Calm Waters By Michael Kollwitz

 

Calm Waters

By

Michael Kollwitz

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The Chapman Stick must surely be one of the most calming musical instruments on the planet today, its soothing refrains, its relaxing tones, all go to manifest a warm bed of musical tranquillity to enjoy, on any day and location you wish to choose, and this brand new release by top class exponent of the Stick, Michael Kollwitz, are certainly very Calm Waters for us to navigate.

Calm Waters is bliss on a stick, literally, and from the off one will be soothed by the gentleness of the opening piece Baby Beach, we are then ushered into a world of serenity on tracks like Skyhawk, or the textured musical waves of Quiet River, a composition that presents such a pleasurable feeling, and a lush mental vista.

All times of the day are catered for too, listen to Morning Star, a more relaxing musical narrative you will not find, and why not float in the arms of tracks like Under The Sea, a wonderfully slow tempo can be found here, and one can indeed literally float within this pristine offering, this would turn out to be one of my personal favourites from the album, it contained such grace and calmness, I gazed across the ocean outside of my widow, and felt immediately relaxed.

Calm Waters is a heavenly 12 track collection of ambience personified, and compositions like Red Moon Rising or the final concluding offering Mysterious Journey will set scenes of outstanding natural beauty, the latter has a sensitive base to its construction, but also a much crafted sense of intrigue about its arrangement too.

Calm Waters by Michael Kollwitz just has to be that album that will ease that furrowed brow and be still that beating heart, this is the perfect album to spin after a hard days graft; it is an oasis of calm, a musical paradise of peace, and a sensual sanctuary of serenity. Simply put, the Chapman Stick never sounded so good.

Gather By Philip Howard

 

Gather

By

Philip Howard

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Penning a Christmas album is not the easy task many think it to be, originality and freshness of compositional structures and arrangements, are paramount to a seasonal albums success, and I am elated to say that without a doubt Philip Howard and his new album Gather has done that so very beautifully indeed.

The first gift to be unwrapped from under our musical Christmas tree is the timely classic Away in a Manger, this is one of my favourite tracks from the album, listen to the beginning, the first few bars almost hold a slight Beatles Strawberry Fields motif, this is so craft-fully done, the piano performance of this piece, goes on to be one of the smoothest offerings of this arrangement that I have heard for simply ages.

Carol of the Bells is such a well-known piece, and for me an emotive offering that literally makes me tingle with anticipation, Howard brings a wonderful flourish to his performance that is so enjoyable to listen too; this is one of those tracks that raises the excitement for a happy Christmas time, and all that it brings with it.

This album is a cornucopia of many delights, and one of them is this simply marvellous version of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. The piano of Howard creates a wonderfully mood-filled vibe on this well-known composition, one that has a sparkle to a performance that feels so grand and empowering, a classy rendition indeed.

A combination is now upon us as we listen to Silent Night, Bring a Torch, all mixed so craft-fully, and a performance by the artist that is deeply moving and powerful to dive deep into. This is an arrangement that is as pleasing to the ears as is the first snow is to the eyes, the use of a slight pause so wonderfully executed too.

Speaking of the weather at Christmas, this is utterly the best original slice of solo piano I have heard for years, one that reflects the subject matter so well and called The Silence of Snow. I particularly love the fluency in this original piece by Howard, one that is almost neo classical at times.

What Child Is This? Is a timeless piece that many will know by another name as well, here Howard tempers the pace and manifests a tempo that almost has us as listeners holding our breath in anticipation, and then releasing with joy at the empowering chorus.

I have heard a few versions of this classic so far this winter, but this arrangement has to be one of the best instrumental creations ever, as we listen to Ave Maria (Feat. Giorgi Khokhobashvili). The strings bring a whole new dimension to a track that is already beyond beauty; Howard has pulled off a master stroke here, on what must be the most stunning offering off the album.

So let’s have another combo, this time around it is the turn of the pianist to give us Still, Still, Still - The First Noel. This one reminded me of my parents, my father used to love to sing this at Christmas time, and hearing this again reminds me of the power of the moment, and even more so the power of a really good performance.

We are gifted by our musical Santa another new and original offering, and this time we have a little joy sent our way, as we sit and listen to Gather, the title track from the album. Howard pulls of a soothing musical presentation here on this original offering, the gentleness of performance here was, and is so pleasing to enjoy.

Our penultimate offering is a piece that most will remember from some stage in their lives during a pre-Christmas build-up of sorts, and called O Holy Night. A charming performance on piano can be found here, one that retains the energy of all that has gone before it.

How could you finish with anything else other than Auld Lang Syne, a timeless opus of memories, and a reservoir of happy times to always cherish, a stylish end to a very classy album indeed.

Gather by Philip Howard is one of the most convivial and hospitable seasonal albums I have heard for ages, his approach to this project has brought a wonderful sense of warmth to the album, a release packed with welcoming versions of timeless Christmas classics, and a couple of truly sublime original pieces too, that all go to make Gather by Philip Howard, one of the best Christmas holiday albums I have heard for many, many years.

Endlessly Lost By Samer Fanek

 

Endlessly Lost

By

Samer Fanek

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have been visiting the halls of musical plenitude for some years now, thanks to the grand and stylish opuses of Samer Fanek. His presentations and performances are always rich and full in both texture and colour, and on this new single, Endlessly Lost, that is pushed even further.

A splendid grand symphonic rock element can be found here on the single Endlessly Lost, this powerful offering contains a mysterious mood, a reflective and thoughtful musical prose, and a flourishing performance on keys by the young musician, on a ballad that wouldn’t be out of place at a Nightwish concert, this indeed is piano with instrumentation at its very best.

Silent Night By Craigology

 

Silent Night

By

Craigology

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

The latest single to come from Craigology is something a bit different, it’s called Silent Night and is a wonderful jazzy rendition of the traditional carol, making it very listenable indeed.

A fun and vibrant arrangement that will lift the energies and bring a wonderful vibrancy to any Christmas playlist, and is a composition that will appeal to many different listeners.

Silent Night by Craigology is a must have this Christmas season.

Let It Be By Joseph Sullinger

 

Let It Be

By

Joseph Sullinger

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have a theory, the day I officially become old, is the day I will mention the name of the group, The Beatles, and someone will say, who? So I guess I will never grow old, as the iconic super group from Liverpool have inspired so many artists along the way, and still do so to this day with a passion.

Let It Be by Joseph Sullinger is far removed from the classical or Latin styles we know the artist for, but this respectful and wonderfully performed acoustic moment of magic, should be saluted as one of the most serene, fluent and moving new versions. Sullinger has felt the song penned by McCartney, and created a smooth and very listenable offering that tips the hat to this legendary group nearly 52 years from its original release, a very classy performance by Sullinger indeed, but then again, this is what we have come to expect from one of the world’s leading acoustic guitar performers.

 

Endlessly Lost By Samer Fanek

 

Endlessly Lost

By

Samer Fanek

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have been visiting the halls of musical plenitude for some years now, thanks to the grand and stylish opuses of Samer Fanek. His presentations and performances are always rich and full in both texture and colour, and on this new single, Endlessly Lost, that is pushed even further.

A splendid grand symphonic rock element can be found here on the single Endlessly Lost, this powerful offering contains a mysterious mood, a reflective and thoughtful musical prose, and a flourishing performance on keys by the young musician, on a ballad that wouldn’t be out of place at a Nightwish concert, this indeed is piano with instrumentation at its very best.

Only A Song ft Sian Stables By Andrew Stables and Nick Magnus

 

Only A Song ft Sian Stables

By

Andrew Stables and Nick Magnus

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This flourishing new song by Andrew Stables and Nick Magnus, and featuring the talents on vocals of Sian Stables, is a shot in the arm I needed on this late November morning, with elements of both folk and progressive rock, a vibrant and jolly musical journey can be found here.

There is something very addictive about this offering that is hard to let go of, Stables vocals carries us along on an almost mystical journey, whilst the guitar,  percussion and added instrumentation, drives this musical moment of alternative folk along on its merry way with an outright, and exciting passion.

This is one of those pieces that I believe has an element of addiction within its manifestation, a song that may remind of you of Steeleye Span mixed with a little Jethro Tull perhaps, but certainly a single that should reflect to the listener the quality performances contained within.

A Moment of Zen By Chrissie Sheppard

 

A Moment of Zen

By

Chrissie Sheppard

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Flute composer and performer Chrissie Sheppard has been moving ever onwards in her pursuit of manifesting quality ambient flute productions for her ever growing audience.

Here is a lady who is without doubt in touch with the nature that surrounds her, the muse of creativity that flows through her musical veins and in total symbiosis with her beloved flute.

A Moment of Zen is exactly what it says on the can, this is one of those singles that will bring instant harmony and peace from the first play, through to the countless times you could spin this wonderful composition, the piece is bathed in delicious Native American Style Flute and Tibetan Bowls, and all mixed delicately with natural bird sounds.

I not only rate this as the artists best work so far, but also as one of the best flute based singles and ambient arrangements I have heard thus far this year.

Forgotten Key By Anantakara

 

Forgotten Key

By

Anantakara

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is nothing quite like being able to listen to the artistic endeavours of a musician who has such a grasp on mood motion and reality, and to that point I am most grateful to be able to bring to you my thoughts on the latest release by Anantakara entitled Forgotten Key.

This is truly a quality album that has such wonderfully smooth tones and crisp but pertinent notes of value. By listening to the opening foray entitled Right Time - Right Place we have a track that hovers and floats around us, and vibrates at a resonance that manifest something so fascinating, that you will never ever wish to leave it environment.

A slight but sensitive back percussive element can be felt within this next track called Behind Below And Above, almost an alternate suggestion on Phil Thornton’s New Age classic called As Above So Below. Here the artist manifests waves of electronic music that drift, ebb and flow, with a crafted keyboard that is the master off all that it surveys; this is an experimental arrangement that is simply idyllic for any seeker of a free musical sanctuary.

At the half way juncture we come across an offering that I adore, and I am sure that Eno himself would salute this track called Ask The Seer, the inspiration I drew from this piece as a musician was immense, moving from new age legends like Deuter to the aforementioned Eno. This is classic ambient music, a hovering intensity, a manifestation of musical genius to create a void in musical time and space and thus, Ask The Seer is born, this is ambience personified, this is without doubt my personal favourite track off the album.

A horse of a totally different colour can be found on this next composition called Unnamed Rituals. At times this is a track that drifts into the realms of Germany’s Al Gromer Khan, it has a wonderful ethereal flow to its back drop of ambience, whilst in the forefront, a minimalistic sense of a setting is so atmospheric and moody, and wrapped up in an environmental dome of musical pleasure.

Forgotten Key is a stunning album and pieces like La Force Du Coeur [That Heart Courage] shows me that the artist is literally touching the helm of composers like David Wright or Isao Tomita with ease, this is an offering that moves forward and back and from side to side, and whilst doing so compensates for every musical nuance along the way, and is without doubt one of the most inventive pieces from the album.

The last track off the album is called Times Are Changing, this is an arrangement that seems to coalesce and swim within itself, and whilst doing so manifest something different from its exit on the other side of the composition, a clever way to leave the album indeed.

Forgotten Key by Anantakara in my view is the artist’s best work so far; he has challenged his audience to step out of those preconceived boundaries of life, and offered up musical solutions and tones, in a sanctuary of musical ambience and artistic brilliance that I truly believe to be some of the most magnificent electronic music I have heard thus far, this year.

Autumn's Waltz By Shoshana Michel

 

Autumn's Waltz

By

Shoshana Michel

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

I have listened to the latest single to come our way from Shoshana Michel a couple of times now, it’s a felted solo piano piece entitled Autumn’s Waltz, and each time I do so, I have the same image that comes to my mind. The image is an old movie scene, where there’s a couple dancing, in the background you can see it is night time, one of the characters, the female, in dressed all in white, the male is dressed in black, there is a sadness to their dancing, as they only see each other for a short while each year, as summer comes to an end, before winter arrives, and they know it will be a long time before they can return to each other’s arms once more.

There is a real melancholy feel to the arrangement, one that has you hooked from the very first note. This is a great new release from the artist, one that I am sure will be a hit with all who listen to it.

Signs of Hope By Julie Hanney

 

Signs of Hope

By

Julie Hanney

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This brand new offering by Pianist Julie Hanney is indeed one of those songs that gives us all a much need lift, just when we need it. Signs of Hope is the new single, and contained within its sun kissed layers is one of the brightest solo piano arrangements I have heard for some time.

The performance by the artist is played with a heart full of positivity, but it is also very respectful of the journey along the way, a fine presentation by Hanney indeed; we have an upbeat energy, but also a quite clever and crafted underpinned sense of reflection within too, one that I am sure is going to be very attractive to the listener.

Rain Drops By Antonija Pacek and Sanja Romić

 

Rain Drops

By

Antonija Pacek and Sanja Romić

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The combination of Antonija Pacek and Sanja Romić on piano and oboe respectively is truly something to marvel at and thoroughly enjoy, and I can testify to that, I am on my third play in a row, and each time I feel more, I hear more, and I am engaged more by the imploring tones that emanate from it, this is wonderfully special, and perfect also for the now, the latter half of autumn.

The mournful reflectivity by Romić’s oboe seems to dance with the narrative of Pacek’s piano with such great beauty; it is one that manifests something very memorable and textured. This I feel is a symbiosis in music at its very best, and I am sure that a big chart will come from the result of this ultra-skilful and well-crafted performance by both artists.

One Autumn Night By Christof R Davis

 

One Autumn Night

By

Christof R Davis

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The single most important part of creating a composition is manifesting a narrative that will take the listener on a journey, and allow them to build a visual image from the music themselves, this has been done perfectly by Christof R Davis on this new ep entitled One Autumn Night.

A simple but effective melody is created by the artist on the opening piece called Twilight. The notes are so pristinely played, and the structure around them so redolent of the blackness of the night, and the sparkling star fields appearing slowly from above.

Vixen has a sense of drama about its energies that is most appealing; a passage with a clever construction continues to build in this truly enjoyable offering. It is rare to hear such sensitivity on a piano, but the artist presents this sublimely, in a track that I fell totally in love with, and have now listened to several times over already.

The last piece from this release is called Amber, there is a depth to the performance and composition that is enticing and quite emotive as well, the chord changes are wonderfully fluent here, and the manifestation of the melody equally so, this is as calming to the mind, as an autumn surmise itself.

One Autumn Night by Christof R Davis in a beautiful release by the artist, one that manifests a mood of lightness and shade, in just three short by very poignant tracks. Reflective, moving and wonderfully fluent, would be three words that sum up this classy release by Christof R Davis.

 

Myndstream Fall Flights

 

Myndstream Fall Flights

By

Steve Sheppard

 

It has been great to have been immersed in the Myndstream flights project during 2021, and to my further pleasure we have another flight sojourn to take right now, as we embrace autumn and the beauty it brings through the medium of Myndstream Fall Flights, and the various artists that have created offerings for it.

We start with a colourful solo piano composition called Autumn, composed and performed by Roger Kellaway, the lightness of touch on the keys here is palpable, but the depth that the artist creates is equally exciting in this vibrant piano arrangement, so much so that one could with ease visualise leaves spiralling towards the ground on this most beautiful presentation.

Now as someone once said, it’s time for something completely different, as we head into the realms of the electronic genre with David Baron and a piece called End Of One Thing. A clever performance can be found here with this artistic EM based offering, a build and progression of great quality, some quite fascinating effects, along with a crafted elevation of intensity can all be found in this riveting composition.

We close one door and open up the next, and the realm we find ourselves within now is the land of Acoustica, and thanks to the skill set on guitar of the talented Janet Noguera, we have a beautiful track to enjoy. Favor From The Wind is a soft and reflective arrangement that reminds me in style of a melodic Will Ackerman performance, one that would be perfect music to watch a mid-western sun fall slowly too, this is a track that such grace and textures can be found within.

The autumnal touch of this piece is stunning, called The Golden Hour; it is performed on acoustic guitar by Karlijn Langendijk. There is a wonderful sun kissed reverie here waiting to be found in this work of precise acoustic accomplishment, one feels a sense of an almost classical offering gently floating across the cadence of a late autumn day, and all with such a blissful sense of peace and serenity within its manifestation too.

Our next composition is a curious offering entitled Insects and performed by Larry Fast. Here we find an electronic arrangement that has a mood and intensity all of its own, and mixes several masterful techniques within its realms as we travel through it, in an almost melding of Keith Emerson meets John Carpenter, in what is a wonderfully exciting ride of classy electronic music.

We finish with an old friend in Bernward Koch, this German based composer and pianist has long been on my radar, and regularly creates such beautiful melodies and compositions, and this beautiful reverie entitled An Old Fairy Tale continues that magical consistency for the artist, in a film score styled narrative, that manifests a tranquil vibe whilst bathing in a sea of utter fluency.

These latest releases from Myndstream are sure set to become popular releases with those that listen to them.

 

Wings Over Water By Brian Kelly

 

Wings Over Water

By

Brian Kelly

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I must admit to being most excited to hear this latest single by pianist and composer Brian Kelly, I seem to have been following his musical progression since 2008 and his album Afterplay, and now, some thirteen years later, comes a powerful and vibrant new single entitled Wings Over Water.

This cinematic solo piano offering is truly splendid, I live near the ocean and it would perfectly fit the flight of various gulls and terns as they make their way across the coastal regions.

The fast paced noted structures are sublime in there context, and the chords manifest a creative backdrop, while the melody is rich in colour and texture. Full marks to Brian Kelly, as I have a feeling that Wings Over Water is going to be a big chart hit for the artist.

Notable 9th By Rada Neal

 

Notable 9^th

By

Rada Neal

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

So, what is the connection that both pianist Rada Neal and global explorer Marco Polo have in common? The answer is that they both believe that the journey, not the destination is the most important reason for taking a voyage, whether it’s across the globe, or in the creation of a new solo piano album.

The latter is of course the result of Rada Neal’s efforts, it is indeed an album that creates such calm and tranquillity that it is a pleasure to board its decks and sail across an ocean of musical fluency.

Notable 9^th by Rada Neal has 12 simply delicious solo piano tracks that will effortlessly make your day, like the charm and sweet surrender of the opening piece entitled Just a Whisper, or the reflective tones of one of the most emotive pieces off the album entitled Nostalgia.

One of my personal favourites would be the moody and creative Falling Shadows, a wonderful performance depicting the close of day, and the crawling autumnal shadows across the landscape of time.

There are some sublime moments of a heart felt presentation on pieces like the honest and passionate Romance, and the truth seeking reality of one of the most emotional compositions in the deepness of the track, Still a Memory.

There is perhaps a little Celtic influence on the penultimate offering of Banshee, a song that has all the speed and grace of the woman from the fairy mound.

The album is concluded by one of the most beautiful compositions I have heard for piano in a long while, and called Tranquillity, classic new age piano at its best can be found here, with a melody that could have been created by the master of the genre in one David Lanz, what a great way to end the album indeed.

Notable 9^th by Rada Neal is an album that for me highlighted all that is good, honest, true and fluent in the world of solo piano, here is an album bathed in an a reflective gaze, and performed with such a heartfelt passion, but done with such consummate grace and professionalism. Notable 9th by Rada Neal is an album that has reignited the genre with a flourish; this is solo piano at its finest.

Sol de Invierno II - Winter Sun II By David Garrido Guil

 

Sol de Invierno II - Winter Sun II

By

David Garrido Guil

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Sol de Invierno II - Winter Sun II by David Garrido Guil has to be the most beautiful singles to have hit my desk since the end of summer. A fine mixture of flute, acoustic guitar, percussion, and I think I even picked up a lute among other instrumentation on this colourful new offering.

This is stunning and redolent of the subject matter; I can tell you that first hand from my home on the Mediterranean, where the sun is now softer, the light more gentle and hazy, and with each passing day memories of a summer past, drift through the mind of tomorrow, with a soft smile upon the face of contentment.

The musicianship on this new song is outstanding and offers up a beautifully presented single that should be a massive hit in the winter charts.

A huge tip of the hat therefore goes to the following artists who have created such beauty.

David Garrido Guil: Piano, classical and soprano guitars, fretless bass, harp, tin & low whistles, synthesizers.

María Barrio Insausti: Transverse flutes and piccolo.

Manuel Garrido Palacios: Classical guitar, sitar and percussions.

Raquel Remesal: Laud and bandurria.

 

 

Mutual Isolation By Burnt Belief

 

Mutual Isolation

By

Burnt Belief

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have long been a fan of progressive rock, jazz and contemporary instrumental music, so this album is like being a kid in a candy shop for me, as today I get to explore all of those musical sojourns in one album and more, through the medium of Mutual Isolation by Burnt Belief.

So who is Burnt Belief? We have the magical cloud guitar of Jon Durant, on double bass Colin Edwin, the band also feature musicians supreme in drummer Vinny Sabatino, percussionist Andi Pupato, and Aleksei Saks a master of the trumpet from Estonia.

We have all had to endure Mutual Isolation at some point in the last two years, and it has brought some amazing results with it, here on this album the artists manifest a freedom to form unlikely to have been heard before, but one of the most listenable albums you will have allowed to grace your presence for a long, long while.

The opening piece Where it all Began (for TR) is a wonderful pastiche of free form Jazz meets prog rock, it’s one of those addictive arrangements that you will just keep listening to over and again, and each time you do so you will be amazed at the sublime work of Sabatino, and all the little nuances that you will constantly find within the composition as you go.

The rhythm on this next piece was wonderfully palpable and called Month of Moonlight. A smooth offering indeed, funky in a light hearted way, with the guitar of Durant offering a side to the arrangement that brought a great colour to the song, in the same way that the great Carlos Santana did back in the day.

Rosso Portofino as they say is a horse of a different colour completely, the trumpet of Saks partners a clever performance by Sabatino to manifest something that has to be listened to with serious intent, this moody offering highlights also the genius double bass of Edwin, whose performance with Saks sublime brass creates something so very fluent and almost sensual to bathe within.

Resistential signifies that we are now well into the core of the album, it also gifts us a sublime track that has a wealth of percussive brilliance within it too. Once more that delicious rhythm is there, as the band manifests something so fascinating and even mysterious within this crafted arrangement.

Whilst we step into the second half of the album, we do so by coming across a new offering entitled Perilous Terrain, Durant’s guitar and the light but very relevant percussion bring us a global vibe, which reverberates partially into a progressive rock structure, and then floats around in a dark realm of seriously in-depth melodies and structures, ones that build upon a mood of apprehension and tension. This is one of the most intriguing pieces off the release, a track that highlights the genius of one Jon Durant.

The hovering intensity within this next composition is amazing and simply idyllic, the track itself is called The Evolution of Disintegration, a gentle keyboard is further enhanced by one of the great performances on the album, as both Edwin and Durant created, what for me, was a magical moment of guitar and bass, and in doing so birthed one of the best tracks from this collection of superior arrangements; this is a song that could be easily tagged as legendary, it is that good.

Edwin’s opening bass line is as good as you will have heard, since the one that ushered in the single by Elvis Presley called Fever, his performance dominated this new offering called Precipitation. Joined by Durant’s sublime fluency, the band goes onto create a song that is dark with its onward movement, but one that has an underpinned addictiveness to its overall construction.

I did mention from the off that this album crosses a multitude of genres, add world music to that list now as we arrive at the penultimate piece off the album entitled Divine Rascal. This combination of rhythms, percussive genius and sublime bass, gift us something that holds a global ethic musically as well as retaining all that has been created thus far within its boundaries.

The last port of call for us on this musical voyage of plenty is entitled Expanse, and as you may guess from the title of the composition it is indeed the longest track off the album at nearly eleven and a half minutes long, and trust me on this, don’t skip, put your feet up and listen to this arrangement in its entirety, you will be more musically fulfilled because of it. Our final piece is a moment of long form brilliance, a hovering floating start with a keyboard setting the early narrative, then a wonderful combination of all that is good creative and artistic follows, in one of the classiest end of album tracks I have heard for absolutely years.

Mutual Isolation by Burnt Belief is indeed a ground breaking album; here is an opportunity to enrich yourself musically as the album is a land of inventive and masterfully performed offerings that are so very artistically created, ones that have such a depth to their constructions, thus it is an album that deserves to be given multiple listens.

Mutual Isolation by Burnt Belief is a next level album, it is more than just dancing with other genres, this is a release that manifests new ones, whilst creating a musical sanctuary of the soul for the ever eager listener.

 

Drawing The Winter By RAF21

 

Drawing The Winter

By

RAF21

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The subject of winter musically is always a rich bed of possibilities to draw upon, and here on this very ambient piece, RAF21 (Raphaël Beaudon), has created something very clever, very artistic and very listenable.

Drawing The Winter is a pristine and sparkling new single from the artist, one that manifests an icy cold energy of those days of falling snow and natures slumber.

This crafted performance brings us a sense of ambience that is perfect for this season, and the gentle but very artistic presentation by the artist is sure to become a winner in the eyes of the listening audience.

 

Don’t Forget By Sylvain Millepied

 

Don’t Forget

By Sylvain Millepied

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

The latest single to come my way from Sylvain Millepied was one again written for the cellist Eva Brönner, it is called Don’t Forget and is an arrangement that once heard, you will not forget the beauty that is contained within.

The piano, cello and flute all come together to create an arrangement that sounds so very vast, but then, there are so many things that we should not forget, so many things that are beautiful in our lives, and the music allows us to spend time thinking about those and remembering them with love and a smile on your face.

This is an amazing arrangement that I am sure will be loved by many, and one that will be a huge hit for the artists and could easily have the potential to be a movie theme.

Silver Hill By Andrea Sertori

 

Silver Hill

By

Andrea Sertori

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

Andrea Sertori is a name that has become a familiar with many over recent months, a name associated with piano performances that are known for their gentle, artistic approach, and this latest single from the Italian artist called Silver Hill is no exception to that statement.

Silver Hill is a gentle, yet uplifting composition from the artist, one that is played with a delicate touch on the keys, with a reflective tone written into the music too. A single release that I am sure will be another success for the artist. 

 

GAGA By Richard Spasoff

 

GAGA

By

Richard Spasoff

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The uniqueness of GAGA by composer Richard Spasoff spans several genres and touches different landmarks as it goes; this eight track album is inventive, artistic, and at times even experimental.

The opening piece GAGA, our title track, would turn out to be one of my personal favourites, this slow gentle build and progression giving birth to a truly beautiful melody and harmonic resonance, and at times almost symphonic in nature, this is something that we can all enjoy with ease, and for me I found a reflective sense of emotion deep within the weave of the song too.

Tracks like Spiritual Awakening and Jazzy Moon retain a style similar to Avant - garde Jazz, but not free form, there is a freedom here that is obvious, but hidden between the arrangements is a pattern that weaves its own clever narrative.

Of the eight tracks that you will find within this fresh and ground breaking new album by Richard Spasoff, you will note little gems like the emotive tones of Agape, a track so beautiful and at times quite ethereal with its angelic vocalisations and soothing keyboards.

The penultimate track is entitled Raindrops from Heaven and perhaps the symbols illustrate this for us, once more one can feel the emotion within this composition, and a piece that one can truly say is played with the heart on the sleeve of honesty.

GAGA by Richard Spasoff is an album that has been created from a musical heart that cries to be heard, there are tracks within this release that tell a tale and retain a somewhat personal narrative, and ones that reveal a desire to manifest a mixture of experimental music, melded with several tracks that are incredibly moving.