My Secret Heart 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition By Michael Whalen

 

My Secret Heart 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition

By

Michael Whalen

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Michael Whalen has been on my musical radar now for quite a while, I first came across him as a British radio host back in 2015 and through the medium of his album from that year entitled You Are My Home, my journey through Whalen’s tonal universe thus began, today some 10 years later, the re-release of one of his greatest works is upon us called My Secret Heart 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition, a compilation that was strangely released 10 years before I personally came across the artist in 2005.

One must say that this whole album hits the ambient spot with a gentle caress, in only the way a truly good ambient album can. Track one is the most important place to start and called I Have Loved You for a Thousand Lifetimes, on this master work by Whalen you will find two versions of this, both the original and the latest version; both are outstandingly beautiful, and deeply heartfelt.

Upon this catalogue of calm and tranquillity, the listener will find soothing gems that will take them into a paradise like oasis of sound, offerings like Two As One, which float with a similar resonance to the one of the all-time masters of ambient music in Harold Budd. Whilst offerings like Moonglow offer up the same mystical sense of wonder that Kevin Kendle did back in 1995 with his melodic structure called Moonset.

I can completely understand why this has been a massive hit for the artist, there is everything to like and love about its delicious contents, its ambience is literally timeless, akin to the sparkling resonance of tracks like Light. Stars. Love. or the fluent stream of consciousness entitled Dance Of Two Souls.

It can be very easy to get lost within this album, and to be honest in these days of craziness that’s perhaps not a bad thing to have happen, the conciliatory offerings of a piece like the soothing vibrancy of When We Loved is a prime example of a cathartic healing journey of musical sound, leaving the conclusion to the composition entitled Whispers, which will draw to a close our bliss filled harmonious voyage.

These sensitive creative and artistic piano ambiences certainly reverberated perfectly in my personal sonic temple as I hope they will with you to, Whalen has brought to our attention his skill set as an ambient performer and done it in such a way that we will never ever forget this gorgeous gift of timeless music, and thus the release simply deserves to be a chart topping award winning album, and given all the love and respect it most certainly deserves, one can only hope that musical aficionados the world over will seek out and hug closely My Secret Heart 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition by Michael Whalen.

Check this link to find the album: https://tr.ee/-p9Neuf8Kx

Why not check out these links on YouTube for these two tracks:

"I Have Loved You for a Thousand Lifetimes": https://youtu.be/WdsqL1kEe4E

"When We Loved": https://youtu.be/irdNi4GZORY

Hearing Visions by Orchestra Indigo

 

Hearing Visions

By

Orchestra Indigo

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have had the upmost pleasure listening to the works of Rick Randlett, AKA Orchestra Indigo for some 3 years now, and each time the experience gets more enjoyable, and as a listener, one gets more invested in his creations. This has been the case of the last 3 years, and today it gives me great gratification to take you on another symphonic journey of great colour with the artist, through the medium of his latest album Hearing Visions.

The entire album is inspired by the artist’s mother, who experienced vivid aural hallucinations in the decade before her dementia diagnosis, now whilst I have had no experience of this as such, both my father and mother before they passed had some very bizarre and somewhat fascinating hallucinations before they finally moved on.

The album in its entirety hits at the very soul level of humanity, and Randlett’s stunning ability to manifest a quality emotive album is unmatched in this genre, as he is seen tackling the trying and hard times of life, and from it, painting sonic pictures of great candour and tenderness. This 13 track voyage starts with the melodious but rising track Emergence, and floats within the realms of transcendent opuses akin to Hearing Visions, a blissful harmonic convergence that is deeply questioning and explorative in tone.

Randlet’s use of keyboards on offerings like Reverie or even the short form narrative of the piece Chimera #1, paints a mystical picture of unknown origins, in the case of the latter subject matter, a Chimera is from the Greek hybrid creature from mythology; here the artist manifests a hovering sense of wonderment through his performance.

The Philadelphia born musician is a class act, the artistic endeavours he gifts us in the middle section of the album is both deeply moving and descriptive, like the anticipative tones of tracks like Through the Portal, to the more tonal sanctuaries of tracks like A Hidden Glen, a fine example of changing the energy to a safe musical haven of timbre.

Randlett is an artist that truthfully feels every segment of his musical creations; one can fully embrace that aforementioned statement when listening to offerings like Looking Inward and its drifting narrative, or perhaps the more upbeat account of the track Eidolon, this in itself is a fascinating description of the ancient Greek, as in our culture an Eidolon can be described as a spirit image from one who has passed or who is in fact still alive, regardless this gentle piano with synth composition is utterly beautiful.

One of the most mournful manifestations from the album was this following musical prose entitled In the Shadows. The soft pastiche and mellow keyboard structures build from the floor up, a whole dimension of an outer worldly peace, which literally leaves the listener with a lump in the throat and a tear in the corner of each eye.

Just to give you a writer’s perspective on an album that is this good, I have only just saved my work in case of outages, as I was so engrossed in this project I had until now forgotten to do so, so onward we go, and towards a piece we touched on early called Chimera #2, the Yin to track 4’s Yang, and following that entrancing tale furthermore into the arms of the deep waters of the release.

If music were hope, then I would point to this offering as a fine example of it, and called A Distant Glimmer. The beautifully created slow build and tempered progression on this manifestation here is literally transcendent, and is a composition that has a tapestry of tone that is very palpable and utterly calming.

Arriving at the penultimate track off the album is a wonderful thing to do, and here we are, and listing to the beauty of the piece Euphoria. The artist has birthed something here that is ethereal and magical, a composition filled with a glorious sense of love and light, a piece that allows us to drift into the ever loving arms of our concluding arrangement.

This final gift from the musician is a natural progression of the previous piece Euphoria and called Culmination, the creation builds wonderfully from its satisfying vibrations; Randlett certainly has left the most tranquil slice of optimism till last, with some classic new age styled keyboard structures and uplifting patterns, and is with ease this is a stunningly crafted way with which to leave the album.

Hearing Visions by Orchestra Indigo is a heartfelt new release from the artist and is one that should be embraced by all fans of truly emotive and inspiring instrumental music; it is an album of simply delicious shades and influences, taking the listener on a journey through sadness, confusion, beauty and anticipatory optimism, and is one of the finest examples of quality emotive new age music to arrive in this genre for simply ages.

The Undines By J. Raúl Andreo

 

The Undines

By

J. Raúl Andreo

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I think this is only the second time I have ever heard of a track portraying musically the water elementals of the Undines, in our ancient Greek mythology, water is thought to be a female sign or element, and this quite flourishing new single from the pianist is a picture perfect representation of them.

The Undines by J. Raúl Andreo is a fine example of an up tempo and artistic solo piano creation, one that is beautifully played and performed by Andreo, so much so that one could easily imagine the splendid painting of two Undines in a pond by French artist Antoine Calbet in all their natural beauty.

This waltz styled opus is a lush and colourful composition, one played with a relish by the pianist, who seems to be literally flourishing with many textures and colours as his tapestry of tone unfurls flamboyantly for each and every one of us to enjoy.

I must say this solo piano pleasure was a delight for me, the genre is vast with many performers, but this is a composition that stands out from the crowd as one of the most fluent and imaginative I have heard for quite some time, which of course means, a big hit could well be on the way for J. Raúl Andreo with The Undines.

Our Child By Cliff Sarde

 

Our Child

By

Cliff Sarde

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is something deeply warming about this brand new single from Cliff Sarde entitled Our Child, its soothing musical narrative blissfully kisses the day with a wonderfully lyrical repose. Time seems to stand still whilst listening to this slice of multi instrumental magic, and that’s what most of us need these days.

This new single is a panacea to cure all woes and deeper senses of sadness, as its symphonic and instrumental flavours literally wash over the heart and mind, like the birth of a brand new spring morning in early April.

One can enjoy the delicacy of the piece with great ease; a full foray of multi-instrumentation with a string based backdrop eases the senses into a certain familiarity, in the same way that a really good television theme does, like the show Cheers perhaps.

With regard to this gentle heart-warming new offering from the artist, I am sure than fans of classy contemporary instrumental music will absolutely adore Our Child by Cliff Sarde, and within weeks we should see its inevitable clime up the singles chart to glory.

Six Waves By Thierry David

 

Six Waves

By

Thierry David

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The mood of today was sullen; the clouds had ganged up upon the sun and banished him from the sky, whilst all around the leaden skies hovered like some darkening shroud of a dystopic landscape, so I stopped gazing at the rain and pressed play on my media player and listened to Six Waves by Thierry David, an artist that over the years I have listened to him, has taken me to some thrillingly ambient locations, and on this wet Wednesday morning I can now escape to another, within his latest release entitled, Six Waves.

The opening track of this six piece album is entitled Causality, and here we start our voyage together, a journey of ambient electronic bliss that drifts on through soft synth pads, superior keyboard creations, and ambient textures that even Eno would have been proud of.

This is a fluent release; one that could take us from the very depths of our oceans to deep space and beyond, my personal favourite exploration of sonic sound was track two entitled Into the Wave Axis. This reminded me greatly of Mountains by Kevin Kendle, here is a track that illustrated for me just what a good composer David is; the hovering shimmering aspects of tone here were somnambulant in their musical progression, one could easily use this as a meditative construction, and find themselves slowly moving towards a greater peace.

There is so much here to enjoy, one of my pleasures is listening to other electronic musicians, and becoming inspired to produce more flowing and inspiring music myself, here on offerings like Elliptical Tales, we have such a track, again its meditative qualities are beautiful, the soft organic structures and keyboard synth motifs are so deeply beautiful, that whilst listening one could easily get lost within its stunning musical cosmos, and never want to come back.

A second long form musical narrative is now upon us and called Ultrasonic Vibes, this arrangement is a totally different dimension of tone and timbre, the more electronic energies can be felt here, but still that sense of security through comforting sounds can be found. The steady onwards progression on keyboards kicks the whole composition up a notch, in the same way that Geigertek used to do in his days with the AD music label.

Submarine Whispers is our penultimate creation, and the artist once more manifests something new with this arrangement, as a sense of mystery, imagination and apprehension, this can be felt within the confines of this most illustrious offering. The slow procession and the more obscure deeper tones truly give us a feeling of depth and darkness as we drift along our way.

The concluding musical narrative is entitled The Sixth Wave, this final exploration of resonance creates sense of movement, its delightful ambient expression gives us echoes of vast soundscapes for us to roam in freely within and enjoy. This is without a shadow of a doubt, a most inspirational ending to an album of this elk that I have come across in years.

Six Waves by Thierry David in my view is one of the finest electronic ambient instrumental works I have heard this decade, each offering is memorable, effortless and eloquent, and is a charming ride of superior quality within this huge genre. I have albums from the artist dating back to 2012, but I have to state that in my view, this is the best work by the musician thus far, and I am absolutely sure that fans of followers of this genre are going to agree with me, as it surges up the charts.

Aquamarine By Al Jewer & Andy Mitran ft Hans Christian

 

Aquamarine

By

Al Jewer & Andy Mitran ft Hans Christian

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The luxurious tones of this brand new single by the well-known new age music partnership of Al Jewer & Andy Mitran is deeply palpable and also containing the lush energies of the supreme cellist Hans Christian, Aquamarine is sure to be a winner, but there is something quite moving in this latest release that frees the emotions to leave a sanctuary of peace, calm and serenity for the listener.

The combination of these three instrumentalists recently gave us Sapphire, another stunning reverie, so it is good to see this theme of musical interpretations of crystals continue and flourish, in a meditative and soothing way.

The gentleness of the opening is delightfully pleasing, utilising soft piano and flute to ease us into an incredible musical experience, the introduction of Christian adds a whole new layer to the composition, and his cello delivers a touch of classical toning to the overall structure of the arrangement, even the marimba played by Mitran has a calming touch to it.

Jewer’s comforting performance on flute is wonderfully lulling, and without doubt this is one of those singles you could leave on repeat and never get tired of, as such, this textured tapestry of tone and timbre will doubtlessly become a much desired moment of listening time from fans and followers alike, and a very big chart position must also be glistening on the horizon for Aquamarine by Al Jewer & Andy Mitran ft Hans Christian.

Roses' Garden By Louis Colaiannia

 

Roses' Garden

By

Louis Colaiannia

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Louis Colaiannia has become well known for his gentle piano performances and has indeed had many chart topping hits in both the album and singles charts, here today Louis releases a memory based composition called Roses' Garden, and in doing so has manifested one of his most artistic and well-crafted pieces of all time.

The single is of course a multi-instrumental delight, and has indeed captured the essence of a garden with consummate ease, but the use of light percussion, a tender flute sound and strings, all go to demonstrate a deeply spiritual offering, one bathed in the energies of beautifully layered past memories, and magical moments throughout many lineages.

For me, I enjoyed being in Roses' Garden, one could feel alone, yet still connected, one can almost smell the subtle scents of the flowers and the drifting loving touch that is a constant in this location, almost like being in the garden of talking flowers that Alice found after entering her looking glass.

Without doubt this has to be one of the most kind-hearted and affectionate compositions ever created by Colaiannia, and I feel that will be appreciated by fans and followers alike, and as such a huge hit could well be on the cards for Roses' Garden by Louis Colaiannia.

Swell! by Craigology

 

Swell!

By

Craigology

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This presentation by artist Craigology is as sweet as a fresh summer day, as sultry as a hot August evening, and as smooth as a layer of silk drifting on the cadence of a light July breeze, by my aforementioned statement you can probably tell that this piece brought a smile to my face, as the single Swell drifts into the harbour of jazz, with the rhythmic hand of funk steadily on its shoulders.

The opening segment has a certain exploratory feel to its essence, one that soon flows into the open arms of a composition that is bathed in smooth jazz, and layered with a little funky beat that is so textured and tempting. Craigology’s performance on keyboards tells a similar tale; this may have started out as a more ambient construction, but after a few bars the energy and vibration of the offering turned the manifestation into something deeply rhythmic, with pulsing percussion, and full flowing keyboards.

There can be no doubt that Craigology has got the balance absolutely perfect in this his latest single, even the slight uplift on the almost rock styled ending was incredibly artistic, as such I can see Swell! By Craigology becoming a bit of a fan favourite, and it should be one that finds a most favourable position in the up and coming charts, which indeed would be Swell!

Letting Go By David Buchs

 

Letting Go

By

David Buchs

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is always time for something incredibly beautiful in your life, today I found that to be the case when I pressed play on this amazing new EP from David Buchs called Letting Go, something I have been doing a lot lately in all avenues of my life! Here on this brand new release David manifests something that is possibly transcendent and most certainly meditative.

Within this new release we have three of the most amazingly peace driven, soothing musical narratives you could ever wish for, I have now played this EP on repeat multiple times and have found great solace in its musical realms, the soft synths and keyboards matched symbiotically by a delightful cello create for me, one of the finest examples of cathartic music there is.

The opening piece is the title track and thus Letting Go is the pastiche of brilliance that is stunning, and one that paves the way for the classy two tracks that follow, the times I found myself replaying this piece from the start, I found that this is an addiction I am more than happy to give myself to, at times the opening progression reminded me of Llewellyn’s Journey To The Temple album in its slow moving narrative, one that drew upon an ageless motif to bring us a timeless reverie of tranquillity.

The middle offering from this EP is entitled The Spirit Within; here is a track that slowly crawls across the landscape of concern, and manifests a soft synth bed of serenity and calm to ease you, one could easily watch a sunrise in late autumn to this piece and feel every second of the love that fills the heart. The gentleness of this track has to be stated strongly, this segment is delightfully meditative, and the cello is equally delicate, the tender build and progression reminds me of some of the more haunting pieces composed by synth master Kevin Kendle.

I am so glad I can program my player to repeat as it’s extremely hard to leave this EP, to emphasise that statement the last delightful reverie is entitled Rest in My Love. For me this was a perfection that summed up the entirety of the project, the slightly more pronounced cello created for me a moment that drifted me back to a more classical motif, akin to the works of Vaughn Williams or in more recent times the works of composer Eric Whitacre. Regardless this was a sublime way with which to conclude the project, one that left me with tears of release and happiness in both eyes.

Letting Go by David Buchs is a stunning new release from the artist; in just three tracks he manifests moods, feelings, artistry and a meditative energy that others may struggle to achieve in triple that amount. Here is an EP of an extremely high standard, if you are contemplating working on yourself emotionally, or you are trying to bring a sanctuary of cathartic moods into your life, then without a shadow of a doubt I would recommend Letting Go by David Buchs, this is the EP that fans of new age music have been waiting decades for. 

Ancient World By David De Michele

 

Ancient World

By

David De Michele

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Speaking with my musician’s hat on, it is sometimes good to spread your wings and try something different, and on Ancient World David De Michele the artist most certainly does that, whilst retaining some of the core components of space David along the way, on this new release which is a veritable configuration of both new age with Celtic motifs.

This eight track collection of perfectly produced music starts with an illuminating first offering entitled Forest Whispers, a charming scene setting opus that takes us right there in the ever green woodlands, a place I have always called home. A tentative and sensitive opening builds perfectly, and added to this cornucopia of new age delights, the artist adds some of the cleanest and most crisp vocals to enhance the composition even further.

The main body of any album is usually the title track, and here on Ancient World we have a dramatic yet textured arrangement that contains a moving backdrop of synths and sounds, one that literally hovers through the aforementioned forest like mist on a late autumn afternoon. The intensity, build and progression on keyboards here is something to behold.

The journey continues with Beyond the Ruins, a piece that contains an onward sense of movement and fluency, a musical journey literally brought to life. The soft pastiche of synths and steady keyboard work symbiotically laced with ethereal vocalisations, gifts us an arrangement completely bathed in the ancient energies of past civilisations themselves.

On our journey we have seen and heard many things, here on Call of the Ancients, we hear the sound of distant voices and horns, in an anticipatory moment of musical magic, that in its early inception reminded me of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds opening forays, the build-up, dramatic overtones entwined with expectancy, would allow me to say without doubt that this offering would be my personal favourite from the album.

In all its glory this next track explores the oneness and balance of humanity and nature and respect, something that is all too rare these days. Celebration is just that, an uplifting narrative that floats on the winds of the eons with utter ease. Whilst to my happiness a sound of a storm starts the next piece called Enchanted Forest, this splendid piece contains a multitude of varied keyboard works and a beautiful Celtic styled vocal, to enhance the vista of this gigantic forest and all in it that surrounds us now.

We have arrived at a doorway in an a huge tree that has stood for many ages, and as we creak open its entrance we hear the penultimate offering of the album entitled Isles in the Mist. Light flute sounds, combined with harp lead our way through this passage of time and timbre; this is a classic new age styled offering that would have gone down so wonderfully in the early part of this century, in a genre that is once again making a massive comeback.

We can now conclude the album with the final offering entitled The Journey Home. Once more David utilises the superior vocals and harp sounds, to manifest a pitch perfect ending to the release, in this final manifestation we feel utterly wonderful, textured keyboard motifs and blissfully layered synths, all cumulate to create one of the finest concluding pieces that the artist has ever created.

Ancient World by David De Michele is a step in a direction that the artist will be more than happy he embraced, he has moved solidly to the natural world, in a vast green woodland, and produced a new age styled collection of splendid music that could well define a dualistic voyage of direction for the composer and his future, this is a very classy release, one that needs to be enjoyed by all who truly appreciate truly good full flowing music.

New World By Matias Bacoñsky

 

New World

By

Matias Bacoñsky

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Matias Bacoñsky is an accomplished pianist and composer, one that has been on my musical radar for some 9 years now, but lately we have been on a journey of dystopic proportions in a musical voyage which has cumulated in an album in 2025 called New World, and it is this road we must now travel.

This is an amazing story from the musician and composer, and many of the tracks upon this stunning work have been released as singles, and it would be easy to recount the entire tale of mystery and imagination to you, but I firmly believe this is something each listener should personally invest themselves into overtime, the opening piece is a startling reverie that may well entice you and called Retrouvailles, a veritable power play of a piece that features the vocals of Munay Anaya.

New World is a 10 track release that could well be made into a television series with ease, and pieces like the popular Together Again, a single from 2023, give us a combined effort a depiction of musical reunification, in a beautiful flowing musical narrative, whilst offerings like Hope featuring the vocal skill sets of Marcela Bovio, only go to emphasize just what a classy album this is from Bacoñsky, the operatic elevation here raises the energies and optimism of the arrangement and story.

The next musical offering Rise Again is one that I think could have words written for it and made into a hit single it is that good, the original piece was released back in 2024, but is still one that energizes the whole project and uplifts the storyline to an almost crescendo like manifestation.

The compositional structures are easily of a quality soundtrack for a film and there can be no doubt that the artist should be regarded as a sublime pianist of great stature, I would point to this anthem like opus as evidence of that aforementioned statement, as I introduce you to the piece Heart Vs. Mind, a track also released last year as a single.

As we move down the dirty sidewalks and avenues of our dystopic world, we come across a piece called Charmolypi, it utilises the talents of Zuberoa Aznarez incredibly well on vocals and they dance with the blissful presentation on piano by the pianist in a symbiotic way, while offerings such as Love Story featuring Ambre Vourvahis on vocals gift us a harmonic resonance bathed in the one true language of love, a song that drifts across the very edge of time itself, and balances itself perfectly on an Occam’s Razor of musical plenitude.

The deeper waters of the release are now found, as we caress a positive statement of happiness within the track Daydreamer that perhaps our dreams, aspirations and hopes will all one day come to fruition. Here Matias Bacoñsky produces one of the most powerful pieces in his career, this presentation of symphonic glory and piano will most certainly give you the chills.

Eye of the Storm contains the voice of Ulli Perhonen and is a salutary reminder to us all to be forever vigilant that sometimes all is not what it seems to be, the vocals partnering the artists piano were some of the most powerful I have heard and touching, a Native American chant crossed with an operatic motif can be found here, and that is no mean feat, a track illuminating uncomfortable decisions and choices to be made perhaps.

The concluding musical narrative is called Everything Ends; it explores the postulation of choice, attitude and action, and indeed Bacoñsky finishes the album with an utterly astonishing creation a dramatic conclusion indeed can be found here, and one the artist should be proud of, one that rounds off the project off with a flourish, leaving the listener wanting more.

New World by Matias Bacoñsky is a magnificent new album that should receive praise from all who follow the genre of soundtrack style piano based material, and to be honest anyone with a good taste in music should absolutely adore a talented artistic composer and performer like Matias Bacoñsky. This is an album that has everything, fire, passion, flair, and a compelling story narrative, it’s packed full of truly stunning performances and presentations, and should be a guaranteed hit with fans and listeners alike across the globe.

Exits By Strat Andriotis

 

Exits

By

Strat Andriotis

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I knew this time wouldn’t be far away one day, the day a Cypriot resident would write a review for a Greek born jazz performer, and one of the finest in his trade, a man who has links to many luminaries, bands and artists, and here today we celebrate the release of his stunning new album entitled Exits.

Jazz in Cyprus is huge; our country is far from a little back water only playing localised traditional folk music, and its love of all things jazz is growing year on year, here on Exits I get to explore the music narrative portrayed by Strat Andriotis and his trusty musical weapon of choice his Fender Stratocaster, an instrument that he plays with such soul and craft on the opening piece Dominions.

This masterful composition is followed by Far Away Tears a composition of great colours, textures and rhythms. This would be one of my personal favourite pieces from the release; the onward smooth forward walking bass was sublimely elevated by some of the most artistic jazz guitar from the artist.

Exits is a classy 8 track album of high quality and Andriotis has that delicious and stylish technique that could make a grown man cry with pleasure, pieces like Between You And I would be a good example to point to, another one of my personal favourites, it is quite easy to see from this stand point, that those days spent by Andriotis were not wasted, listening to bands like Cream and Hendrix.

There are a multitude of elements and constructive patterns within this release that are so fascinating, the progressive pattern and nature of Timer for example, a track that wends its way down rain swept alleys and towards cosy coffee shops, with the crisp and fluent style of Andriotis leading the way.

While one must save a mention for a transitionary title track in Exits, the steady bass filled configuration, is driven by the polished and sophisticated performance on guitar by the artist and composer; this one offering took me to an elegant oasis of jazz bliss mixed with a subtle rhythmic blues motif.

Exits by Strat Andriotis is one of those imaginative and eloquent releases that come around rarely, and when they do they must be snapped up in haste, as this release is a class above all others before it. Here is an album that flaunts with a passion it’s self-assured and self-confident tones and vibrations, and is simply a new jazz album that should not be ignored at all costs, and called Exits by Strat Andriotis.

Solo Piano II By Aura Noctis

 

Solo Piano II

By

Aura Noctis

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The depths and dark passage ways of musical genius that this album took me on was some of the most profound I have felt for ages, especially in the solo piano genre. Today I visited a collection of supremely moody and influential songs called Solo Piano II by pianist Aura Noctis, and it left me enthralled and musically fulfilled, in a way that only recently a Tim Burton movie could have done.

The album is packed with mysterious refrains of passion and power, and the opening piece stands tall among them and called Behind the Mask, the presentation was dark, deep and brought memories of a certain Phantom of the Opera, this shadowy composition is a great lead into piece, moving into the more light-hearted tones of the short form narrative of Nana, and the sensitive timbre of fascinating tracks like the following piece called Amnis, a pause for thought can be found within the dimension of this track, and a delightful change of tempo too, in a creation that is film score standard like the opening arrangement.

There is no doubt that the artist has manifested something here that is deeply compelling, and one has to say that listening to this album has been like a breath of fresh air for me, especially coming from a genre that is vastly over populated like Solo Piano. The windows to a fresh approach are pushed further open when the listener arrives at the track El Cantar de las Hojas, (which I think in English is the song of leaves) this crisp and pronounced manifestation blows in the vibrational pathways like autumn trees in late October, still offering much, but in a state of gentle change.

Short form styled compositions can also be found here, ones that are well worth delving into, like the fluent charm of tracks like Primer Viaje, before we make our move back into the musical voyage of plenty and we can do this through the medium of this next heart felt composition entitled Desde el Silencio, (from the silence) for me personally this is a track that I was invested in emotionally, the trickle down passage, the deep waters of a minor construction, compiled for me an arrangement that was just truly moving and sublime, playing with both shadow and light the pianist pulls off in my view the best performance from the album.

La Danza del Duende is the next way marker in the album, and this fast moving piece is a reminder of our solo piano voyage, the sheer intensity of this offering is formidable and flourishing, but that could be said for this entire release, that prevailing strength is quietened beautifully with another one of my personal favourite tracks from the album in Let Go, one can feel a sense of release from within the performance that is so very palpable, and also cathartic in its energies and tones as well.

It is true that any sensible listener who takes some time with this album will be truly moved by it, the release is rounded off with stunning precision by the concluding musical narrative entitled Renacer. This is a crafted finish, the presentation gifts us a moment of rebirth, re-found energy, and then an ever onward progression to more captured potency, and is one of the best closing pieces I have heard in this genre for simply years.

So there you go, what an amazing journey of solo piano, one of the most enjoyable I have had for eons, and as such I tip my hat to Solo Piano II by Aura Noctis, for me this album had it all, a stylish and confident performance with power and intensity, and balanced perfectly with subtle tender moments of musical clarity and emotive brilliance, as such this is an album that the solo piano genre has waited years for, and an early highlight for 2025, and one all lovers of this genre should embrace with haste.

The Depths By Monica Logani

 

The Depths

By

Monica Logani

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The misty haze of a new winter’s day was born upon our dusty and craggy landscape, and as the sun tried to push the clouds at bay, an announcement was made that would lift the day to unheard of parallels. That glorious statement was that a new Monica Logani album was to be released and called The Depths, one of the finest examples of piano with instrumentation albums to manifest a musical sanctuary ever.

It was indeed very pleasing to see Monica’s name come up on my e mail, our last connection was the breath taking The Long Road some 5 years back, here on this new release the artist has seized the moment and produced something very special indeed. The opening offering is always the best place to start and Dreams of Zagyva is where we begin, and if it is the Zagyva I am aware of in Hungry, I say kiváló! This beautifully moving piano with strings opus almost dances across the ice filled river and into our hearts.

Here is a stunning new release of no less than 14 beautiful pieces, the title composition is abundant in its grace and splendour and of course called The Depths, this flowing musical narrative creates a sense of calm whilst listening, and develops a sanctuary of sound that any listener would feel so very secure within, but the same can be said of that entire album, it is a home of peace filled creations that allow us as listeners to roam in its serenity with total safety.

We can add an acoustic guitar into the mix on this most mystical of pieces entitled Midnight Express, a track that constantly moves onwards through the darkness of the night, in a soft blanket of sound that wraps itself around us.

Within each composition Logani brings a reality of tranquillity that is so poignant and soothing, tracks like the harmonic bliss like Wonder, or perhaps Solitude, with its tempting safe haven of a musical vibration, one could imagine sitting in a log cabin alone watching the snow fall to this track, and having all the time one needs to solve any of life’s issues.

The offering Diamond Gaze is a multi-faceted composition that has a creative healing energy about its compositional structure; it is easy to drift on the wings of time and tide to this so fluent of piano performances.

Offering, which is track 12 on the album, features an electric guitar which opens the musical portal, while Logan’s piano is the master narrator that holds our hand on this most mysterious of final compositions, one that is truly artistic and inventive in all its aspects.

The Depths by Monica Logani is an album containing 14 delightful tracks, an album that has most certainly been worth while waiting for, this album touches many musical genres, we have a wonderfully presented ambience, a sumptuous level of melody, tone and timbre, and a mysterious lilt that will entice any eager listener’s ear. In short The Depths by Monica Logani is the best work of the artist by far, and easily the perfect album to embrace the new year with.

Rainbow By Jeffrey Baker

 

Rainbow

By

Jeffrey Baker

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I freely admit to being a fan of the work of Jeffrey Baker and his timeless piano music, lately I have had the pleasure of listening to and writing reviews for two of his pervious singles in My Heart and Anthem, and here on this latest single release called Rainbow, we have another segment of piano based reveries to drift within.

The New York based composer certainly knows how to manifest a composition that is both beautiful and redolent of the subject matter and the performance at the piano by Frank Martin is one that is equally textured and soothing, and combined with the production mastery of Shambhu, a winning arrangement is sure to be found.

Again one has to state that this composition by Baker has that timeless repose, in an almost multi-dimensional reality of tone and timbre, this energy can also be found on Bakers two previous singles as well, and in my view this makes his creations quite unique and extremely listenable.

We can be very blessed that the music of Jeffrey Baker is amongst us, and in my view he has freshened up the vast genre of piano music, and on this new single Rainbow, we can rest assured that not only another big hit will be found, but our sonic sanctuaries of sound will be appeased and calmed by this beautiful new single entitled Rainbow, by Jeffrey Baker.

Moonlight Poem By Andrea Sertori

 

Moonlight Poem

By

Andrea Sertori

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have had the pleasure of listening to this piece several times today, and it has taken me to a place of calm and peace like none other recently, the artist is the amazing Andrea Sertori, a pianist of great colour and skill, and this composition, a brand new single entitled Moonlight Poem.

The softness of touch on this new creation of utterly divine, so much so, that one could listen to it on repeat and never get tired of its tones, the flowing piano narrative is part of Sertori’s quality skill set, the charming natural drift of vibrancy and tranquillity is very pleasing to the ear and mind also.

There are some clever changes in the middle of the track that are wonderfully performed and executed, and then this gentle ramble of a composition continues, with a similar heart felt warmth that the late but still great Annie Locke used to manifest so well.

This is indeed a magical creation, one only further enhanced by the literally beautiful art work that can be found within. I have a feeling, that without a shadow of a doubt, that Moonlight Poem by Andrea Sertori will find its way into the hearts and minds of each eager lover of piano music, and once there, will never leave.

Shine By Alise Ashby

 

Shine

By

Alise Ashby

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This new song by Alise Ashby is simply the most perfect start to a new year of music that simply anyone could wish for; it is a piano with instrumentational pleasure pit of beautiful music beyond dreams, combining layer upon layers of tone and timbre, and called Shine.

Ashby’s sensitive yet lyrical style floats with the listener on a bed of soothing piano, a veritable pastiche of tenderness of tasteful vibrations, and all gathering together to give us, the ever eager listener, a sanctuary of calm and tranquillity to reside within.

There can be no doubt that Ashby has an ear for the emotive style of flowing piano, and her build and progression on this new single reminds me of some of the classic artists in the new age scene from as early as the nineties in artists like Mike Rowland, or perhaps the ability to manifest a warming cover of serene motifs like the ever brilliant Bernward Koch.

Regardless, this new manifestation from Ashby is one of the most beautiful offerings in this somewhat overflowing genre, and as such I predict a huge hit is absolutely on the cards for Shine by Alise Ashby, and perhaps even more!