bVa-dJXTZnE/VTmyiN3LdEI/AAAAAAAAARQ/396ZfIoK5lc/s1600/Issue%2B11%2Bcover.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Issue B Bcover", "rendered_width": 244, "rendered_height": 320}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OgsA9k1ik98/VTVSab90WyI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/ckZ88MmfS8o/s1600/heart%2Bof%2Bsilence.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OgsA9k1ik98/VTVSab90WyI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/ckZ88MmfS8o/s1600/heart%2Bof%2Bsilence.jpg", "formatted_filename": "heart Bof Bsilence", "rendered_width": 200, "rendered_height": 200}, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://windandwire.blogspot.com/2015/", "unformatted_src": "//3.bp.blogspot.com/-RsT_xpGX3IY/UHXpInqVHKI/AAAAAAAAACU/-MAe0x0Z7TY/s80/bill.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RsT_xpGX3IY/UHXpInqVHKI/AAAAAAAAACU/-MAe0x0Z7TY/s80/bill.jpg", "formatted_filename": "bill", "alt_text": "My photo", "rendered_width": 80, "rendered_height": 73}, null, null, null, null]


REVIEW: Anne Trenning - The Sunflower Waltz The Sunflower Waltz
Shadetree Records (2015)

At its core, Anne Trenning's solo piano album, The Sunflower Waltz, is musical nostalgia, melodies from a simpler time when a simple sunflower seemed to radiate joy and beauty. This is not to say Trenning's music is "simple" in its essence, but instead, that the music is plainspoken with no subterfuge and little, if any, hidden agenda. These are straightforward songs, based mostly around major key melodies which conjure images of light, warmth, friendship and other positive feelings. When one adds in engineering and mastering by the estimable Joe Bongiorno (the album sounds great!), you get a complete package of solid musicianship, engaging melodies, and spot-on production quality.

"Max's Birthday" is the opening track and immediately sets the tone for the recording with a light-hearted and subtly joyful mood with adroit balancing of lower and middle/high registers. Next, the title track wears its waltz-like sound proudly on its musical sleeve. While the motifs are certainly influenced by those of waltzes, the tempo is dialed up a bit—not in any way that proves distracting, and in the bridge the speed slows down a bit before returning to the refrain, and that refrain has a catchiness to it that I enjoyed. The song is not purely classical in feel, as I detect a soft shading of rural Americana now and then. That Americana hint actually flows throughout some of the album's tracks. Images of small town bandstands on warm Sunday afternoons with children playing and adults relaxing seem to paint themselves in the air while I listen to tracks such as "Claire Of My Heart" and "Cowgirl Daydream" (which also displays a waltz motif as well, perhaps even more pronounced than the title track). Church music seems to be the main influence on "In The Gloaming Light" with its more sedate, measured cadence and somewhat stately melody. The next track, "Sing To The Lord," which one might expect to sound like a spiritual or hymn, is relatively subdued though with an undercurrent of joy and praise. "Backyard Dreamer" dials the energy down even further, perhaps referencing the title's notion of lying on one's back staring up at clouds drifting by. "Where Rivers Run" (the longest song on the album at 5:01) is one of the few songs that could be categorized as introspective and reflective although the emphasis on major key notes and chords keeps the mood away from somberness or melancholy. Instead, the pensiveness is warm and positive in nature.  A more downcast, for lack of a better word, mood is heard on the next selection, "Days Gone By" however the song balances moments of minor key solemnity with times when the mood lightens a bit, either through dialing up the tempo or switching to a major key. "A Prayer For The World" is cast in the same mold as "In The Gloaming Light" in that it seems to feature hymn motifs, although Trenning slows it way down and thereby injects heartfelt, touching drama, as if she is communicating her sincere desire to make the world a better place.

There are also songs which hew more closely to "traditional" contemporary solo piano, i.e. not showing any overt influences other the genre itself. "Just Fly" has a spirited tempo yet the repeated refrain heard in back of the lead melody injects something that keeps the thrust of the song from being "too" cheerful. "Fade To Blue" is lovely—a soft, gentle musical rumination on romance (at least that's how I hear it). Trenning's control of tonal shading and nuance on this track are stellar and subtle minimalism can be heard if one listens intently, as she allows the notes to breathe a bit, offering a counterpoint to the majority of the songs which tend to be more energetic.

The Sunflower Waltz contains sixteen tracks, most of them in the three minute range, and I must say the album breezes by quickly despite its total 53 minute playing time. By keeping song length short, Trenning shows her savvy side, i.e. change it up so as to keep listener interest piqued. It's a smart move, although these songs are all so engaging that even if you bumped some up to longer durations, I can’t imagine anyone regretting it. If you're looking for a solo piano release that will entertain you and might also stir some memories for you (owing to those numbers that evoke a sweet nostalgic remembrance), The Sunflower Waltz needs to be on your "buy" list.

The Sunflower Waltz can be purchased at CDBaby (more retailers to be added  later).

Posted by Bill Binkelman at 1:22 PM No comments: Links to this post 
REVIEW: Ron Korb - Asia Beauty

Asia Beauty
Ron Korb Productions World-class flutist Ron Korb's Asia Beauty is more than just a magnificent album. Packaged as it is, i.e. as a literal hard-cover booklet containing gorgeous photography and copious liner notes (including an artist-authored story that serves as an inspiration for some of the songs) as well as the CD itself, it is a rare achievement (in fact, in my 18 years of reviewing, I can think of only one other album like this, that being Patrick Leonard's Rivers, released in 1997). However, what is even more praiseworthy is how Korb has meshed the multitude of Asian instruments (including the variety of Asian flutes he plays) with a western musical motif so that the resultant music doesn't alienate the less adventurous listener while also initiating the world music novice into the beauty and wonder of Asian music. In short, what he's done is to bring a western accessibility to Asian music (which can sometimes leave the unaccustomed ear feeling disoriented) without undercutting the music's authenticity. That he accomplishes this feat without resorting to "fusion" techniques, i.e. just taking Asian motifs and wrapping them in electronica beats and synthesizer textures, makes his achievement all the more remarkable (and I mean no disrespect to those who compose/perform global fusion electronica, a subgenre which I greatly enjoy and appreciate).

Korb plays a variety of Asian and other flutes, and in each case exhibits his complete mastery no matter which one he chooses. I have been a fan of his playing since I first heard him on Stephen Bacchus's album Pangaea (1990) and, in fact, on at least one track here ("Magic Sleep"), I was reminded of that recording. Korb composed all the music on Asia Beauty and his talent for meshing both eastern and western instruments may be unmatched. For example, take the opening track, "Hanoi Café," on which the erhu is combined with accordion, piano, bass and drums, as well as the western violin. Korb's flute (a non-Asian variety) flits above the other instruments while the erhu adds an exotic Far East element to the romantic piece. This is the strength of Asia Beauty—the seamless integration of authentic Asian instruments with more traditional western ones, e.g. piano, bass, drums, and guitar. However, it's not just the instruments but also the melodies composed by Korb which draw the listener in, whether she/he is acclimated to Asian music or not.

I mentioned earlier that Korb wrote a folk tale that serves as the backstory for some of the music on the album and those songs start with track two, "Journey Begins." One might suppose that these songs are the most "Asian" sounding and yes, there is an overt element present, however track six, "Children's Jig," inexplicably (and successfully) translates Asian instruments to an Irish sound and the piece is a winner, full of joy and cheer. "House of the Five Beauties," which serves as the focus of the story that Korb wrote, reinforces the more Asian influence, with erhu, yangqin, pipa, and guqin all playing an important role, and Korb himself playing the dizi (a transverse bamboo flute), although even here, cello, piano, and drums also contribute. Not meaning to repeat myself, but this song underlines what makes Asia Beauty the triumph it is, i.e. the melding of the Asian with the western to create something that honors both musical cultures.

The latter section of the album focuses on music which was influenced by locales that Korb visited in Asia, e.g. "Palace Garden," "Country Life," and "Two Mountains." "The Reed Cave" is something really special, as it presents Korb playing the Asian "dadi" flute solo in a limestone cave found in the Guangxi Province with a wonderful natural reverberation effect (a la some of Paul Winter's great recordings). "Blue Bamboo" intermixes a subtle blues motif with Korb's Asian flute (dizi) along with pipa (a four string lute), piano, and bass. As if the nineteen songs listed on the album weren't enough, there are two more bonus tracks, unlisted, but mentioned in the liner notes: "The Sword of Heaven" and the truly lovely album closer, "Jasmine Lullaby" which once again melds the Celtic (penny whistle and Celtic harp) with the Asian (via the melodic motifs).

There are many musicians on the album representing both the East and the West, and all the performers put everything they have into the parts they play; each one of them brings something special to the party. The guest players are: Lin Xiaoqiu (erhu), Liana Berube (violin), Bill Evans (accordion and piano), Donald Quan (piano and tabla), George Koller (acoustic bass), Larry Crowe (drums and percussion), Wendy Zhao (pipa), Sharlene Wallace (Celtic harp), Aidan Mason (guitar), Steve Lucas (acoustic bass), Chris Donnelly(spoons), Zhang Di (yangqin), Lucas Tensen (cello), Nan Feihong (guqin and guzheng), Laila Biali (piano), Paul Intson (kalimba, guitar, acoustic bass), Lin Xiaoqiu (erhu), Jade Hong (guzheng), Ma Xiang Hua (erhu), Yi Qin (pipa), Wang Long (yangqin), Ren Jie (guzheng), Lou Pomanti (piano), Ray Hickey Jr. (guitar, guzheng, koto, shamisen), Cynthia Qin (guzheng), Susan Greenway (piano), Bill Bridges (guitar), Ben Riley (drums), and Rick Shadrach Lazar (percussion).

Asia Beauty is about as essential a world music album as you are likely to hear this year (and likely this decade, too) and it represents a high point in Ron Korb's already impressive discography. Overflowing with creativity, imagination, and musical artistry, the recording features the motifs, influences, and instruments of the Far East and seamlessly seasons them with just enough Western flavors as a way of revealing Asia's rich musical heritage to unaccustomed ears. Throw in the gorgeous photography and the fascinating liner notes contained in innovative packaging and voila—a must-have release for world music lovers.

Asia Beauty is available directly from the artist or from  Amazon, CDBaby, or iTunes.
Posted by Bill Binkelman at 1:54 PM No comments: Links to this post There was a marketing campaign for an automobile manufacturer that stated "This is not your father's Oldsmobile." Well, folks, Spirits is not your father's bass guitar album. Erik Scott, who cut his teeth in rock groups such as Alice Cooper and Sonia Dada, as well as a slew of session work and also producing other artists, has taken the electric bass guitar and reinvented it in a way that is refreshingly original, startlingly innovative, and flat out fantastic to hear. Spirits is one of those albums where I thank my lucky stars that I haven't retired from reviewing yet. This is emotionally rich, warm music that draws you in from the first track and holds you in its beguiling grasp until the final seconds of the last song. Whether relaxed and mesmerizing, pulsing with rhythm and energy, or laid-back with a nicely chilled vibe, Spirits delights at every turn.

Besides plying his craft on bass guitar (fretless and fretted), Scott also plays keyboards and drums and percussion programming. He is joined by a great crew of guest artists, all of whom contribute mightily but the one person I feel I would be remiss not mentioning up front is John Pirruccello who plays steel guitar on five tracks and man, does he play steel guitar! (He also performs on mandolin on one song). Other guests appear on acoustic guitar, piano, organ, drums, electric guitar, percussion, violin, flute, and English whistle, I hope that, as I listed all those instruments, you started thinking, "Wow, this sounds ambitious!" Yeah, Spirits is all that and then some. Crisscrossing between genres with tasteful audacity, Scott and crew have hewed out a meshed genre that they then call their own. Jazz fusion, blues, world beat, ambient, chill-out - hell, it’s all there in one way or another, but the real joy of Spirits is what a melting pot approach it embraces. The songs are just this singular achievement of taking elements and combining them into a stew that is both wholly accessible (to say the least - I have played this album something like 10-15 times and love it more each time) and also boldly adventurous. The most amazing aspect of this recording is how effortless it sounds, as if Scott and his compatriots did all this instinctively, yet adhering to a cohesive musical vision that is, well to be honest, kinda mind-boggling.

Pealing steel guitar opens "Peace On Saturn" quickly joined by Scott's bouncy, cheery lead bass line. The merging of the steel guitar's "island" feel with the laid-back thumping of the bass notes is instantly appealing; it's funkalicious but in an oh-so-relaxed way. "Other Planets" starts off in a spacey vein before ethnic percussion cuts in on the synth pads and ethereal vocals, and here comes Scott spiraling in with a simply beautiful bass melody accented by some electric guitar that adds some cool sound effects without becoming too "out there." This music is just so darn mellow and gorgeous. Headphones are a revelation as the mix on this disc is something else, as all sorts of coolness lies in the peripheries on most songs. "Free" also kicks off in an ambient vein but when the violin cuts in, the song takes on a mournful cast with a hint of Irish melancholy. When the mid tempo rhythm enters (via percussion, drums and Scott's bass) the sad melody becomes even more pronouncedly Irish-inflected. "Donnie and Sancho" swirls out on moody synths at the outset before an acoustic guitar in the lead (accented by Scott's bass) takes the cut into spaghetti western territory, with a dash of menace and danger laced into the Spanish-flavored guitar and soulful bass lead. One expects to hear the Man With No Name utter a sparse line of dialogue at any minute. "Weightless" once again shines the spotlight on Pirruccello's steel guitar, pealing languidly alongside Scott's lead bass which pumps out another slice of laid back goodness. Scott composed all twelve of the tracks on the disc, save one which is an interesting take on Lennon/McCartney's classic "Yesterday." What strikes me every time I play Spirits is that Scott composed all this diverse music and also how unselfish he is with all these guest artists. Yeah, bass is frequently prominent in the mix, but always as part of an ensemble sound. Scott is one of the best "team players" I've heard in a long time.

There's so much more I could write about Spirits…the joyful Celtic-fusion-flavored "Run," the down-home folksiness with a hint of blues on "Foggy Bridges" and the dramatic miasma of world fusion (with Indian spiciness) meets infectious chill-out (think Ace of Bass catchiness - and don’t deny that the beats from "All That She Wants" weren't classic!) with a dash of Fargo soundtrack on "Gypsy Mother and the Royal Bastard."

Spirits is just so damn fantastic that I can’t think of a fitting end to this review except to say that it's one of the best performed, most imaginative, and most engaging albums I've had the pleasure of reviewing in the last several years. Erik "Eski" Scott is a visionary artist and Spirits is solid proof of that statement.

Spirits can be purchased at CDBaby, Amazon, and iTunes
Posted by Bill Binkelman at 9:55 AM No comments: Links to this post Issue 12, (view it here), was published two and half years after the debut issue and marked the end of Wind and Wire as a hard copy magazine. The end came abruptly and occurred simply because I ran out of money. This issue marked the reviewer debut of RJ Lannan, and for that reason alone, it is a significant milestone, as RJ has gone on to a fantastic career as a music reviewer and I am proud and honored to have given him a leg up on his path to where he is now. Ironically, this is li also likely the best looking issue layout-wise and is certainly the most professional looking. The main interview (with David Parsons) was conducted by guest writer Bert Strolenberg who graciously allowed me to re-print it.

I hope you enjoyed all 12 issues of Wind and Wire. Revisiting these issues is, of course, bittersweet for me. I can't help but wish it was still being published, but I am proud of what I and my staff accomplished from 1997-1999.

Huge thanks are owed to Neil Leacy, Judy Markworth, Kathy Parsons, David Hassell, Chad Gould, Hannah Shapero, Phil Derby, Mann Makula Hawks, Fred Puhan, RJ Lannan, and all the people who advertised, subscribed, encouraged, and supported our efforts. Wind and Wire would not have existed without the encouragement and love from Kathryn as well as support from my good friends Barbara Gottfried, Ellen Yarns Fredrickson, and John Seaborn.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....so true.
Posted by Bill Binkelman at 8:21 PM No comments: Links to this post Issue 11 of Wind and Wire can be viewed at this link.

Featuring four interviews with artists, including an interview with Tony Gerber of Spacecraft by Phil Derby, the issue also featured a noticeable printing error by the company that printed the issue, namely, margins for some pages were non-existent with the print sometimes barely fitting on the page.

The most notable article in the issue, though, and the one I received a lot of feedback on, was non-music related. My editorial this issue was a tribute to Kathryn's and my dog, Piaf, whom we lost between issues 10 and this issue. I received a lot of letters from fellow dog lovers who told me it was one of the most touching memorials to a pet they had ever read. To this day, when I read it, I cry remembering Piaf's gentle nature. She was the first dog I ever "owned" (Kathryn had her when we started dating in 1996).

I hope you enjoy the issue.
Posted by Bill Binkelman at 8:04 PM No comments: Links to this post Michael Brant DeMaria (Native flutes) and Peter Kater (piano) collaborate on one of the most meditative releases so far in 2015, Heart of Silence. Wholly improvisational, the eight tone poems on the album showcase both artists’ talents for playing in a restrained, subtle yet powerful method. Regardless of the particular piece’s tempo or mood, the overall evocation is one of introspection, a traveling inward to explore the depths of one’s emotions, memories, and connectedness to the world and others.

The opening title track starts the album off in an extremely minimalist vein; both DeMaria and Kater develop the musical theme with utmost patience, delving as much into the silence between the notes as the notes themselves. While no detail is listed in the liner notes about the assortment of flutes DeMaria plays on the recording (other than the three individuals who crafted them), on this track, the flute is low-pitched, which lends an earthiness and a more pronounced primal sensation to it (it even apes the sound of a didgeridoo at times). The second cut, "Radiant Dawn," while opening softly, builds in energy and tempo over its seven-plus minutes, no doubt seeking to evoke the titular reference of sunlight flowing over the horizon and signaling the start of a new day. The shift in momentum from the first track is not jarring, but instead is handled fluidly by the two artists. DeMaria's short flute notes are matched by Kater’s fingers flitting nimbly over the piano keys. "First Breath" returns the music to a sparse vein and also re-emphasizes lower register flute tones. Sustain pedal on the piano notes underscores the mood of patience and even contains traces of haunting mysticism, while DeMaria holds some of those low notes so long that he sometimes achieves an almost drone-like sound. "Holding Space" continues in the same sparse vein, but the piano seems to take a more prominent position in developing the minimal melodic structure, which at times has a somber/melancholic aspect to it. There is an underlying tempo to this piece, but it’s quite slow, and as the song progresses, there is a lightness of mood intermixed with the darkness. "Tender Heart" develops the piano-led melody even more, although long gaps between notes are still heard at times. As the track develops, a more structured, less minimal motif by both instruments takes over and the music evolves into something more fluid. As befitting the song’s title, there is warmth and comfort in the music.

The last three cuts, "Timeless Echoes," "Midnight Dreaming," and "Awakening" all travel more or less the same basic path but with enough deviation so that a seamless integration of musical vision cohesion and variety of particular motifs and thematic approaches is achieved. Each song allows for ebbing and flowing, from sparse musical phasing to more flowing melodic content. "Midnight Dreaming" is particularly evocative, painting a serene yet subtly disquieting soundscape, perhaps conveying a troubled, sonic portrait of a sleeper's dreamscape.

Heart of Silence is obviously ideal accompaniment for massage (the album running time is one hour, likely intentionally), but I can also see it being used in situations such as stress-relief, background for mental activity (played at low volume) such as studying, or perhaps as a sleep aid for young children (you may want to program "Radiant Dawn" out of the sequence for that instance though). The excellent production and engineering quality would also allow listeners to enjoy it as foreground, not just background, music, although the lower register flute notes will require good speakers if the album is played above a quiet volume setting—those low notes are low enough that they may cause resonant distortion in mediocre speakers (understand, this is not the fault of the recording in any regard; I listened once through my computer speakers and some buzzing occurred, but not on headphones or decent speakers). DeMaria and Kater are very much simpatico with each other and in sync musically throughout Heart of Silence, each one displaying their unique gift for expressing the theme "less is more." It's a special recording, one to savor time and time again in order to fully appreciate the detail and nuance exhibited by these two musicians.

Heart of Silence is available from Amazon, iTunes, or directly from the label.

Posted by Bill Binkelman at 12:30 PM No comments: Links to this post