Jade Mountain by Eric Heitmann and Shere Fraser

 

Jade Mountain

By

Eric Heitmann & Shere Fraser

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

A combination of flute and piano by Heitmann and Fraser brings us today’s extremely powerful possible movie soundtrack, there can be no doubt that a single of this dramatic persuasion, entitled Jade Mountain, is the kind of composition that should be a theme for either film or television, its grandiose style, its regal elements, are all facets of what goes to make up a truly superb arrangement.

With essences of an Eastern motif, and a symbiotic partnership on flute and piano, one can feel the track unfurl to possibly become one of the most influential and formidable offerings of this multi-instrumental style this year, a sure fire winner can be found in the single Jade Mountain by Eric Heitmann & Shere Fraser.

Quiet Beauty By Diane Wheeler Dunn

 

Quiet Beauty

By

Diane Wheeler Dunn

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s always good to hear new names to you, heading your way in the business of music, and in the genre of flute, a style where my own wife is an active participant. Now before us as the year draws to an end, is a wonderful new album called Quiet Beauty by Diane Wheeler Dunn that heads our way, and what a stunning collection of very classy compositions it is too.

From the off a pulsating percussive beat guides our way through the transcendent performance of the opening piece called Yearning, a vibrant sparkling beginning indeed.

Quiet Beauty is a thirteen track release that contains a whole plethora of gems, like this next one entitled FaerieTrippin', a moody number that manifests a wonderful mysterious energy through its crisp presentation, and then into offerings like the title track Quiet Beauty, a piece that has a hovering sense of anticipation about its performance that I adored so much, a gentle percussive beat and a delicate keyboards, it certainly manifests something very original indeed.

Diane Wheeler Dunn’s flute is utterly magical, tracks like Wintering Woodland, a song where a pristine and cold, yet crisp performance can be found, and one that also contains a blissful ambient backdrop too.

Our penultimate piece is sublime and called Flutes n Flowers, a piece that gifts us a growing hope of a new spring dawning perhaps, this is one of my personal favourites from the album, and in parts reminded me of the UK’s Nigel Shaw and his Echoes of the Forest album, deep, but nature filled and utterly idyllic.

We finish with a track full of rhythmic promise and called Sailing on a Dreamboat, this was a very crafted and classy way to leave the album, percussion and keyboards gift a meditative intent, and the magical flute of the artist guides the way through this concluding offering.

Quiet Beauty by Diane Wheeler Dunn is much more than just another flute album, it is a pastiche of wonderfully balanced and beautiful compositions, ones that you would delight in listening to multiple times over. Here is an album that is fluent, artistic and quite natural, and one of the best flute albums of this style I have heard for quite some time.

We’re Going To Get There By Kluane Takhini

 

We’re Going To Get There

By Kluane Takhini

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

The latest release to come our way from Kluane Takhini has a positive message; We’re Going To Get There serves to give us all the hope that after the past couple of years, to keep the belief that this will all end.

The wonderful vocals come courtesy of Tony Mac and Nimiwari, and accompany some stunning instrumentation. There is a real soulful energy in the arrangement, with a vital message that is even more important now than ever before: we have all been through a couple of tough years, so don’t give up, we are going to get there, someday!

This is a great arrangement, and one I have really enjoyed listening to, and am looking forward to featuring on my shows, We’re Going To Get There deserves to be a huge hit for the artist.

 

Song of the Last Tree By CG Deuter

 

Song of the Last Tree

By

CG Deuter

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I cannot fully express the effect the music of C.G Deuter has had in my lifetime, his albums have been a constant musical partner through good times and bad, happy and sad, with releases like Buddha Nature and Reiki Hands of Light, which were simply and honestly life changing moments I will never forget, so a lot of emotion is invested in the work of a man who I would personally call a musical genius.

Here and now sees the dawning of a new release entitled Song Of the Last Tree, this for me is a continuation of the tone and mood that has spanned the decades, and an album that celebrates the life of his mother who has now passed, I celebrate 3 years nearly to the day since my mother departed too, so another connection, tracks like the title header fill my heart with peace. Song of the Last Tree has an ethereal quality about its construction that is undeniably beautiful, and haunting at the same time.

This is a six track album of pure quality and the multi-instrumental magic of Deuter works its art with sublime aplomb. River Timeless was one of my favourites, and one that brought back many happy memories of days past with my parents, both of them also C.G. Deuter fans too. The keyboards, the soft synths and just simply the cadence of this track were such a cathartic journey to take of sublime soothing music.

The artist has a skill set that allows his muse to manifest into reality some of the most heartfelt pieces that can be gifted to humanity, a wonderful example of that is the delicious long form composition Garden in the Clouds, here is a piece that hovers with a simple non aggressive intensity, and floats around us with the loving embrace of a mothers warmth and tenderness, the soft and caring tones of this arrangement were deeply moving.

The album is concluded with an offering entitled Sea of Tranquillity, a vast reaching song that touches the mood of the moment, and that moment is magical and calming, utterly the best way ever to leave the album.

Song of the Last Tree by CG Deuter has been a wonderful musical sojourn for me, a journey that has restored my faith in new age music, and taken me to levels of tranquillity and meditative peace that I haven’t felt for far too long. Song of the Last Tree by CG Deuter is an album that any serious music aficionado must have in their collections and playlists, each journey you take with this album will not be your last, a simply blissful and idyllic experience indeed.

Heart Songs By Ken Noland

 

Heart Songs

By

Ken Noland

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Ken Noland has returned in 2021 with a brand new album and seven new flute songs for us to enjoy. Noland’s work has been gaining ground on the flute circuit for a while, and here on this new album we may have just seen the best work from the artist so far.

The journey starts with an introduction from Noland who gifts us the piece Rising, a powerful musical tale, one that we all hope to emulate as we rise from the ashes of the pandemic like the phoenix. His melodic creation here is an inspiration to us all to carry onward and upward in the face of adversity, a commanding start indeed.

Hawk floats high in the sky, ever watchful below, waiting for the moment to strike, Hawks powerful intuitive approach to its life is a lesson for us all, and Noland’s melodic and uplifting creation is a fine representation of how important it is, that we see the bigger picture in all things we do too.

On Mother's Tears the tale could be a worrisome thing, but there is a little hope in this new musical narrative of Noland’s, his expression on flute gifts a soft presentation to the audience, of an almost hopeful nature, yet still, one that is imploring.

Heart Songs is a seven piece solo flute performance that tells a tale with each track reached, like this one that summons our arrival at the midway point of the album and called Unity, a track that asks for all hands on the deck of life, we are all one, and as such we should really be helping each other to reach the other side of this vast lake of life’s concerns. Here Noland performs his best track in my view, as this is one of the most powerful flute performances I think I have ever heard from the artist.

As we move toward the latter end of the album we come across a wonderfully illuminating piece called Light The Way, this is a clever presentation from Noland, one that says we must shine a light for others, and also perhaps we are that shining light to lead the way, which ever, this is a crafted slice of work indeed.

The penultimate offering is entitled Moon and here on this last but one creation Noland expresses through his words and his performance, that as darkness falls and the moon rises, we shall have another day to co create once more on the Earth, and we must be grateful for that. There is a delicate preciseness to this flute performance that is appreciated, one that illustrates the aspect of the Moons characteristics perfectly.

The concluding arrangement is entitled Undying Love; a deeper very sincere energy can be found on this final offering of the album, and Noland manifests that heart felt mood and honesty with ease on this parting composition.

Heart Songs by Ken Noland is without doubt the best work from the artist thus far, the story style really works for a solo flute performance, and each representation is honesty played with the artist’s heart and integrity on his musical sleeve. Heart Songs by Ken Noland is an album that the artist can indeed be proud of, and I am sure that fans of the genre will be more than happy to obtain a copy for their collections too.

This Beautiful Chaos By Trevor Gordon Hall

 

This Beautiful Chaos

By

Trevor Gordon Hall

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This review is a first for me, as I have never written one for a compilation of songs created by no less than six different guitars before. This Beautiful Chaos is utterly unique and as such Trevor Gordon Hall has manifested something quite breath taking to ease our days along the way, with performances and structures that are chilled, fluent, peace filled, and to be honest, quite brilliant to bathe within.

The opener is a wonderful flow of notes, ones that are so deep and moving, that they retain a vibrancy that will completely resonate with your musical palette and called, Chase the Chills.

As a part time guitarist myself, I appreciate albums like this, they give me a nudge and a desire to do more, and tracks like Know Thyself, are a fine example of this feeling I have right now, and a piece that also reminds me in part of Australia’s Ian Cameron Smith and the one and only Jim Kimo West.

This is a stunning album and the best part is of course we have no less than 10 blissful tracks to explore on it, like the fascinating and imploring tones of Saudade, or perhaps the magical narrative of pieces like Resolution in Tension, an offering that had an almost mysterious narrative that I truly enjoyed.

The penultimate offering is a bluesy little number, and indeed Ontic Blues is one of those pieces to sway to on a late winter’s afternoon as you watch the day flow past, whilst Trevor Gordon Hall concludes this wonderful album with one of my personal favourites entitled At Peace with the Struggle, a composition that is probably one of the most ambient on the album.

This Beautiful Chaos by Trevor Gordon Hall is an acoustic lover’s paradise, you have a veritable cornucopia of many delights here to pacify that need and desire, and the artist manifests each and every one of them with the most sublime touch of artistic professionalism ever, making This Beautiful Chaos one of the most listenable albums of the year in this genre with absolute ease.

The Rise Of Genesis By Eric Heitmann & Fabian Boreck

 

The Rise Of Genesis

By

Eric Heitmann & Fabian Boreck

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The Neo Classical genre has been expanding exponentially, and with it utter gems of compositions have come my way and of course yours, here is another, and what a stunning new offering it is from Eric Heitmann & Fabian Boreck and entitled The Rise Of Genesis.

The build, progression and elevation of this song is so utterly moving and could easily be film score in standard, there is nothing quite like a mellow but purposeful piano, partnered by a delicate and heartfelt cello.

The artists have done themselves proud here with this new single, and I can see every success with it will come their way; this is Neo Classical and Contemporary Instrumental music at its very best.

Let It Be By Gary Schmidt

 

Let It Be

By

Gary Schmidt

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

I have listened to this latest single from Gary Schmidt a few times now, and simply adore what he has done with rendition of The Beatles original release, Let It Be. He has managed to retain the original feeling of the arrangement, but has given it that special touch on the keys to make it his own.

This is a real pleasure to listen to, and to sing along to also if you wish: the artwork is also refreshing to look at; bright and delicate, just like his performance on the keys.

Let It Be by Gary Schmidt is a great piece to add to your collection and should do well for the artist.

Sunflowers By Andrei Poliakov

 

Sunflowers

By

Andrei Poliakov

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is something so beautiful and endearing about this piece, that I have a feeling it will be a constant on my playlists of choice of the next few months ahead, Sunflowers by Andrei Poliakov has such a simple and uncomplicated methodology about its construction, yet it is so beautiful and soothing at the same time.

Through the imagery one could with ease visualise a warm summers day, and a Sunflower dancing in the drifting caresses of the wind. I also love the little jazz motifs in this new single, it is one of those compositions that is so easy to love and embrace, this has to be a big hit for the artist on the charts, it’s just too good not to be.

Silent Night By Kristin Amarie, David Lanz & David Arkenstone

 

Silent Night

By

Kristin Amarie, David Lanz & David Arkenstone

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

What do you get when you cross the piano of David Lanz, the orchestration of David Arkenstone and the sublime vocals of Kristin Amarie, the answer is sheer perfection.

The softness of Lanz’s performance, the expertise and the subtle fluency of Arkenstone’s arrangements, combined with the far reaching voice of an angelic presence like Amarie, all go to make this version of Silent Night the best rendition of it I have ever heard.

Such charm and warmth can be found here on a piece that has all the potential to be one of the best Christmas singles of all time, and quite how Amarie reaches those high notes I will never know.

The three pillars of genius have therefore manifested an easy prediction for me, a guaranteed Christmas number one with ease in the charts; it really doesn’t get any better than this.

Touch & Sound By Juan Sanchez

 

Touch & Sound

By

Juan Sanchez

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Juan Sanchez is a new name to me, but this is a name I shall treasure, as the musical experience I gained from listening in depth to this splendid and vast work entitled Touch & Sound was breath-taking.  The album is a mix of fine piano, synth backdrops and female vocalisations, and is without doubt one of the most heartfelt and beautiful albums of the year thus far.

The first gateway is called Sands of Time, this is a moody and almost mournful repose that seems to float within a mist of subtle tone and timbre, a wonderfully fluent beginning indeed, one that leads into moments of reflective magic and though provoking energy, in pieces like Those Fridays, or Piga Al Cel, two tracks that are very different from each other, but both filled with opportunities to explore the musical memory palaces before them.

I have just spent all morning walking through a storm, and the thunderheads opened up their gift to nature, whilst a dark shadow graced the land below, and the aftermath felt much like this piece When It Rains, the gentleness on piano combined with vocalisations is truly textured and touching, and in my view drifted quite wonderfully into the following musical narrative called A Nocturne, a night time opus that has a little global ethic to its construction too.

Lullaby For A Frantic World was one of my favourite tracks as I have often thought that people live their lives with showing any respect to the seconds and minutes they live, life is such a delicate mistress, and here the subject is treated with such sensitivity and grace by the artist, that it must be one of the most moving pieces I have heard for quite some time.

There is depth, texture, emotion and honesty within this large body of work called Touch & Sound, and tracks like Ataraxia, with its melodic structures, the powerful and passionate Human Rights and Into The Night, are all very fine examples of compositions that are artistic in their own right, but ones that manifest such a deep level of emotive intensity whilst listening to them.

Then you have a composition like Where Are They Now, a track that leaves a door open to explore further and perhaps find answers to questions unsolved. The piece holds a mysterious mood, but an almost film score styled compositional structure, one that builds so beautifully and pulls back with an equal level of sincerity.

Le Grand Bleu would be one of my favourite tracks, I sit on one of the most beautiful islands in the world to write this in Cyprus, and from its Greek heritage and perhaps though this song, I can hear the sirens voice calling to me from one of the small islands off the coast, this was so stunning it was addictively compelling, and Juan Sanchez must be acknowledged for his manifestation of blissful ambience here.

Strings and piano combine to bring us a warm offering entitled Paralian; one can truly enjoy the smoothness of performance here, you can feel that same mood on this following delicate narrative entitled Astral Voices; in fact the energies are ethereal and angelic in their essences, which makes both tracks utterly charming.

As we sail our musical ship into the darker waters of the album we come across another personal favourite of mine called When Daybreak Comes, there is a hovering intensity here that is bathed in anticipation, the compositional arrangement here is of the highest quality, and the slow tentative build is akin to the sun itself rising on an early spring morning.

Immersion allows us to drift into a world of gentle piano and soft backdrops of sound, ones that flow perfectly into the arms of the penultimate offering, a solo piano version of the aforementioned Astral Voices, leaving the artist to close with a moment of magic, the title track, Touch & Sound, with a performance so colourful, yet deeply transcendent and emotive in its arrangement, and of course a perfect way to conclude the album.

Touch & Sound by Juan Sanchez is a body of work that is like an ocean of boundless brilliance, it is an album created by a composer that is most certainly in touch with his own musical muse and one who is able to manifest ambience with melody, and a gentleness of touch along the way.

Touch & Sound by Juan Sanchez has to be one of the most artistic albums I have heard this year, it is a release that everyone should have in their collections, but only if they regard themselves as serious music aficionados, as this collection is as good as it gets in this genre.

Lives By Kostas Boukouvalas

 

Lives

By

Kostas Boukouvalas

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Kostas Boukouvalas has been on my musical radar ever since the release of Memories from a Sea View last year, that one resonated with me, and this new album gives me a whole new playground of solo piano to investigate, and some of the most original and deep thinking music that I have ever heard.

This seven piece release is a vast work, one of mood and inspired by seven different philosophical aspects of life. The beginning point is named Epic as Life and is a grand opus that one flows into deep and dark areas of life’s rich pattern; perhaps a performance that salutes the greatness of each of our lives can be felt here on this most powerful of piano opuses, and one that is the longest at well over thirteen minutes in duration.

Live What You Are is our next offering, it is one of the most beautiful pieces from the album, the lightness of touch here for me, illustrates the sparkling radiance of life if we try to be no more than just ourselves. The fluency here on piano is translucent, and raises the mood with what is a truly breath-taking presentation, one that I could see myself listening to many times over.

It seems very strange writing about this track as I live in a country that likes to dance, but dancing is not allowed currently to due to the pandemic and the mandates that now are in place, but Greek Dance for Life reminds me of better days, and ones that we can hopefully return to in the very near future. The performance here by Boukouvalas is indeed a dance that combines happiness and intensity, and all on one long fluidic movement of life unfurling, a wonderful crafted and clever piano presentation indeed.

The curiously entitled Half a Life After is up next, and ushers forth the arrival of the moment when we step into the latter half of the album, again the artists creative skills here are sublime and paint a wonderfully compelling narrative with his piano. This is a piece dedicated to those moments of reflection we all have, have I lived my life in the best way I can, or have I learned from my mistakes, and will I make the second half much better. Whichever, this is one of the most memorable pieces from the album, and the minor refrain it is created in, is deeply emotional and very listenable.

This is an album that has been manifested with a vast amount of thought and feeling, and Life Immortal is another example of this statement and a track that almost hovers across the mist filled skies of our musical landscape with a slight hint of anticipation and apprehension, this is a wonderfully clever composition, perhaps expressing the dichotomy of life and death, and the juxtaposition of them both to each other.

The pace and tempo picks up on our penultimate offering entitled Learning to Live, this is an intriguing opus as the artist creates such a fascinating performance, one could imagine two pathways of creation taking place here within the arrangement, as both the master and student, teach and learn from each other respectively.

For the Joy of Living is our final offering and here the pianist draws his final conclusion and delivers a masterful performance that in its title gives us the answer, life is for living and living is free. The dark and light aspects of performance here by Boukouvalas were wonderfully palpable, insightful and deeply felt. This was a journey beautifully delivered with passion and absolute honesty.

Lives by Kostas Boukouvalas is a vast body of work on piano that is both deep and thought provoking, it is one of those releases we all need from time to time to bring our thoughts back into balance and re-focus. Lives is an album of passion and truth, a musical pastiche of an almost philosophical proportion, and all from one very artistic performer and his piano.

Hope By Harmonic Sky & Piyali Ganguly

 

Hope

By

Harmonic Sky & Piyali Ganguly

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The combination of a multi instrumental approach is perfect for this quite unique new single from Harmonic Sky & Piyali Ganguly. This new offering offers much, with sublime vocals and a spoken word segment of self-belief, and of course the one thing we all need, Hope.

Lise Jonsson has been known for her classy performances on piano throughout her career, and this self-taught Norwegian under the name Harmonic Sky has teamed up with the stylish vocal brilliance of Piyali Ganguly, her healing words of wisdom and sensitivity certainly manifest a wonderfully fluent and warm creation here, on this very colourful new offering.

The smooth strings and the imploring vocals in this classic new age style should make this new single a big hit for the artists as the year draws to its inevitable close.

Colors By Stephen Wallack

 

Colors

By

Stephen Wallack

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The piano of Stephen Wallack plays for us once more as we drift to the end of another eventful year, and it is from this textured solo piano performance we draw some much needed musical solace to help us through to the New Year. The title for this new creation is Colors, and it is a wonderful sojourn of restful piano to swim within.

Wallacks latest creation of 10 tracks is a wonderful journey of solo piano, starting with the opening foray entitled Birch Lake, I adored this piece, Wallack’s memory palace was on full view here; the peace and contentment I found at the lakeside was vast, tangible and enjoyable, it was also nice to see the artist express himself in a longer form opus on piano, one of over seven minutes long, trust me that’s very rare in the genre.

One may assume that the following piece could be a composition of dedication and called Josh. Wallack’s performance here was as warm as the midday sun, and his composition felt effortless, one that seemed to drift into the waters of reflection with consummate ease.

Each composition on this album is wonderfully crafted; one of my personal favourites is in fact the title track called of course Colors. Once more the fluency is there, but main melody and narrative seemed to coalesce in a permanent tapestry of tone and texture; this for me was an arrangement that was utterly idyllic and very listenable.

The high notes of Stunning left me standing in the land of expectation, and I wasn’t to be disappointed by the eventual outcome, chords and depth were soon added, and an almost anthem like offering seemed to flow into my headphones, this has to be one of the most considered and carefully performed tracks on the album, and certainly one to enjoy many times over.

The half way juncture is reached by the arrangement Brave, it is a perfect midway piece, it has a pause built within that allows the listener to enjoy the composition fully, but also to be able to breathe, and take in all they have heard thus far, the slight dramatic energy here, and the pull back to calmer waters made this a truly sublime offering for me.

We all have them, some good, some bad, some bizarre, Dreams is a piece that gracefully hovers from one corner of your musical mind-set to another, almost like it is calling out to you at times. Wallack’s sensitive performance here is truly something to listen intently to, as I am sure like me, you will find more of those wonderful little nuances each time you do, which will enhance your musical experience further the next time.

We now swim within the deeper waters of the release, and as we do so we come across an exciting arrangement called Earth, this is one of the most fascinating tracks off this very classy album, here we have a piece that manifests drama, intensity and power, a sense of mystery, and has an energy that is simply undeniable, in what is a stunning performance by the artist, with a truly fascinating conclusion.

Hope is a classic new age piano opus that drifts into a traditional melody that has a blissful sense of potential about its colourful construction. Wallack employs a sublime fluency to his performances here, and on this piece that can be felt beautifully in a track that does what it says on the can, raises the hopes in us all.

The penultimate offering is possibly another dedicational track and if so Marlon would be blessed with what has to be one of the most sensitive tracks off the album, it also has one of those melodies that is so very easy to remember, and a creation that is layered on a bed of reflective roses.

The final manifestation on this album goes to the piece entitled Midnight, this would be another personal favourite of mine, there was a depth here that was almost addictive in its content and performance, and a narrative that was utterly compelling at all times, of course and without doubt a crafted and clever way to leave the album.

Colors by Stephen Wallack I would have to say, is the best work from the artist thus far, his sensitivity, and emotional creations, are all here to enjoy on this ten piece collection of wonderful solo piano, and Wallack’s freshness and heartfelt honesty will win over new fans and old to this brand new album; creative, artistic and emotionally palpable with every note played, a sure fire solo piano winner with ease.

Winter Visions By Timothy J.P. Gomez

 

Winter Visions

By

Timothy J.P. Gomez

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I always love it when an artist decides to create a seasonal album, and then manifests something so original it is utterly brilliant, that is exactly what Timothy J.P. Gomez flautist sublime, has done here with his latest release entitled Winter Visions.

It is indeed rare to hear Christmas albums performed on Native American flute, so it is equally as pleasing listening to such classics like Angels We Have Heard on High, We Three Kings, and The 12 Days of Christmas being presented to us, and in three different ways as well; a little Celtic, Native and Solo ethics can all be found here, and incredibly listenable too.

Gomez has long been on our musical radar, in fact since his The Awakening release back in 2014, and now on Winter Visions he manifests something fresh, fun filled and new for us to enjoy, a prime example of this would be the rhythmic addictiveness of Deck The Halls.

The much loved Coventry Carol is the penultimate offering from this 10 track album, and it is without doubt the most moody and thought provoking piece off the release, and one I must add, is beautifully performed by the artist as well.

Gomez finishes with probably the most well-known Christmas carol of all time in Silent Night, and the depth and almost haunting rendition of this classic ends the album, and brings to conclusion the most original and unique seasonal release I have heard for simply many a year.

Winter Visions by Timothy J.P. Gomez is a whole new approach to the manifestation of a Christmas album you will have heard for some time, if you’re looking for something different to add to you seasonal playlist, then you need to look no further than Winter Visions by Timothy J.P. Gomez, it is redolent of the subject matter, but presented in a most fluent and attractive way, and a fine example of what really good flute music can sound like.

Little Fall Of Rain By Lissa-Käthe

 

Little Fall Of Rain

By

Lissa-Käthe

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Lissa-Kathe has grown so much as an artist over the years, in fact it has been beautiful to watch, and now as a harpist with a sensitive touch and a colourful flair, it is fantastic to see her touch the ecological side of her make up with this brand new single Little Fall Of Rain.

Her vocals on this new offering are more empowered, more confident than ever before, and the subject matter so relevant and extremely important; taking care of our mother is the most important thing ever of course, and Lissa-Kathe drives that message home with this most delightful new song.

The textures of tone, instrumentation, vocals and natural sounds are all perfectly balanced for a sublime musical experience, and as such I see this becoming a big hit for the artist on the charts.

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.