American Heartland By Todd Mosby

 

American Heartland

By

Todd Mosby

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Todd Mosby has been on my musical radar for some 10 years now, with my first release obtained being Eagle Mountain back in 2016. However we take a slightly different course with this latest release from Todd called American Heartland, with an album that caters for multiple genres. This is a 12-track collection that unites contemporary jazz and folk, new age, solo acoustic guitar, and blues in such a smooth and classy way.

The entire collection of superior compositions starts with the piece Clouds above Golden Fields, if any a track would create such a delightful sense of ambience with a folk element this is it. One can literally feel the charming wide-open landscapes through this acoustic guitar driven opus.

There are more rhythmic Latin styled jazz tracks like the fluent Palomino, with its bossa nova samba jazz ethic, and then swiftly onto Witchi Tai and Witchi Tai (postlude), I believe this could be referring to the Native American peyote chant, regardless the first part is a more vibrant oasis of crafted intelligence, the later a soft and more charming reflective offering.

Mosby certainly does capture the soul of Missouri on this album, with gems like my favourite Glenn Campbell track Wichita Lineman originally released in 1968. This is a brilliant smooth jazz, cross folk creation, one that has a lot of beautiful qualities about its arrangement, including some exceptional vocals from Lola Kristine. I have long been a fan of this specific piece, and to hear a version of it I like apart from Glens is a very good thing indeed.

The more acoustic flavours of tracks like On The Farm captures rural life perfectly and offerings like Joanies Town offer a slightly more vibrant pop ethic into this marvellous stream of musical consciousness, a little funk and a wonderful trumpet of Dan Fornero.

The title track pulls us in further and of course called American Heartland, the alternating bass lines for movement among the upbeat tempo truly reminds me of one of the best bands ever in Steely Dan, and once more Mosby reigns supreme on electric guitar, enabled beautifully by the stunning Tom Scott on saxophone, on this the most exciting and vibrant composition from the album.

All The Stars Tonight is one of those smooth jazz tracks you never want to end, Mosby on guitar is sublime, a smooth hand indeed, one could with ease enjoy a night time introspection under open skies to this classy track, whilst the driving bass line from none other than Michael Manring raises the bar another notch entirely.

In the deeper weave of the album we sample a crossroads of a piece with the bluesy number A Full Moon Rising. For fans of solo guitar, this is a prime example why Todd Mosby is a master of his instrument in this multi-paced creation. The penultimate offering is called Land Of Green, referring to the lush qualities of the area of St Louis area in the summertime, the layered and light brass here creates added warmth, whilst Tom Scott on saxophone, literally knocks it out of the park on this funky little manifestation.

We conclude the album with a tribute to an incredible song called Both Sides Now. Released originally by the quite incredible Joni Mitchel, originally released back in ‘69, and here some 57 years later performed sublime by Mosby and the band, and the breath-taking vocals of Lola Kristine.

American Heartland by Todd Mosby isn’t just a good album it’s a wonderful cornucopia of multi-genre delights, and one of the finest I have heard for many a year, there truly is something for everyone here, and as such I look forward to seeing its success on the charts in the near future, as the ethereal encores of brilliant albums like this should be celebrated and enjoyed forever.

Kaleidoscope By Chronotope Project

 

Kaleidoscope

By

Chronotope Project

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s always nice to write about a new artist to me, especially when the music on this incredible album is so endearing and fluent, the contents take me back to the golden hours spent listening to ambient and electronic new age music from the late 90’s and the expressive tones and colours are rich in there melodic texture to capture my imagination once again, as I gaze longingly into the work Kaleidoscope by the Chronotope Project.

The composer Jeffrey Ericson Allen has in my view created here 11 tracks of superior instrumental music that is incredibly fascinating to immerse oneself into. The opening foray for example is called Ariadne’s Thread (remix), and reminds me greatly of an old friend of mine in Phil Thornton in style, this is classic new age music fodder of the crafted kind, as the piano, flute, and soft synth pads manifest a reflective yet gently uplifting tonal narrative.

From a mythologist like me, it is great to see this musical interpretation, Ariadne's thread is a metaphor one might say, originating from Greek mythology, referring to a method of solving complex problems (a "labyrinth") through an orderly step-by-step approach, and originates to the country below mine to the right called Crete.

Now something I also have knowledge of during my journeys through the mid-west and the Native American journeys of mine, Medicine Wheel (remix). A medicine wheel is a sacred symbol and physical structure used by various indigenous cultures in North America to represent the interconnectedness of all life. It serves as a guide for finding balance in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The electronic piano within this track and the smooth synths make this one an absolute favourite of mine, where one might have expected the artist to grow into a more drum based offering, Jeffrey Ericson Allen has done the complete opposite and delivered a slice of ambient electronics that is some of the most atmospheric I have ever heard, mixing that with an ethereal soundscape of background vocalisations in a truly impressive offering indeed.

We now move gently to the offering Enigma, keyboard tones gift us a very easy on the ear offering, but one with a definitive mysterious vibration that swirls around us in the most magical of ways. Subtle harmonic shifts occur and then onto a more almost prog rock styled opus, one that you might find from bands like Emerson Lake and Palmer, with the powerful yet composed percussion.

The airy energies of the track Zikr Dance are now upon us, the floating and uplifting narrative here is beautifully structured. There is an interesting juxtaposition of tone here, one that is hypnotic and meditative, in parts it reminds me of the more up-tempo manifestations created by UK synth legend Kevin Kendle, but it is a track very redolent of a dance like energy, similar to Kevin’s Dance of Electra.

As we head to the centre of the album we come across a composition of mysterious proportions called Erda (Raga of the Earth remix). Here is a wonderfully organic, grounded and ancient offering, and one amazingly breath taking ambient construct, for me this was one of the most artistic endeavours from the album, blending Eastern tonalities with ambient electronics, the result is simply musical mastery.

Spirit Walk is our next musical woodland of pleasure; this is a rhythmically inspired piece. A spirit walk refers to a spiritual, introspective journey, often Native American, and aimed at communicating with spirits, gaining self-awareness, or seeking vision through intense contemplation, sometimes aided by traditional ceremonies, this charming reverie takes that all into context beautifully, and manifests an expansive, introspective mood whilst doing so.

The next piece is one I am glad I don’t have to try and say Geosynchronous (remix). However this floaty and vast composition is a pleasure to listen to, as it offers much space for the listener to roam within its structures. A geosynchronous orbit is an earth-centered rotation; the space styled synth work here is superb and gifts the listener a track that would easily match the current events as we fly back to the moon from the orbit of earth, on a brave new path, this track is so redolent of that subject matter, and beautifully performed.

The curiously titled Dance of the Raven Man is up next, the opening part of the track has a slight hint or an eastern motif, but the Raven caws are clever, and reminded me contextually of one of my wife’s tracks, Chrissie Sheppard and her single Raven Cove, because the vibration of this track manifests a sacred space of music to enjoy as well. This is definitely a darker mythic track, and one that once the percussive element kicks in, reminds me of Phil Thornton’s Healing Circle composition, in its constant onward driving narrative, and its dramatic ritualistic approach.

The deeper darker waters are now located on this album at the moment of reaching this piece called Automatic Writing (remix). This is a layered and textured ambient track, with repeating electronic motifs and a steady flow of ambience throughout the narrative, which flows beautifully into the penultimate track off the album called Longing. To me the beautiful energies of this piece are the orchestral-style pads and slow harmonic movements, very much in the neo classical style, containing emotive nuances and in a cinematic quality styled soundtrack.

Clear Bell Ringing in Empty Sky (remix) is our concluding composition, elements of Deuter can be found here in the natural sounds, chimes and bells, akin to his earlier material, however the piece slowly develops, into a delicious slow tempo that one could easily see being used for exercises like Tai chi. This is a fine track to end the album, and almost Zen-like in its simplicity, the final coda of vocalisations of a choral style sold this piece for me as one of the best off the album and a perfect way with which to conclude the experience.

Kaleidoscope by Chronotope Project I would have to be honest and say is the best album I have had the pleasure to review this year, there isn’t a weak track on it, and the stylish way with which the artist’s conducts his business is sublime. This is what all instrumental music albums should be like, varied fascinating, artistic and compelling, as such I hope this one tops the charts and storms the awards, for the Chronotope Project and Kaleidoscope.

Reverie By Alan Hanslik

 

Reverie

By

Alan Hanslik

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Alan Hanslik is a musician who generates melodious electronic ambient music in a similar way with which Brain Eno did back in the day, Hanslik’s creative juices are in full flow here on this brand new offering entitled Reverie, and indeed the entire release is a wonder world of calm, introspective moods and more.

Reverie is an eight track release with some sumptuous offerings contained within, like the opening piece which is proudly the title track off the album; there is a somnambulant like state being explored here, and the listener can find dreamy and suspended tonal delights within it. It feels like we are drifting between thoughts, a beautifully layered and textured track indeed.

Our next place on our ambient trek through the woods is the tantalising Quietude. If one listens carefully there is an underpinned energy of a Gregorian chant here, whilst that isn’t actually used, the tone suggests it, and it reminds me in compositional structure of Kevin Kendle’s Distant Storm track. Here is a piece that is slower and more spacious in context, one could say meditative, but in reality the piece is much more than that, and manifests a beautiful flow that cleverly builds and progresses along its way.

On Inner guide we have a lighter offering with relevant tones that subsequently create a whole different energy. This entire piece is truly clever, its darker tones and narrative suggests perhaps a subtle rhythmic movement, which in turn juxtaposes an impending introspection turning into a slow build and eventual clarity.

At the middle of the release we find the track Passage Home, this meandering offering gifts the listener a view of hope and home, and to a certain extent a warm and slightly nostalgic mood can be located in the nub of this creation, the lighter vibrations and electronics manifest something quite melodic and very assessable on this emotionally grounded master piece of synth magic.

Hanslik has it just about perfect on his next piece called Night Visions, as you would expect darker tones are explored here, but ones that sway to and fro, casting an occasional light onto the composition like a lighthouse does for ships at sea. However in between the twists and turns of this track, the electronic piano and swirling synths gift the listener an almost mysterious like arrangement, where fragmented dreams or subconscious imagery lays deeply buried to only occasionally surface.

The deeper echelons of this musical world are reached by the time we reach the piece Bygone. For me this was one of my personal favourites, with its reflective nuances and tinged with a melancholia that was deeply palpable and moving. The keyboard and synth work on this piece are incredibly outstanding, and if I were to release a single from the album it would have been this very heart felt opus.

The penultimate offering from the release is the exciting Deep Thoughts; this is a fascinating last but one manifestation as it creates a mood heavier in tone without being loud, there is a symbiosis of vibration and timbre here will be deeply appealing to the electronic music fans around the globe, and I would predict that this is a piece that will easily capture their imagination with ease.

The beautiful short form narrative of Reaching Out ends our journey with a delicious creation, once again the synth work here by the artist is utterly sublime, and manifests a conclusion of quiet resolution (but not full closure), which I always find is a very difficult coda with which to create, but masterfully done by the artist.

Reverie by Alan Hanslik has to be said is one heck of a good album, it has all the great hallmarks of a really good crafted electronic based album, it contains ambience, instrumental intelligence, with some underpinned neoclassical influences. All in all I have a feeling that here is a release destined for the top of the charts with ease, for Alan Hanslik and his release Reverie.

Mystique By Michael Regina

 

Mystique

By

Michael Regina

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

As far back as 2018 I came into contact with a fine electronic music artist, and enjoyed the reveries of the album entitled A Far Better World, this artist is the very stylish Michael Regina, and here some eight years later I get to review another gem of his called Mystique, this was a lush ride of electronic styled brilliance.

Mystique is a 10 track release in the electronic new age genre, and that very journey starts with the title track itself, I love it when artists start with the title track, it shows they are proud of their baby, and putting at the top of the stack only proves my point further, and I was to be proved right, this is a fine example of really classy electronic music, in an almost Enigma vibe, even with the Gregorian chants included too, in what is a vibrant and exciting start to the release.

There are some wonderfully rhythmic tracks on the album to like Here Am I, a piece that flows beautifully with the drum pads, and creates a fluent atmosphere, and then Distant, a track I soon fell in love with, a light electronic piano sound and percussion gift us a gentle narrative, but one that builds and progresses nicely into a more forceful creation.

Tales of Tomorrow has to be one of the most fascinating pieces off the album; I’ll give you a tip, listen if you can to this album, this specific track, with headphones on. Again an almost funky rhythm can be found here, then at times also reminding me of contemporary instrumental artist Holland Phillips with the emotive keyboard segments.

Cruising the Stars takes the listener on a faster paced journey of sight and sound; swirling keyboards are matched by driving percussion, and a rich melody line can be found within the weave of the song that makes it very credible as a possible single release also.

The slower side of musical matters is also addressed within pieces like the quite breath taking Lost Cities, a piece that reminded me of classic Medwyn Goodall in parts in its early stages, then we move onto the almost anthem like And There Was Peace, offering up a similar softer side to the album, again the melody is front and centre, and an almost seasonal feel can be found in this piece as well.

The deeper weave of the album is now upon us, with a sensitive arrangement called The Gathering, this is a gentle almost pristine offering, that is bound to bring a cheery feeling into the proceedings, whilst the penultimate creation is the outstanding composition entitled Memory Dreams, this was a spectacular piece and another favourite of mine, with the electronic wizardry firing on all four cylinders, and a compelling bass line to boot as well.

The concluding musical narrative is the illustrious A Place in Heaven, majestic keyboards, matched with a processional style, and a carefully played flute sound from the keys, manifest something quite beautiful to complete the album with, adding in some crescendos with powerful percussive elements to end the album in style also.

Mystique by Michael Regina is a colourful and rich album that fans of electronic music, on the more cinematic side of things should adore, and a great follow up to his 2024 Mothership album. Here the artist has elevated his status in the genre tenfold, the production quality on the release is some of the best I have heard from Michael, and the contents are 10 tracks of compelling electronic music, and as such I think Mystique by Michael Regina is going to become a bit of a fan favourite. 

Times and Dreams by Gary Schmidt

 

Times and Dreams

By

Gary Schmidt

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I could not believe it when I checked, but it’s near on 15 years ago since I first came into contact with the music of Gary Schmidt in 2011 and an album called La Vie en Piano. Moving forward to now, I am happy to bathe in this latest creation form the artist called Times and Dreams, this is Gary’s seventh full album, a peaceful lake of piano based music to simply drift within.

Gary is joined on the album by cellist Hannah Alkire, and on this beautiful release the calm and fluent resonance of her work can be heard on the very first piece entitled Times and Dreams, which is of course the title track of the album. A beautiful fluid presentation can be heard here, one that takes me back to the old styled new age piano motifs you used to get from performers like Doug Hammer or perhaps Louis Colaiannia back in the day.

We move beautifully to a track that was actually a single during 2025 and called Rumi's Truth. The piece draws inspiration from the spiritual poetry and teachings of the 13th‑century Sufi mystic and poet Rumi, something my father strangely seemed to have an interest in later in his life, I think he would have loved this beautiful narrative as well; the soft left hand and the ultra-creative right are the magicians here that manifest utter beauty for us all.

In Paradisum is a Latin phrase meaning “into paradise” I live in the paradisum called Cyprus. This illustrious tonal delight is proud and regal but retains a softer base as a peaceful, reflective tone typical of his style, thus manifesting a contemplative, dream‑like quality that echoes the idea of entering paradise, a masterpiece that one might remember from composers like Gabriel Fauré.

Cellist Hannah Alkire returns on this next track entitled Dance in the Shadows, this beautiful offering flourishes and sways with a ripeness of tone and timbre like no other. The artist’s melodic structures here create a heart-warming performance, in among the weave of the more classical nuanced passages.

Amber Horizons is another lush construction that contains a faster tempo, but a beautiful balanced one, and reminds me in musical context of my old friend David Lanz in style, there is a tale here that is like a glowing pathway from a delightful vista, here is a wonderfully descriptive and artist piece manifested by being solidly in the moment.

Couperin is our next piece and a short form arrangement, and pays homage to the 18^th century French composer, even though the piece is just 92 seconds long, it speaks volumes about the beauty of the life we lead, if we could only recognise it to be so without our own realm.

So we can conclude with our final offering entitled Peace Prayer, a clever parting gift here from the artist, almost like a lullaby or something anthem like can be found here, the melody is memorable too, and will stick in the listeners minds long after the album has been concluded.

Times and Dreams by Gary Schmidt is a soothing and colourful release, one that any fan of piano with added instrumentation will absolutely love, the texture of the album is what struck me as the most palpable, it’s like eating your favourite meal so slowly, because you never want it to end, it’s a veritable tapestry of a blissful musical heaven, as such I predict a big chart position and lots of streams for, Times and Dreams by Gary Schmidt.

Beside You By Janice Lacy

 

Beside You

By

Janice Lacy

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This brand new single from Janice Lacy is a reflective emotional piece that centres on themes of love, companionship, and quiet devotion; it is a beautiful composition to start your day with, almost like setting the intent for the hours ahead. Here Lacy enjoys a romantic moment of the love and appreciation of being alive and enjoying the moment, on this her latest manifestation Beside You.

This is a veritable lake of musical purity where soft flowing melodies abound, this is a sumptuous offering that builds gently, and is never aggressive. It flows like a mountain stream in late February, and its lush and colourful patterns are a simple delight to bathe within.

One can feel a certain familiarity with other pianists like Kathryn Kaye and at times perhaps a little David Lanz can be heard within the narrative of this simply delicious offering. Long-held notes let the music breathe allowing a gentle rise and fall, and a delightful natural phrasing occurs within with utter ease.

This is simply one of those pieces that you can play endlessly and never tire of, the familiar sound of a Charlie Bisharat violin can be heard on this creative and nuanced manifestation, and his stylish performances always are like an extra layer of chocolate on our musical platters.

The flow to this textured tapestry has to be also admired as well, and is generally slow to moderate in tempo with a sensitive and crafted flexible timing ethic in the narrative as well. We do have emotional peaks and crescendos, but these are so beautifully woven into the weave of the piece that the overall arrangement is never overwhelmed by it.

One has to state that this is an utterly transcendent manifestation by the artist; it contains all the hall marks of something truly memorable and intimate, with the nuanced motifs of a calm reflective nostalgia as part of its overall web of brilliance.

Beside You by Janice Lacy is that one single that lovers of piano with strings have been waiting so very long for; one that they can immerse themselves in completely, surrounding themselves in a musical world of love and reflection, away from distractions of a fearful world. Beside You by Janice Lacy is that piece of music that offers hope, tenderness and love, and as such a huge hit should be on the cards for the artist with it.

The Spirit of Spring Awakens By Chrissie Sheppard

 

The Spirit of Spring Awakens

By

Chrissie Sheppard

Written by

Andy Rogers

 

The run of excellent music coming from husband & wife team Steve & Chrissie Sheppard continues with this beautiful new solo release from Chrissie. “The Spirit of Spring Awakens” is a song to acknowledge the beauty of spring as it awakens each year.

It seems that while sat at the computer working Chrissie looked out at the glorious blue sky and started to think of spring and how everything starts to feel just a little bit better as the weather warms up and nature awakens from its winter sleep once again.

Chrissie’s musical first love is of course the flute and while recent releases have added keyboards courtesy of her husband Steve this latest single uses only the wonderfully atmospheric sounds of solo flute along with some carefully chosen sounds of nature.

The single opens with the sound of a bee buzzing by as birds sing their chorus to welcome spring. Chrissie’s gentle flute then appears as more birds then join the chorus and Chrissie cleverly emulates the sound of a cuckoo using her flute. There is the gentlest of breezes as the birds continue to welcome the season with their songs and more bees fly quietly by while all the while Chrissie’s flute continues to float like clouds across the musical scene. The overall effect of this exquisite blend of nature sounds and Chrissie’s plaintive yet beautiful flute work is similar to the early classic new age flute releases of Terry Oldfield or maybe something by Nigel Shaw.

Slowly the music returns to the theme we heard at the start of the single and as the piece comes to an end we hear the new spring day truly beginning with the sound of church bells in the village calling the faithful to prayer.

All in all, “The Spirit of Spring Awakens” is yet another excellent single release from Chrissie Sheppard. Her love of the flute is well known and as a musician she continues to go from strength to strength - this new single is a  fine addition to her catalogue for any lover of new age based flute music.

Oceans EP By M. Cross Dougherty

 

Oceans EP

By

M. Cross Dougherty

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This style of music by M. Cross Dougherty is something I adore, descriptive electronic ambient tonal delights and about one of my favourite subjects Oceans, as I live on the coast of the Mediterranean this fits me beautifully. Here we have 5 crafted short form narratives that manifest the sounds, moods, the undulation of the waves, and more of the said subject matter blissfully.

M. Cross Dougherty is known for his atmospheric, synth-driven releases and on Oceans he gifts us something quite transformative and deeply meditative too. The opening piece called Undulated is our first nautical location of timbre, the gentle undulation of tone on this piece is a veritable dreamy like oasis of vibration, and softly rising and descending synths in a classy start to the release.

Expectations soon follows, a piece that has a base ambient construct, but only diverges slightly from its inception, leaving the mists of musical time to be pulled to and fro by the listener, and one that reminds me of a the more ambient material that synth supremo Kevin Kendle might manifest.

Floods has a tentative start, one that builds and adds a layer of percussion and energy as it moves onwards, the sounds contained within leave the listener with a sense of expectation, of where the piece perhaps is intended to go, reminding me in structure and vibration, in a similar style that can sometimes be found by artists like Anantakara.

The penultimate offering is entitled Momentary, and quite bizarrely reminds me of one of our tracks, I refer exactly to an album that Chrissie Sheppard and I released in 2024 called When The Sun Has Legs. That release describes the event of a storm over the ocean near our home, and the elevated synth tone here reminds me of that day manifesting music that related to an impending oceanic disturbance over the lapis seas. The artist has manifested a clever track here, one that is beautifully descriptive, but also quite emotionally powerful as well.

The concluding narrative has a reversal within its structures that is compelling, the music twists back on its self in a slice of electronic mastery that I sometimes use to add extra layers and effects myself, there is also a sense of a tonal uplift here that ushers forth the final parting wave of the ocean, as it retreats on the piece Bits.

Oceans EP by M. Cross Dougherty is just the album I needed today to bring a little extra creativity into my mind, it is artistically thoughtful and created mindfully, and has all the elements of a truly fascinating and evolving musical narrative based solidly within the ambient and electronic music genres. Personally I loved it, and I was able to get thoroughly lost with the tone and timbre of the weave of the EP with consummate ease.

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.

You can find the album here: https://ampl.ink/Kb0y1

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.