When The Rain Learned To Sing By Michael Whalen

 

When The Rain Learned To Sing

By

Michael Whalen

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It shocked me to a certain extent when I saw how long my musical relationship with Michael Whalen had ran on for, ever since 2015 when he released You Are My Home, some 11 years ago, and here we are over a decade later and the artist has manifested another album, as he reflects on staring down at his personal life goal of a 6^th decade, something I am heading towards the end of myself, in a fascinating new release called When The Rain Learned To Sing.

The release is 10 tracks of some of the finest solo piano you could wish to hear, starting with the fluency of the opening piece called Blowing Leaves (October Zephyrs). The overall feel of the performance is indeed one of a light and airy autumn afternoon, with a gentle piano that has lush flowing ambient textures, which in turn feels like nature breathing with each pause and touch of the key, in a remarkably scene setting first creation.

Pieces of momentary reflection abound on this thought provoking album, one of the most pleasing on the ears is A Life I Almost Missed, with its soft piano melody and emotional phrasing, allowing us the think of the things in life we almost missed out on, then on the title track with have a moment of tender bliss on When The Rain Learned To Sing; there are powerful and darker elements in this piece that are beautifully juxtaposed by the more melodic structures, and brought into being by Whalen with great skill and style.

A personal favourite of mine would be the moody Unfinished Letters, there is a certain intimacy about this piece I found most compelling, and the pauses give a sense of incompletion, like words left unsaid, this for me was easily the most moving manifestation, at times heart rendering and sensitive, and would certainly make an exceptional single indeed.

Whispers of the Setting Sun offers us a moment to pause and enjoy the spacious tonal delights of a crafted composition, whilst 60 Times Around The Sun gifts us a haunting reverie, one that is guaranteed to make us who are already 60+ remember entering our 6^th time around the sun ourselves, another decade gone, another year passed, and more lessons learned, soft piano chords, slowly spaced, gift us an emotional roller coaster ride, one of a contemplative and bittersweet journey.

The more ambient energies flow within tracks like She Has The Bluest Eyes and The Light Beneath the Fog, which is a clever piece offering the listener momentary glimpses of reality in and out of patches of a timeless musical mist as life moves inexorably ever onward. The penultimate offering is the calming tonal delights of Through The Window of Your Soul, a certain delicacy can be found here that is so beautiful, as it weaves reflective melodies with atmospheric textures, as if we are almost gazing into one’s own emotional feelings from the outside looking in, in a wonderfully spacious offering.

Love In Every Ending concludes our journey with the artist, I listened to this piece a few times before writing as there was something in there that I found deeper, written in between the notes one could feel a sense of gratitude mixed with acceptance, the style here also reminded me of Elton John back in his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road days with pieces like Funeral for a friend and Loves Lies Bleeding, with its incredibly heavy emotional phrasing.

When The Rain Learned To Sing by Michael Whalen is a remarkable album of exceptional quality and deserves to be recognised as one of the most important pieces of piano work I have heard for perhaps a decade. Whalen’s expressions on the piano are always excellent, but here on this deeply personal album he pulls out of his magical bag of musical tricks, one of the most compelling and moving albums fans of piano based music are likely to find, a guaranteed chart hit with ease and may be more, should be on the cards for When the Rain Learned to Sing by Michael Whalen.

If you would like to see the videos created for some of the album tracks, you can find them here:

Blowing Leaves (October Zephyrs): https://youtu.be/loPM8EnNl9w

"The Life I Almost Missed": https://youtu.be/Vy2UfRSSZ6w

"Whispers of the Setting Sun": https://youtu.be/Cf10A3-wbu8

Native Flute Traditionals By Marjolene's Muse

 

Native Flute Traditionals

By

Marjolene's Muse

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

With spring in full flow there has certainly been a growth in the genre of flute tracks that are coming into the studio lately, one of the highlights for me recently is this very album called Native Flute Traditionals by Marjolene's Muse, a musical work centred on the rich heritage and sounds of traditional Native-style flute music.

The opening is a truly traditional piece taking us back to around 1830s and during the time of one of the most heinous and disgusting acts of humanity ever, its creation is thought to have occurred during the forced removal known as the Trail of Tears, speaking as someone who has walked part of that long trek of suffering and pain, this cheerful tune sits beautifully as a juxtaposition of endurance and beauty, and stylishly played, could this also be the first time I have written about a lyre in a review, which is the other instrument that features on the song Creek Lullaby.

We have a few fluent compositions on this album that are certainly worth multiple listens, specifically this one called Deer Hunting Song, an overlaid flute with shaker, this song comes from one of my personal favourite peoples of the Cherokee, who I spent many an interesting night with during my time in the mid-west, whilst the following narrative Ojibway Flute Song, has a similar cadence to the previous track, with a crisp flute sound and a shaker, however, a slightly more structured phrasing can be heard in this stylish offering too.

Inkpata is our next port of call in the glade in our musical forest, there is a more meditative feel here, perhaps a song that could be used for journeys, inner reflection, or ceremonial atmospheres with its mesmeric tonal vibrations, which are a constant throughout the piece, the drum and shaker are used here and the composition is birthed from another favourite nation of mine The Lakota.

The proud Lakota nation is featured again on this next piece called Lakota Lovesong, for me personally this is with ease the most beautiful track from the album, and a superb performance from the artist can be found here. The mournful quality of this piece reminds me greatly of the work of Nigel Shaw on his album Dartmoor Roundhouse.

We conclude this journey of native flute with the most rhythmic and vibrant track from the release, and an almost pow wow style creation can be found here on Peace Pact Song. Through the medium of this one track alone one can visualise the all of these traditions and peoples perfectly, on a fine and uplifting concluding narrative.

Native Flute Traditions by Marjolene's Muse was like a step back in time for me, having visited the mid-west and Oklahoma extensively during 2005 to 2010. Here we have an album not just of stylish traditional flute music, but a reminder of a very real history unfurling before us by Marjolene's Muse, one that should at all times stay in the fore fronts of our hearts and minds and never leave, a memorable and quite beautiful release can be found here for all lovers of flute music across the globe.

Night Music By Vicente Avella

 

Night Music

By

Vicente Avella

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The door to a world of moving emotive music has been propped open, and for those who are sensitive to touch its veil, may pass through its flimsy covering to be bathed in music that will literally touch your soul and move you, this for me expresses my delight about listening to this new musical release by pianist Vicente Avella entitled Night Music.

Utilising piano, keyboards and soft pads Avella for me has manifested one of the finest examples of heart felt sincere new age music I have heard for decades, the opening gift is the scene setting Dusk, as a cast off point it sets the scene for some sublime music to come.

The textures of the following narrative called Night Song remind me greatly of the late but great Harold Budd in his prime, with that lush and soothing piano floating in the breeze of thoughtfulness.

There are sumptuous tracks like the delicate beauty of Strolling Under the Moonlight, reminding me of our walks with our late dog under the dark night skies before his demise, beautiful moments indeed, but under sad circumstances, this piece has that element of calm, yet an underpinned reflective nuance within it.

The crystalline tenderness of pieces like Stars with its pristine touch and Quiet Light, with its mellow keyboard back mood, manifests one of the most ambient pieces I have heard from the artist, whilst a favourite track of mine called Serene is such a tranquil sanctuary of a composition, and one in my view that would make a truly charming single if released.

The haunting yet soothing tones of the track Sleep are a delight to drift with, whilst pieces like Fireflies are a moment of tenderness that is so wonderful to feel and bathe within, both of those offerings calm the troubled mind and sooth the soul with great charm and aplomb, with the latter having a magical vibration within its arrangement.

However the most poignant offering for me was the penultimate gift from the album entitled Gazing at the Universe, a track that puts everything into perspective, as all things must change and will, the delicate keyboard sounds filter in through a myriad of energies, reminding me of the great days of artists like Eno on Atmospheres, I would go as far as to say this one track alone is one of the most powerful and moving opuses I have heard this decade with ease.

The concluding narrative is now upon us and called Lunar Dust, there is a sensitive tempo that needs to be appreciated, and a flowing sense of time passing, which can all be feat within the arrangement, a final piece that is as outstanding as the entire album, and a sublime way with which to leave it.

Night Music by Vicente Avella is with ease the artist’s best work thus far; he has struck a personal balance between his piano prowess and the most scenic of ambient presentations, and succeeded brilliantly. I would recommend this album in a heartbeat; this release contains some of the most moving and meditative works I have heard for years, and deserves to fly up the charts with the grace it delivers to its listener.

Through the Cosmos by David De Michele

 

Through the Cosmos

By

David De Michele

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I can remember back in 1976 buying an album called Albedo 0.39 by Vangelis, I think that was possibly my first steps into what we lovingly call space music. in ‘78 I grabbed a copy of Kosmos by the amazing Isao Tomita and never looked back, I’m lucky enough to have the UK’s leading space music magician Kevin Kendle as one of my closet friends, so my soul is invested in this genre, now I believe that this artist David De Michele stands right up there with them all, as one of the finest exponents of this genre in the world today, and this new album entitled Through The Cosmos is a return to his beloved stomping grounds, and one of the artists most powerful releases in this genre as of yet.

This album and its contents, explores the vastness and mystery of the universe itself, it touches the hem of humanity’s place within the cosmos, and it all starts with a truly moving beginning called Through the Stargate, the speed and tension is built perfectly here, there is a palpable expectation of something quite breath taking about to happen.

A slow beginning can be found on our next oasis of space themed sound with the composition Starport, within the smooth narrative we can explore the theme and perhaps reflect on our human existence within something so vast and infinite, here is our little port, or safe harbour in space, the sweeping synths deliver a sense of grandeur, and the fast paced electronic nuances gift us something very Vangelis like in construction.

The repeating motif on Time Warp floats across the borderlands of the western rim of space, the synth work is explorative and creates a sense of awe, there are symphonic gestures here that are utterly cinematic in proportion and filled with ethereal vocals and lush structures of beautiful sound, whilst on the piece A World Within, we garner a retrospective look at how humans are small in scale, but deeply connected to the universe, worlds within worlds, the fractal dynamics of the cosmos, all of it interwoven and grand, this is the anthem for that aforementioned description, in yet another deeply moving opus form the space master David De Michele.

Hyperspace in theory is space with more than 3 dimensions, but perhaps a more fascinating and interesting description would be to call it a “hidden route” through space that makes long journeys short, it could explain a lot.  David’s work on mixing Vangelis like sounds and keyboards with ethereal vocalisations, partnered with an orchestrated back drop on this piece is simply breath taking.

We have crossed the half way marker, the shimmering lights of the continuum fade away, and we are immersed in a track that reminds me a little of Pullstar by Vangelis and called Intergalactic. This entire album has been incredibly powerful, but this one piece from David has to be one of the most moving and emotive in this style I have heard from him, as we watch vivid descriptions of stars, galaxies, darkness and light all rush past our musical starship view port.

On Stellar Voyage we have a softer yet more mystical offering, one almost translucent in texture and tone, perhaps exploring the journey through space mirrors a journey of discovery and understanding for each and every listener, the angelic like harmonies and voices float around the bow of our ship with a ghost like precision, whilst on our next voyage we have the title track, of course entitled Through the Cosmos, in my view this is the most beautiful piece I have heard David produce thus far, deeply cinematic and reminding me in context and tone to that of Kevin Kendle’s Stellar Nursery.

There is a real warm feeling about the penultimate offering, and on the last but one piece called Velocity perhaps we are moving towards change and acceptance, regardless it feels like a celebration through the chords and notes used, one that truly raises the energy in a beautifully optimistic fashion.

The concluding narrative is a true return to greatness as the music builds up to another moment of almost Berlin styled Vangelis power and intensity, as we brace ourselves for the piece Voyager, perhaps not the one lost in the Delta Quadrant, however this music would have worked well on the Star Trek series with ease, and is simply and utterly a truly crafted way with which to leave the album.

Through the Cosmos by David De Michele as albums go is simply legendary, I would state that in my view that this is David’s best work thus far, considering I have albums of his in my vault that takes me back some 22 years, that’s quite some achievement, David has returned to the genre of space music with new fire in his musical belly, and it shows, as such I quite confidently predict a top 5 place on the charts for Through the Cosmos by David De Michele, it is that good.

Love and Kindness By Curtis Macdonald

 

Love and Kindness

By

Curtis Macdonald

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have long been a fan of the work of Curtis Macdonald, in fact my musical collection takes me back to 2002 and an album called Shadow Crossing. Here Curtis continues the current theme were seeing here lately, in American artists manifesting utterly transcendent music in an effort to create something of beauty, whilst coming from a country in political turmoil and global upheaval, with his latest beautiful song Love and Kindness.

This is something special, it is a truly tender and mellow piece that is incredibly imploring in nature, and one which follows his earlier 2025 track “Deciding a Simple Life.” This is also a fascinating track; it is a peaceful, reflective, and a quietly uplifting creation.

In its early inception Macdonald uses soft ambient piano tones, which build as a simple piano melody comes in, then it expands sublimely with an emotional lift, but so craft-fully done, and without becoming dramatic, and at its coda it ends softly and peacefully, leaving the listener with a sense of calm and reflective bliss, an afterglow of musical delights one may say.

Love and Kindness by Curtis Macdonald is a beautiful piece given to the world at a time of great havoc and mayhem, its tonal delights will sooth and ease the furrowed brow, and ease the hearts and minds of all who listen to its lush and textured beauty, a guaranteed hit must be on the cards for Love and Kindness by Curtis Macdonald.

Carousel By David Lanz

 

Carousel

By

David Lanz

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is always something so delightful about a David Lanz release no matter what is happening in the world, hearing David’s music assures you that everything is going to be alright. It’s classic David Lanz new-age piano, it’s one of those treats from the finest pianist in the business today, and how does he do it, because he just keeps on getting better with every year that passes, and with every musical gift to us ever eager listeners.

Carousel follows, hot on the heels of another new favourite of mine called La Fontana, also a sublime piece of piano craftsmanship, and also doing remarkably well in the charts and capturing a monthly award at One World Music Radio, so what for Carousel, the piece itself starts with a high register piano and then develops further with a heavy pedal sustain, that in turn creates space and atmosphere for us lucky listeners to swim within.

One can feel the exciting movement of the subject matter with ease, one can feel the energy through the tone and timbre of the Lanz experience, as he builds emotion, gradually rather than abruptly, as the spin of the Carousel increases, it’s so palpable it’s thrilling, and masterfully performed.

After listening to this new offering from the master of new age piano, I can honestly only come to one conclusion, and that is we are witnessing a halcyon moment of musical history, a slow build to further greatness and musical prestige, as Carousel by David Lanz has destiny written all over it, and those words read, number one and award winner in plain bold letters, this is one you really don’t want to miss out on.

Requiem By Timothy J.P. Gomez

 

Requiem

By

Timothy J.P. Gomez

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is some really beautiful music coming out of the United States at the moment, some imploring tones and colourful and meaningful textures, perhaps it’s a sign of the times that when a country is in turmoil, music continues to be the only truth talked, and is indeed the panacea to cure all woes. Timothy J.P. Gomez, has produced his own anthem of emotional power and intent to further bolster my view, with the utterly beautiful new single entitled Requiem, and its probably one of the best flute and piano based pieces I have heard for the last 20 years or so.

This is music associated with reflection and memorial, and manifests a solemn atmosphere, in the same way with which Nigel Shaw did in 1999 with his mournful repose of an album called Requiem (Well of Souls). Here though Gomez sets a quiet, emotional foundation, a slow tempo, and offers lots of space between the notes for the listeners to be pulled into the narrative.

There is also a magically inspired Celtic motif in there as well, one so powerful and deeply moving that one can literally feel the lump in the throat becoming more pronounced as the music plays out. Dynamics begin to rise slightly, but never overpower the natural nature of the piece, which leads me to be totally honest, if this single doesn’t get to number one and win an award, then that will be a gross miscarriage of musical justice done, as Requiem by Timothy J.P. Gomez for me is easily the single of the year without doubt.

Practical Mystic By Sandi Kimmel

 

Practical Mystic

By

Sandi Kimmel

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Sandi Kimmel is a singer-songwriter known for spiritually themed, meditative, and healing music, and she is back with another inspiring and comforting album, this time entitled Practical Mystic, a warm hug of an album, one that we all need right now right across the globe, more than ever before.

The beginning is an acapella piece, a veritable instruction to what is ahead called Invitation. This leads us with style into the actual title track called of course Practical Mystic, in my view this is one of Kimmel’s best efforts thus far, a slight folk ethic can be found here, now one must be careful not to take the intent of this song the wrong way, this is not about escaping reality, moreover it is about living consciously within it, and I would imagine right now, many of us may well like to live in an alternate universe at this moment of time.

Holy Echo is an interesting offering and placed third on this 13 track album, once more Kimmel has a clever counter point that she is proposing, one may suggest that truth echoes within you, and perhaps encourages listening inwardly, rather than outwardly, on your inner emotional compass.

On Flame of My Being, we have a gentle onward narrative that once more is a multi-instrumental delight, with guitar and percussion and constant reassuring keyboards. Here we have a moment of musical reconnection, mixed with a time of personal power, passion, and soul energy, slowly bubbling on the fires of honesty and unconditional love.

The word healing is misinterpreted by many as being purely physical, but emotional healing and repairing bad programming as a child, can also be part of the so called healing process. The gentle lilt of this track is deeply appealing and soothing, and the lyrical narrative is focused on process, not perfection, as being a constant on going thing, so kudos to Sandi for creating an anthem for it on the track I Am Healing.

As we approach the mid-way point we come across a piece dedicated to trust and surrender on the track Highest Good, as we give ourselves over to something other than egotistical endeavours. Whilst on Essence a more thoughtful musical prose is explored, this folk styled tale strips away those identity layers to become a forward thinking narrative.

Juliette is a short form composition, perhaps this is a hint of a cocoon unfurling and growing into something more, akin to the butterfly, perhaps representing innocence, love, but most certainly transformation. Then on Light Returning we have a lush base like ethic with guitar, in a song that contains a nice rhythm, and perhaps is even a turning point toward hope, and one that lies within its lyrical context.

Deeper into the weave of the album we come across an almost country styled piece called Every Day, the vocals within this song are some of the best, as Sandi’s dedication to tone and pitch is beautifully conveyed to its audience. Whilst on Sovereignty we have a truth being exposed within the false teachings of others, this is a classic empowerment track where Sandi doesn’t just own her own power, she stands in it.

The penultimate offering is entitled Be Who You Are, a lively acoustic based narrative, and one that has a compelling rhythm and tempo on this danceable track, perhaps this piece is all about self-acceptance, which in turns gifts us freedom, there are two unusual musical aspects within this song that fitted so well, a hand clap and a cowbell, but bearing in mind the fluency and tempo of the piece, it worked brilliantly.

A beautifully crafted and clever ending comes from the artist with a concluding farewell piece called Thank You, as we finish this musical journey with the artist, and we complete the voyage with appreciation and gratitude.

Practical Mystic by Sandi Kimmel comes to the world at a time when it needs it the most, there are many lessons and virtues to be taken note of within this folk styled new age album that should be listened to, but without a shadow of a doubt she has with ease produced her best work thus far with, a multi instrumental delight with poignant lyrical content, and success should be up and coming for Practical Mystic by Sandi Kimmel.

Music Heals By Mad Dog Blues

 

Music Heals

By

Mad Dog Blues

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s great to welcome back one of the most unique artists on the block with a new release, no one gets your creative juices going quite like Mad Dog Blues, and this new release called Music Heals is in my view is one of the most outstanding of their career, this is a journey through a multi-instrumental world of blues you will never want to end.

Music Heals is a 12 track release that offers much; the artists are Jeff Becker on mandolin, Clark Chanslor on bass, and Mad Dog Friedman on harmonica and wooden flutes, and Mark Kaczorowski on slide and acoustic guitar, also featured are Bill Pontarelli on clarinet, Ellen Rice on cello, Lonesome Rolan on keyboard, and Jonathan Sadler on marimba. This entire group blend together something remarkable and deeply interesting.

Blues roots, moments of improvisational genius can be found here, with a little Native American flute and harmonica, and some ambient and spiritual soundscapes too, making this band utterly unique in every way, pieces like Clarks Dream offer up a special slice of roots to get hooked onto, whilst offerings like Shortnin' Bread & Jam gift the listener a little boogie into the mix as well, with some traditional 3 chord magic and a sumptuous harmonica, the additional mandolin work of Jeff Becker was a crafted moment of class in this uplifting offering.

However my personal favourite would be the title track, Friedman on Native Flute was in sublime form, the accompanying guitar and the minor chords and notes manifested for me, one of the best tracks the artist has ever created in my view, and easily the most beautiful and rhythmic, kudos to the band here.

The release continues with pieces like the rag styled Some of These Days, and then onto Agua Es Vida (Water is life) more textured native flute from the master Friedman, creating a compelling truism. Further into this 12 track release pieces like Nobody Knows You When You Are Down and out, forms a more traditional blues ethic in its arrangement, while La Rosita entertains the listener with a little acoustic blues with Latin-influenced feeling.

There literally is something for everyone on this album, like Romance in Five, this is a fascinating offering as most blues songs use 4/4 time, but a 5-beat rhythm gives the music a slightly unusual, flowing feel and it truly works brilliantly.

Olive's Ramble offers up something short and sweet and delightfully happy, whilst pieces like Big Bad Bill Is Sweet William Now, if I’m right, this was once a 1920’s jazz song, it seems familiar, but here Mad Dog and his harmonica bring it formally back into the realm of the blues.

Never in a million years did I ever expect to see one of my all-time favourite blues tracks being featured on the album St. James Infirmary, I actually have this by the British rock band Geordie, whose lead singer Brian Johnson would later to go on to front AC/DC, this song has indeed been influential to many artists, the symbiotic partnership here of the band, manifests one of the best versions I have heard in the modern era.

We end this tale of plenty with the offering Pachelbel in D Minor, it’s a neat example of cross-genre experimentation, turning a well-known classical piece into a minor-key, blues-tinged interpretation, also we come from Cyprus, and you could Greek folk dance to this piece with ease, what a clever way with which to leave the album.

Music Heals by Mad Dog Blues is with ease the best album of their career, kudos to each and every artist on this album, kudos to the engineering and production, again some of the best I have heard by them, if you are a fan of this genre, this is a must buy and probably one of the most entertaining releases in the world of blues and instrumental music for many a year you will have heard.

Lush By Lis Addison & Kate Foster

 

Lush

By

Lis Addison & Kate Foster

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s great and somewhat usual to see a mother and daughter duet in the genre, but it’s a positive thing as is this new single entitled Lush demonstrates, this a focused song manifesting a theme of nature and global care, a vital part of what is really important on the planet and around the globe right now. Here the pairing of Lis Addison & Kate Foster bring to their audience a powerful if smooth reminder of how grateful we should be, and perhaps to consider when we’re gone, leaving something better for those yet to come.

The artists themselves describe it as an “anthem” encouraging people to leave the world more beautiful than they found it and I could not agree more, the soft pastiche of beats that weave their way through the single are delightfully programmed, kudos Kate Foster, and with a subtle tenderness that perhaps mimics the heartbeat of our mother Gaia in its underpinned narrative.

Lis creates a delicate and smoothness of sound with her synths, and both of the artists manifest something quite transcendent with regard to melody and harmony. Lush is a gentle yet atmospheric song, one that brings the attention to the subject matter, but also caresses the senses with one of the finest productions I have heard for quite some time, surely if any single deserved to be a huge hit, it would have to be Lush by Lis Addison & Kate Foster.

Con Alare By Jay Frost

 

Con Alare

By

Jay Frost

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s good to hear some traditional solo piano; the genre has been in a state of flux for a few years now, and whilst many pander to an algorithm, others like Jay Frost create music from the heart and manifest tones of honesty and heartfelt truths, here on his latest release Con Alare he does just that, gifting us ever eager listeners an album of 8 compositions, and not one of them is thankfully less than 6 most grateful minutes in duration.

Apparently “Con Alare” is Italian and means “with wings” and one can see why listening to its contents. It was released in December 2025 and features instrumental piano music with a reflective, inspirational style, a typical example is the beginning track called Open Skies, a soft, but assured beginning that constantly raises its self-awareness as it goes.

Taking Wing has a beautifully interesting collage of notes and chord changes, giving it a lush and colourful texture, but adding a little reflection into the weave of the piece as well. The music is written to evoke the feeling of rising, freedom, and movement, like a bird beginning to fly, interestingly enough in the same way with which Elton John composed his track Skyline Pidgeon back in the day.

A quieter moment of reflection comes now in the guise of the track Pezzo Improvviso, so “Pezzo Improvviso” roughly means “an impromptu piece” or “a suddenly inspired composition.” But what Frost has created here is a deeply moving creation that literally comes from the heart of the composer, and one very much appreciated by me, a perfect piece for a perfect moment of stillness and meditative reflection.

A powerful progression can be heard on this next offering entitled Not A Secret, in fact this is quite processional in its energies. Here one can find a creation that is more direct, lyrical and more emotionally open, almost like the music is “speaking plainly.” Note the flourishing technique of Frost on this piece it is very impressive, note the gradual emotional development rather than any sudden changes.

We slip delicately in to the second half of the album with a beautifully pristine piece entitled False Fears-Fiery Furnace (Medley). One can find everything here, expressive piano lines with emotional contrasts, chord progressions that symbolize tension and release, and all in this illustrious two part melody of great quality.

A second melody is now on its way with the following musical tale entitled Father Of Lights-Fill Us Today (Medley). Here regardless of any religious connection listeners can find an uplifting piece, one that could be asking for guidance, inspiration, and or renewal, this offering has a textured interplay I found utterly palpable and enjoyable, and one would do well to note how the music builds gently, giving a sense of rising and expansion, in one of the most creative and emotive pieces from the release.

Our penultimate offering is called Everlasting, the title suggests timelessness, continuity, and enduring hope, the reflective moments manifest something quite powerful and moving, there is a deep dramatic effect here that is incredibly touching, and those steady supportive left-hand chords create a foundation of stability for the overall narrative of the song to flourish.

We conclude this collection of fine solo piano compositions with the last track off the album entitled God Is Love. Flowing chords give us as listeners a sense of gentle encompassing warmth emanating from the piano, perhaps by ending in this manner it gives the listener a sense of completion and transcendence, within the arms of an energy we all know very well called hope.

Con Alare by Jay Frost must be one of the most vibrant solo piano albums I have heard for quite some time, and whilst this release, and perhaps the album, focuses on expressive solo piano pieces, ones that are often calm and perhaps spiritual, designed for listening, reflection, or worship settings, I truly believe that music transcends even those boundaries, and as such is one of the finest piano performances one could ever wish to hear. At times reflective, at times deeply moving, regardless this contribution to the tonal delights of the genre know as solo piano is all the better for it.

Evening Light By Andy Rogers

 

 

Evening Light

By

Andy Rogers

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s always a something pleasurable when you listen to a new Andy Rogers album, here on this new offering entitled Evening Light he embraces the new age music genre once more, and brings to its table one of the most beautiful and natural albums of the year thus far. Andy and I are created from the same era of the genre, where it’s the music that matters, not pandering to an algorithm for extra streams, with Andy it’s always been about the music, and it will thankfully always be that way.

Evening Light is a soothing 12 track masterpiece of classic new age material, with natural sounds and a soft delicate piano weaved into this pastiche of utter beauty and quality, tracks like the opening narrative As Day Turns to Night and the title track Evening Light are but two amazingly cultured pieces to calm the furrowed brow of any listener.

This next offering reminds me of my home here in Cyprus as every sun down is a spectacle to be blessed and called A Golden Sunset, here Andy drifts in the natural sound of birds and water, creating an idyllic vista, one so gently performed, as the sun god Apollo gives way to the night deity Selene. On Heather Cottage he produces a track that I would see as a top five single release with ease. The keyboards and soft pads added layer upon layer on one of the finest melodies since his iconic Ocean Dreaming offering.

Pieces like Shingle Beach Twilight and Into The Dark Silence add an undergarment of tone and timbre of a deeper elk into the album, these more reflective compositions, especially the latter are incredibly heart-felt and moving to bathe within.

Mid summers are made of evenings like Red Sky at Night, I remember the song of the Blackbird, those June days that would never end, but did, and in the silence of this one song I hear magic being created, in the same way with which Kevin Kendle created Eventide, this I rate as one of the finest piano compositions that Andy has ever created, it has a wistful sense of mournfulness, and a tender touch of a time passing, but one remembered with a great fondness.

If ever a track was redolent of the subject matter it would have to be the following musical narrative called Moonlight on the River, a perfect level stream sound and a gentle keyboard structure, whilst on Ocean Meditation, the calming sea waves gift us a full flowing piece that I felt were so familiar to me, and had an almost classical feel to its arrangement that I found deeply compelling.

I must admit I was looking forward to this one, Heat Haze, this had a delightful exciting build to its compositional structure that was literally movie standard, powerful, emotive chord patterns manifested a breath taking sculptured tale of brilliance from the artist, whilst the first few strains of a thunderstorm can be heard on The Rain Is Still Falling, another incredibly emotive offering, the performance on the piano is a look over the shoulder of a dying summer, as the first tinges of autumn reminds us of the delight we had, but one that has just started to fade.

We end with a gentle jazz styled opus that I fondly remember back in 2021 called Friday at 5, this is Andy’s “Cheers” piece of the album, and a great way with which to sum up the release and gift the listener something soothing and laid back to enjoy.

In my view, I think Andy has achieved that goal that as musicians we all strive for, to read from a reviewer that in his view, he has achieved his best work thus far, and I think he has certainly done that, full marks Mr Rogers, Evening Light is that panacea to cure all musical woes, and as such a high chart placement and maybe more awaits this classy release.

A Reverie of the Soul: Piano Works by Robert Schumann By Sophia Agranovich

 

A Reverie of the Soul: Piano Works by Robert Schumann

By

Sophia Agranovich

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The fluency of classical performances by pianist Sophia Agranovich has been on my musical radar for some seven years now, ever since the release of her album in 2019 entitled Celebrating Chopin, now as we establish a foothold in 2026, a new release has come to the fore, as we celebrate her latest gift to us ever eager listeners entitled, A Reverie of the Soul: Piano Works by Robert Schumann.

Robert Schuman himself was regarded as a master of his style and perhaps even of the romantic era, an era characterized by the poetic nature, musical cryptograms, and a deep sense of romantic fantasy within the tone and timbre of the times.

On Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 - I So rasch wie möglich, there is a wonderful hunger about her performance, one that is beautifully juxtaposed to the following narrative entitled Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 - II Andantino. Getragen, this would be my personal favourite from the album, it contains a manner that is lighter than andante, and tenderly quicker. Attached to this moment of sublime mastery are the following arrangements in Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 - III Scherzo. Sehr rasch und markiert, a piece highlighted by me for its power and precision, one that flows with a pristine ease into the next flourishing narrative entitled Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 - IV Rondo. Presto possible, Prestissimo, quasi cadenza, symbiotically sublime and textured along with pace and intent, but with a delightfully tender refrain which juxtaposes the more rapid structures.

We now look at the next stage of the album through the eyes of Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes, this collection of short form pieces are each a tale to tell on their own, Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Thema Andante begins our voyage of plenty, the slow movements stand out, they are absolutely glorious and free of the clichés of some andante playing, whilst a more proud, almost regal musical pontification can be found here on Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude I (Variation 1) – Un poco più vivo, the staccato onward marching ethic supremely performed here by the artist.

On Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude II (Variation 2) – Espressivo, we find a totally flourishing narrative being unveiled, masterful work with both hands playing light and dark, shadow and sunlight, and the keystrokes are gloriously textured. Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude III – Vivace has an incredibly pristine feel to its performance, this presentation is beyond just speed, it directs the performer to play with energy, brilliance, and an upbeat vibe, whilst Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude IV (Variation 3) – Allegro marcato, illustrates the perfect rhythm and energy of the movement.

As we move through this realm of performance mastery by Agranovich we arrive at Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude V (Variation 4) – Scherzando, we can add to the aforementioned previous comment that an even more stylish rhythm can be found on this narrative, in an especially tender way too. Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude VI (Variation 5) – Agitato, expresses a precision narrative that is deeply palpable, it jumps to great lengths, sometimes using a slightly unstable rhythm to create a feeling of excitement or distress.

Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude VII (Variation 6) – Allegro molto, here one can explore this veritable fireworks display of the movement with great aplomb, one which transforms our journey into the more dramatic flair of the piece Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude VIII (Variation 7) – Sempre marcatissimo, where each note is a sharp, forceful attack so it stands out to the ever eager and cultured listener.

With the delicacy of Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude IX – Presto possibile, presto is of course Italian for "fast" or "quick", in standard tempo rankings, it’s one of the highest, and here Agranovich shows her utter skillset in achieving a movement of incredibly high quality. Her touch here is exquisite, and is to be respected in its consistency.

Then onwards in this stunning reverie of a skill filled performance we find ourselves nestled in the valleys of Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude X (Variation 8) – Sempre con energia, a defined energy-related marking to push the physical boundaries of the piano can be found here, the very soul of the overall narrative can be located in this wondrous movement of style and class.

We can now draw towards the latter half of this section with Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude XI (Variation 9) – Con espressione, to slightly accelerate or decelerate the tempo to highlight a phrase is no mean feat, but one that Agranovich achieves with ease, in this incredibly heart felt and emotive movement.

This of course is our concluding tale to tell as we move into the welcome and joyous lands of Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude XII (Finale) – Allegro brillante, here the listener can find pomp and circumstance, a proud regalia of a piece, sweeping tones and vibrations, bringing a glorious sun kissed ending to this magnificent section of the album.

Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 is our penultimate piece, a creation that is another personal favourite of mine, graceful, flowing, and decorative melodic lines can be found here, there is a certain feeling of a romantic nature at work here too, the sensitivity through the piece is delightful and almost poetic at times, and indeed incredibly intimate too.

Papillons, Op. 2 is our final offering from the album, French for butterflies, Papillons builds upon a steady onward structure throughout this long form opus, one can envisage dancers and the dance of both butterflies and humans juxtaposing each other in a natural movement in time, this work is a testament to the artists performance structure, and shows in great detail just how adaptable and fluent she can be at all times, and a simply superb way with which to leave the album.

Sophia Agranovich the world-renowned, Ukrainian-born American classical concert pianist and recording artist has done it again; she has crafted her presentation of, A Reverie of the Soul: Piano Works by Robert Schumann to such a high standard, that the word glorious is simply not enough, this halcyon manifestation of brilliance shines light a beacon of hope on the horizon of modern classical piano performances, and one must be safe to assume that the legions of fans from this genre will be more than impressed with its contents and be very eager to purchase it.

No Worries Song By Ilka de Gast

 

No Worries Song

By

Ilka de Gast

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

No Worries Song, the latest single from Ilka de Gast, serves as the second preview of her upcoming seven-track children’s meditation album.

The track reunites de Gast with multi-instrumentalist Tommy Graven, whose work on the tongue drum and guitar provides a serene foundation. The composition opens with the tranquil sound of a trickling stream, transitioning into de Gast’s soothing vocals. Together with the rhythmic tongue drum, the arrangement creates an immediate sense of internal safety.

As the guitar enters, de Gast leads a short guided meditation centred on self-compassion, giving yourself a big hug, and aiding relaxation, encouraging listeners to release their worries into the symbolic flow of the stream. The piece concludes with melodic guitar work and gentle vocalizations that ease the listener out of the meditative state.

In an era often defined by external chaos, No Worries Song stands out as a necessary sanctuary for us all. It is a compelling addition to de Gast’s discography and a valuable tool for anyone seeking to incorporate moments of peace into their daily routine. 

A Misty Mountain Day By Chrissie Sheppard ft. Steve Sheppard

 

A Misty Mountain Day

 By

Chrissie Sheppard ft. Steve Sheppard

Written by

Andy Rogers

There have been some excellent singles coming from the husband & wife team of Steve & Chrissie Sheppard just lately and this latest release, A Misty Mountain Day, continues that run of fine music in some style. 

It’s good to hear Chrissie has returned to her flute for this latest release. Combine this with some lovely atmospheric keyboards from Steve along with the sounds of nature such as the wind and you are guaranteed something just a little bit special. 

Think of Cyprus (which is of course where Chrissie & Steve live) and you instantly think of sun-kissed beaches, sea and blue skies, but away from that inland there are the beautiful Troodos mountains. Chrissie has said that she was inspired to record this single when they took a trip out to the mountains in early February, seeing the low clouds hanging in the valleys

The single opens quietly – the only sound is the hypnotic tone of the wind and small drips of water from the low hanging clouds. Slowly we hear Steve’s gentle keyboards setting the mood perfectly. After a few moments we hear the sound of Chrissie’s flute as it takes the lead with a gentle almost melancholy tune to take us further into the misty valley ahead…

Suddenly the wind and water vanish and it is just the keyboard and Chrissie’s flute which is now getting slightly brighter and more intense as if we are momentarily out of the clouds and perhaps into hazy sunshine… Steve’s keyboard reflects this as the music soars higher.  Eventually both flute and keyboards fade away and the wind & water return as we descend back into the mist and cloud… we are back as we began, alone in the mist.