Sacred Land from the album A Southwest Story By Elizabeth Naccarato

 

Sacred Land from the album A Southwest Story

By

Elizabeth Naccarato

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

Sacred Land is a beautiful single track from Elizabeth Naccarato and her album A Southwest Story, a wonderful arrangement that features Nancy Rumbel on flutes.

The haunting flute of Rumbel opens the track; the piano of Naccarato then joins in to bring us a beautifully gentle composition that takes you on a journey to the sacred lands, as flute and piano accompany you. Strings then join us on our journey, giving this a very emotional feel.

I must admit, I was in tears at one point whilst listening to this; it was so very beautiful and moving.

Elizabeth told me that as she now lives in the Southwest, where there are so many Native American flute players, she thought it would be easy to find someone to play the flute for her, but she had no luck, so here husband suggested she asked Nancy, and I’m so very happy she did, as she has added so much to this amazing piece.

The whole album is so very different, each track takes you on a different journey, and I am sure it will be a huge success for Elizabeth Naccarato.

(In the Silence of) Living Free By Leah Tamar Benson

 

(In the Silence of) Living Free

By

Leah Tamar Benson

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

While some play piano, Leah Tamar Benson plays with colour, she lays blankets of textured tones, and highlights any emotive moment with sublime care and attention to detail, all of this and more can be found on her latest single (In the Silence of) Living Free, and may I also add what a wondrous gift it was to receive a solo piano piece that was well over 5 minutes long.

Leah Tamar Benson pulls off a truly magnificent performance on this stand out piece, her use of playing with an intense narrative and then switching to a softer presentation was one of the finest artistic interpretations I have heard on the piano for a long while indeed, and as such I can see no reason why (In the Silence of) Living Free shouldn’t be a huge chart hit for the artist.

Words In The Darkness By Victor Birkan

 

Words In The Darkness

By

Victor Birkan

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The latest single from pianist Victor Birkan has fallen upon my desk, and this graceful performance is something to truly admire, as Words in the Darkness must be one of the most emotive compositions in the solo piano genre I have heard for quite some time.

Birkan’s offering has elements of a reflective sadness within its weave, and with ease, this could be a segment for an old Film Noir movie from yesteryear, but there is even more to this crafted arrangement, as one can also feel a certain European mood in the tapestry of this crafted composition as well.

One can only hope that Words In The Darkness by Victor Birkan receives the respect that it is due over the weeks ahead, and perhaps even a positive chart placing as well may occur, for this new single by the artist is incredibly stylish and thoughtfully produced.

Path of the Sandpiper By Suzanne Herman

 

Path of the Sandpiper

By

Suzanne Herman

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I listened to this new and quite beautiful single by Suzanne Herman for the first time, whilst gazing at the amazing art work for the single, bird life for me and the subject of birds has always been a big part of my life, and I can say with truth that this composition utterly portrays the mood found on the cover art.

Path Of The Sandpiper, a wonderful creature found usually on the banks or shores of tidal regions of many countries across the world is a sight that is sublimely mesmeric, and this performance by Herman is both fluent, stunningly graceful, charming, and a blissfully perfect rendition and reflection of the grace of this fine bird; her presentation is light and artistic too, and as such this new single should find a lot of favour with fans and listeners the world over, a chart hit could also be on the cards for the artist given the incredibly descriptive performance contained within. 

Somewhere in Space and Time By Mike Clay

 

Somewhere in Space and Time

By

Mike Clay

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

As an electronic ambient music artist myself, I adore to listen to other artists In the same genre, I gain great insights, I get great inspiration and directions to go to, and this new release by Mike Clay fits all those categories for me and more, it allows me to let my senses and my awareness drift Somewhere in Space and Time.

Clays first composition and our starting point is perfect, he has created the platform onto which many more layers can be built, Ambient Memories is both consistent in its tone and vibrational aspects, and gives us, the ever eager listener, a gentle drifting bed of ambience to flow with.

We can imagine that we are in a galactic Starship traversing across the infinite realms of space, and whilst we do so our sensors pick up the energies of a Comet Crossing our path, this would indeed be a marvellous sight, and Clay’s presentation here, builds suspense, constant onward movement and a mood of tempered excitement as we see this incredible visual.

I remember my dear friend Kevin Kendle composing his track Lagoon Of Eternity many years back, and this piece Cosmic Cathedral reminds me of that construct, those pillars of eternity rose like Cathedral’s in the darkness of space, this progression and creativity within this clever composition manifest a similar reality for me here as well; Clay’s synths form vast patterns, ones that constantly coalesce.

Time Passage is a blissfully brilliant opus; its dark reservoirs of tone and timbre reverberate with times of future, past, present and yet to come. The drone here is perfectly positioned and played, whilst the almost Berlin styled repeating keyboard motif brings us a sense of movement and onward energy. This is a piece that contains a merging reality of ambience and purpose, and as we enter deeper into the weave of the song, the intent of the piece becomes even more evident as we transcend to the very edge of tomorrow and yesterday.

We’re edging forever into deeper space and at this juncture we come across a track of outstanding natural glory called Beautiful Bliss. The harmonic convergence here is musical ecstasy, and a song that stands out for me personally, as one of the best off the album; one can perhaps feel a little Vangelis deep within the weave of this tremendous offering.

The half way marker brings us the piece Caravan of Time, once more Clay is in inspired territory, the smoothness of this performance cannot be stated enough, the gentle and heartfelt flow is like watching an ancient portal activating, the presentation has a tinge of reflection within its structures to gift us one of the most emotive and moving pieces off the album.

Memories of Space is a vast opus of sound, created with an incalculable universe in mind, the keyboard effects here drive the narrative into an almost endless nexus of possibilities, whilst the tranquil synths float and drift around us in patterns so grand and complex.

We move ever deeper into the album and as we do so we come across a track that is utterly undeniable and called Ocean of Stars, the synth patterns here draw us in slowly, then like a tide, push us into a region of utter beauty, one that has an almost anthem like quality to its proceedings, while the following offering Nebula Rising has the reverse energetic mood, this is a far more cautious and careful piece, but one that builds upon layers of wonderment as it manifests its own reality as an arrangement of great quality.

One of the most pleasing musical journeys can be found on this very track entitled Asteroids at Play, at times my reverie reminded me of a musician from yesteryear in Phil Thornton, perhaps mixed with a little David Wright, in a composition that is deeply enjoyable to listen to and light hearted in its overall manifestation.

We have now docked at our penultimate piece and this offering is called Clouds of Creation, a gentle, yet mysterious arrangement can be found here; the slow synth build is idyllic and sublime with reference to the subject matter, the performance on keyboards brought a blissful dreaming sound, one that floated on the edge of time itself.

It is indeed time to head for home as we arrive at the ending track of the album called End of Time, a light percussive beat can be found here, mixed with swirling synths and a mood of conclusion, a crafted piece from Clay and a clever way indeed to finish off a superb album indeed.

Somewhere in Space and Time by Mike Clay is a top quality album that needs to be paid careful attention to, the presentations of each of the 12 tracks are carefully performed and produced, to give each and every listener a veritable journey in space through music. Somewhere in Space and Time by Mike Clay is mysterious, exciting, moody and inspiring, and an album that is very easy indeed to recommend.

Song of the Skylark By Chrissie Sheppard ft Andy Rogers

 

Song of the Skylark

By

Chrissie Sheppard ft Andy Rogers

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Chrissie Sheppard has an album soon to be released that will tell us all the secrets that the birds hold, this latest single Song of the Skylark will be on that forthcoming album, and contains the talents of musician Andy Rogers on keyboards, and is probably one of the best releases thus far from the Flute performer herself.

The laid back feel to this presentation is sublime at reflecting the intense summers of this country of Cyprus, and the occasional voice of the Skylark can be heard on high. Chrissie Sheppard has brought a wonderfully chilled vibe to the fore here, and probably produced a rare moment in flute history, as here is a track that has a ponderous arrangement, so much so that a slight layer of blues can be detected within the composition.

This, and the natural sounds, and the presentation of a slowly climbing on high performance by the artist, creates a highlight moment in her career as an artist, and perhaps even one that will take her to the top of the charts.

Morning Glory Glory By Diane Wheeler Dunn

 

Morning Glory Glory

By

Diane Wheeler Dunn

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Diane Wheeler Dunn is a flute performer that brings a little mystery to the table, her performances are always crisp, clear, but with an element of intrigue  suspended deep within the arrangement, here on this brand new single entitled Morning Glory Glory, we have all that and more.

Native American styled flute shines brightly with Diane Wheeler Dunn at the helm, and this calming musical narrative floats through the forest like a magical flute would do in Shakespeare’s a mid-summer nights dream.

The artist has been in fine musical form lately, and this new release Morning Glory Glory will be another step up the ladder in the blossoming career of the artist, on this sublimely calming, soothing and deeply peaceful new single.

The Breath of Forever By George Pendred

 

The Breath of Forever

By

George Pendred

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is a new talent on the flute that’s recently ridden into town for us here, his name is George Pendred and lately we have been entranced by his last two singles Forest Spirts and The Sea, both of which appear of this splendid album entitled The Breath of Forever. This treat is a wonderfully produced album of great quality; one that I am sure instrumental fans the world over will love.

The album consists of 11 classy tracks and starts with the first single we received Forest Spirits, a stunningly picturesque opener, one that leads perfectly into the arms of the following piece entitled The Sky, a fascinating creation, with a little keyboards built into the weave, and a slight electronic vibe that manifests an extra depth within the offering.

One of my personal favourites is the light hearted and positive refrains of the composition Travelling, the chords here mix craft-fully with a light reflective energy, whilst the flute remains the chief narrator in its overall build and progression.

The production quality on this album is sublime, examples of that textured brilliance can be found on pieces like Jazz-ish Improvisation, a truly clever offering, with a delightful bass line and keyboards, and the effervescent essences of the penultimate creation on the album called Flight.

The conclusion is brought to us by the last gift on the album called Flute Love, a gentle piece that hovers around the heart, and smiles a smile of peace and contentment; this is a beautiful offering with which to end a sublime album with.

The Breath of Forever by George Pendred is a sparkling new and exciting breath of fresh air in the flute based genre. Pendred brings the colour and textures beautifully, and gives us an upbeat and vibrant new collection of great songs.

From time to time we all need something new flourishing and fine in our lives, and The Breath of Forever by George Pendred is most certainly that, perhaps even a beacon of light and hope in the vast realm of the instrumental music genres. 

Night Train By Andrea Sertori

 

Night Train

By

Andrea Sertori

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Andrea Sertori has been making quite a name for himself in the singles solo piano field lately, his fluent and crisp offerings have been bringing many idyllic moments for the listeners to thoroughly enjoy. Here on this brand new offering entitled Night Train, Sertori takes us on a journey along the tracks of a sojourn of calm and peaceful vibes.

Sertori’s confidence in this genre has grown immensely, his forward and constant onward movement within this single is very palpable, but at all times his performance is warm and comforting, much the same as if you were on the train itself, and watching the darkened fields and trees just pass by through the safety of the train window, and all in a sublime creative performance by the artist. 

One Day In Sicily By Carbe and Durand

 

One Day In Sicily

By

Carbe and Durand

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Carbe and Durand are back, and after the chart topping success of their last single Sambarama, I see no reason why this new offering shouldn’t be right up there in the mix again. One Day In Sicily however is a different proposition musically, it is one of the most melodic tracks that the duo have released, and captures the mood of the location perfectly.

The dreamy guitar of J.P. Durand plays like it is actually singing, never has a duo been so perfect for a genre, add in that subtle and sensitive rhythmic energy created by the wonderful Liza Carbe, which makes this song a song of summer, and you have a new single that, like a glass of local wine and a jar of olives, is just too tasty to resist.

 

Bubbles By Holly Jones

 

Bubbles

By

Holly Jones

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s really nice to catch up musically again with the talented Holly Jones, her skills on the piano are always something pleasant thing to look forward to listening to, and on this brand new single called Bubbles we have one of the warmest tracks I think she may have ever composed.

Bubbles has a comforting energy about its creation that is so adorable, this piece also has a sense of innocence and simplicity about its construction that equally gives it a gentle, but very attractive vibrational mood, its simply one of those pieces that it is impossible not to fall in love with, my only heart felt wish is, that it would have been a much longer musical relationship.

Into the Unknown By Joseph L Young

 

Into the Unknown

By

Joseph L Young

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It is so very good to hear once more from multi-instrumentalist Joseph L Young, the last album outing I have with the artist was way back in 2018 with one of his most awesome albums of all time in Every Moment, but here we are again, and about to open up the door to another wonderful journey of deeply expressive music with the album Into The Unknown.

This voyage of musical plenitude starts with one of the most cinematic offerings I have heard from the artist, it’s called Into the Unknown and is of course our very classy title track. Living in the Middle East this really resonates with the energies that are around us here, using a far and wide multi-instrumentational ethic and a that stylish Duduk, gives us the listener the most perfect starting point ever.

The following piece is a musical narrative that is so moving, it’s is the emotional presentation Remembrance of Time ft Lynn Tredeau on piano and for my money is one of the finest duets that Young has ever done. Tredeau has an incredible way of making her piano almost cry, whilst Young’s flute performance is heart rendering and utterly emotive.

The opening few bars of this next piece truly drew me in, once more a multi-instrumental nature is employed, ethereal vocalisations too, and all roads lead to the artist and his trust worthy flute to lay down a mood that like the album, crosses more boundaries than many other artists would dare to even attempt in a life time, I detected a wonderful mouth harp here too, after research I would find that it was actually Vietnamese instrumentation, which then made perfect sense to me as this piece.  Enchanted, certainly had a delicate eastern feel to its overall construction.

One can have no doubt that Young is one of the finest performers of his time, and with ease has to be the most unique of creators, and by switching to sax on Secrets of Stone, once more the borderlands of music are not just crossed, they’re torn asunder. Young’s presentation here manifests an almost global Jazz ethic; the tabla and percussion were sublime and would go on to create a rich and colourful vibe, and at times one with a deep sense of sensuality with its slow and sultry Middle Eastern energies and rhythm’s.

You always find a track that resonates with you and on Beyond the Horizon that would be the tick in the box for me, this is a fascinating piece, it contained an electronic vibe with distant echoes of Vangelis, and keyboards that would pick the composition up and take it along on its merry journey through time and space perhaps. A mysterious expedition through music can be found here, but one I am sure you would be more than willing to take.

Strange, I should be writing about this track today, as I was only thinking yesterday about composing a piece referencing the conflicting energies of the mind and heart for my next album, but on Between Worlds (Remix), we have a masterpiece of duality, the flutes of Young are the knowledgeable narrator. This is a wonderful arrangement that completely reveals the dichotomy of being between two worlds and lost in love, one that reminds me greatly of Phil Thornton’s similarly named track back in the late 90’s, this one Joseph, will become a total constant for me forever.

As so this voyage of brilliance continues with a nice feel on this following offering entitled Transcendence, a piece that seemed to have an almost Richard Carpenter electronic and percussion styled feel to its sonic backdrop, but the Sax of Young lifted the piece to new levels, to give it a brighter energy, the added vocalisations were a blissful addition as well.

We can fall deeper into the layers of this album now and as we do so we come across a track called The Forgotten, again this is an incredible mixture of styles, modes and musical gestures, and no one does it quite like Joseph L Young. The darkness shines so bright on this track it’s palpable, and the sullen and moody progression of this composition is akin to walking the borderlands of Stephen King’s Mid World and indeed, this amazing piece would be perfect for the movie should he make one, wonderfully descriptive, deeply moving and a hovering intensity that is so very rare to find these days.

We now arrive at the longest composition off the album and this expression of utter quality is called Eclipsed. This is a clever offering; one can enjoy the fairly light mood created by Young’s colourful flute, but all the while behind the main narrative is an intensity that needs not to be ignored, the build and progression here with electronics, leading into a percussive upbeat and then into the sax, must make this piece easily the most creative from the album.

The penultimate arrangement is this very classy moment, now known for ever in time as Windswayed. The piece has with ease the most indigenous textures within its clever frame ever; yes Young’s flute manifests this mood, but then the artists skill set of artistic genius kicks in further and the track elevates to a piece that is both the wind, the tree and the leaf that flies on to lands unknown.

So we have reached the final portal to the album, the name of this concluding piece is Ancestral Crossings, this is an utterly perfect song to finish what has been a superb album. The mood of this track is multi-dimensional as well as being multi-cultural and instrumental, if there was one piece off the release that could sum up Young’s talents in crossing musical borders and genres, for me, this would be the apex of that search.

Into the Unknown by Joseph L Young is a magnificent album, it of course takes the listener on a journey like any really good album should do, but Young does it with such colour style and artistic intelligence, and keeps the listener engaged at all times. Into the Unknown by Joseph L Young is a tapestry of tone and atmospheric mastery like no other, and an album I personally would recommend in a heartbeat.

To You By Antonija Pacek

 

To You

By

Antonija Pacek

Written by

Chrissie Sheppard

 

I adore the gentle touch on the keys of Antonija Pacek, she has a special feel to her music, and that is only felt even more deeply on her latest release, To You, a piece that feels so special, as if it was written for someone special, and that special person was you.

This is a fantastic composition from Antonija Pacek, and a piece that I am delighted to say is just over 4 minutes long too, giving you enough time to fully immerse yourself in the music and its delights.

To You is a wonderful creation from the artist, a moving and yet gentle creation, and one that I feel should do really well for her in the charts too. 

Cosmos V by David De Michele

 

Cosmos V

By

David De Michele

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Here is an album that is right down my street, an ambient electronic pastiche of both great colour and style, and by the artist David De Michele of whom I have an album of that dates back to 2003 (although that was not his first release), and here some 19 years later he births his latest masterpiece Cosmos V, and one has to say it is one of the most translucent, inspiring and moving albums I have heard since Kevin Kendle released, Light From Orion, it is that good, so let’s journey with the artist right now on this 7 track album.

The opening piece has such an amazing emotional resonance to it, it literally takes your breath away, the build, flow, drift and emotive synth chords construct one of the finest openers in this field I have heard for many a year, of course we are talking about the headline piece Cosmos V.

With tracks like Event Horizon we have a steady, but progressive motif, one that builds, hovers and smoothly traverses the universal airwaves. While on Central Sun, we have a blissful sense of ambience, but a track cleverly textured to bring us an emotional vista, it is as if we are truly looking at an ever expanding sun as we drift towards its life giving warmth.

On Expanse, there is a delicacy that is so beautifully created, it’s like someone has opened up a small portal to a vast expansive realm, and explores the emotions from that event, then we slowly flow into Light Speed; a track with expectations, where an almost Berlin styled school opening foray of electronic music creates an onward movement ahead, in a wonderfully manifested arrangement that is performed with such a masterful presentation. I was reminded in part of the late but great Vangelis and his Albedo 0.39 album with this offering.

The penultimate offering off the album is entitled Stellar and now we may enter the womb of the galaxy, to gaze upon the nursery of stars being brought into existence, the slow wave like synth forms, brings us an ocean of calm and security, where one could literally be at peace for en eternity.

Our concluding track is entitled Origin and is utterly the finest work of art for us to part ways with the album, the performance here was brilliantly played with a fast repetitive Oldfield styled repeated segment, and juxtaposed by a slow soothing synth, both would amalgamate and finish off the album in great style.

Cosmos V by David De Michele is for me, one of the best electronic space styled albums I have heard for many years, and I have a feeling that its success will be as evident as riding on the tail of a comet itself. Cosmos V by David De Michele is an album I would recommend to anyone who likes outstanding music, or those seeking an ambient sanctuary of the soul.

Guru's Greatness: Guru Brahma By Sarves Thiru

 

Guru's Greatness: Guru Brahma

By

Sarves Thiru

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Born in Malaysia but now based in London, Sarves Thiru has released her sparkling new debut single entitled Guru's Greatness: Guru Brahma, this devotional composition has a vibrant awareness to its construction, and also a rich multi-instrumental nature, including and among the expected, a colourful sax, one that lays down such a beautiful tapestry of tone.

The harmonic convergence of this incredibly happy and positive manifestation is wonderful to feel, a delight to hear, and raises the rhythms and spirits of the listener to new heights. We should have more music in the world of this style as Sarves Thiru's rich arrangement of freshness and creative patterns, brings a cadence and a smile to each and every listeners day.

The Sea By George Pendred

 

The Sea

By

George Pendred

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This I must say is a very pleasant surprise, a new single from flautist George Pendred, but this time with a slight electronic vibe to the construction. Pendred has a clean and crisp sound to his performances, and also includes deep and pleasing textures to his Flute with instrumentational presentations, as can be found here on this sparkling and vibrant new single, one that also had a beautifully layered up-tempo feel to its manifestation as well.

There can be no doubt now that George Pendred has created a splash for himself on the flute scene and I am sure that The Sea, this latest offering, will be equally as well received as his recent offering Forest Spirits is currently.

 

Timeless Vol 2, Best of Robert Fox 2005-2022 By Robert Fox

 

Timeless Vol 2, Best of Robert Fox 2005-2022

By

Robert Fox

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There can be no doubt that over the years electronic musician Robert Fox has produced a vast realm of amazing musical compositions, he has inspired many new artists along the way, and brought a sense of fulfilment and peace to his many listeners across the globe as well, so we celebrate these years by taking a look back over the times between 2005 and 2022, and at some of the very best of Robert Fox.

There are no less than 16 quite breath taking opuses on this collection by Fox, and I surmise many favourites among you all to enjoy once again, especially as each arrangement has been remastered and given that magical touch of 2022 to its textures, like the expressive opener Earth, a track with such an epic feel to its vibrations, or the mighty global ethics of songs like Desert Song, whilst memories will flood back for many, me among them, hearing once again movie styled diamonds like Dirty Old Train, one of my personal favourites of all time.

Robert Fox reflects on times past with a slightly darker shade too, pieces like Resurrection and Reflection offer us a more moody side to his creational talents, and brings us a deeper understanding of his skill set as an electronic musician, here is a whirlpool of mystery and imagination for your very souls to enjoy.

The gentle onward progression of this next song for me is a classic and the penultimate track off this latest album of many reflections and entitled Another Time Another Place, where slight hints of Jean Michel Jarre can perhaps be felt.

While we can finally rest with the concluding arrangement entitled Persian Sunset, this for me is a prime example of a wondrous and vast vista of music, and for me points easily in the direction of his well-earned moniker, Master Of The Grand Soundscapes, never a truer word said with regard to Robert Fox and his work.

Timeless Vol 2, Best of Robert Fox 2005-2022 by Robert Fox is a timely reminder of the talents and skill sets of a major electronic artist, and the grand artistic galleries of tone and timbre he has brought into this world over the last 17 years. Timeless Vol 2, Best of Robert Fox 2005-2022 by Robert Fox is an album that any self-respecting electronic music fan and listener must surely make part of their collections at all costs; this is without doubt an astonishing collection of great music by a phenomenon in the business.

Sanctuary By Paul Adams & Elizabeth Geyer

 

Sanctuary

By

Paul Adams & Elizabeth Geyer

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

A sublime moment was crafted on musical stone back in 2019 when the release of Deeper Imaginings by Paul Adams & Elizabeth Geyer was brought into the world, now with the release Sanctuary some 3 years later, the duo are back with another amazing new album.

The opening composition for me is always one of the most important parts of any release and here on the title track itself both artists with piano, flute and guitar, bring one of the most sublime starting pieces I have heard for simply ages. Sanctuary is a wonderment of ambience, calm and tranquillity, and is also deeply moving too, it has a hovering intensity that is utterly mesmeric.

This 9 track album is a catalogue of brilliance, with the delicacy of offerings like An Evenings Caress where the performance is so tranquil; never has there ever been a title to apt, to the wonderland of Forest Light, a track that has a blissful meditative quality about its construction, and then into the arms of mirrored pool of pieces like Graceful Waters, starting with pristine natural sounds that morphs into one of the finest new age styled compositions of the year thus far.

It is going to be hard to see this album not flying up the charts, tracks like the penultimate offering An Endless Summer Evening, redolent of my days right now, those endless warm July nights, would drift perfectly with the multi-instrumentational magic of this track.

The final parting gift is incredibly special, and a creator of a tapestry of emotive and idyllic images entitled By The Water’s Edge, a concluding presentation of harmony ambience and tranquillity all rolled into one, and no better way of ending an album have I heard this year, than this last masterfully peaceful arrangement.

In my view this has to be one of the best New Age music releases I have heard for many years, and with Sanctuary by Paul Adams & Elizabeth Geyer the magical duo may have just found themselves with an award winning album of true majesty, on an album that sends its beautiful healing vibes out into the world for those who are open minded, and open hearted enough to embrace what I believe to be a truly stunning new release, and a multi-instrumental delight.

Forest Spirits By George Pendred

 

Forest Spirits

By

George Pendred

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s always nice to hear of a new flute performer on the scene, well to me anyway and this new offering by George Pendred is a really good example for others, not only of a good flute performance, but also of how to build, progress and conclude your compositions.

Utilising chimes, percussion and beats, Pendred delivers one of the best produced and brightest offerings in this genre I have heard for quite some time.

Pendred has manifested something here that should appeal to a far reaching audience, and thus has brought into creation a flute based arrangement that should raise the profile of the artist, and gift him a superb chart position in doing so, top notch indeed.

Soul Story by Peter Kater

 

Soul Story

By

Peter Kater

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

After spending much of yesterday with David Lanz at his birthday party, it seems somewhat fitting that my first music review of the day should be a solo piano collection of great quality, and this is exactly what I am about to dive deep on into with this brand new release called Soul Story by another legend in the business, Peter Kater.

We begin this sojourn of bliss with the opening track Starry Night, Kater’s delicacy here manifests a masterful performance, one that encapsulates perfectly the glorious vast realms of a sparkling night sky, and the trillions of suns shining from the past into our present, to add to the mood, Kater’s wonderful slowness and calm tempo on the piano would give us easily one of the best beginnings to an album from this genre we have had this year with ease.

What would we give for the title of this next track from the artist, during another long hot and dry summer, as we listen to Touch of Rain? The water seems to fall down from the hands of Kater and into the puddles forming on this sun baked ground; this is a brilliantly crafted opus by the musician, performing with both a gentle and a passionate narrative, and thus the combination is sublime fluency.

One of my personal favourites from this superb album would be the following piece called The Path is Clear, there is a essence of intent and emotion here that is truly moving, and this smart and insightful offering gives up a gifted presentation that seems to urge the listener to move ahead, on a composition that one could easily see lyrics being created for it.

When we reach the piece Spiral Outward we find a composition that has flair rapidity and emphasises constant change and movement. Here lays another offering that has so many layers to its overall narrative, peeling away each of them leaves the listener with something fresh and incredibly tender to enjoy, in a performance that is simply breath taking and very emotive.

We can now step into the second half of the album with the track Find Me, the ambience here is simply mesmeric, this is one of those pieces I could easily get lost in with ease, and Kater’s gentle but persuasive performance is tranquil, yet layered with a hopeful happiness that is so very palpable.

The time has come to pull the covers from the canvas of the title track itself, and we reveal the overall masterpiece called Soul Story. There is a wonderfully passionate sense here that is so enjoyable, and at times one can almost feel a little film noir in the tempting and addictive story being told here by the artist, this dear reader is a prime example of what a really excellent solo piano performance sounds like.

The waters are deep within this release, its amazing creations seem to touch on many facets and emotions of life rich tapestry, and on Majesty Falling we have a track that is not only masterfully played, but portrays a gilded autumn of an arrangement, a track that spirals from great heights to gently drift down in energy and within its own musical reality.

Our penultimate offering is a serene presentation entitled Full Circle, and this pretty composition is played with such a sense of insight and intelligence from the artist, the tenderness of performance on the higher keys especially was something quite moving and enjoyable to listen to.

The last reverie was a most agreeable arrangement, elements of many moods and feeling can be found in this concluding offering entitled United, this is one of those feel good pieces that will leave you with a sense of, that after all you have been through everything worked out well in the end. The performance was craft-fully layered and textured by Kater, and done so well that it made this final tapestry the perfect ending piece to what has been a completely gratifying musical experience.

Peter Kater and his latest collection of solo piano compositions, touches the eager listener in us all, it is an album that is truly a Soul Story. Each piece has its own special narrative, and each piece is coated with a variety of colourful emotions. Soul Story is the apex of the solo piano genre, and one artistically manifested by an artist whose intelligent and thoughtful creations, will live on in the hearts and minds of the listener for an eternity, in an album that is a must buy for all fans of this genre.