LOVE IS... By Terry Lee Nichols

 

LOVE IS...

By

Terry Lee Nichols

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I remember the beginning of my musical journey with the artist Terry Lee Nichols; it began in the year 2016 with a release called At Peace Beneath the Shade of My Father's Tree, I knew then I was not just listening to a pianist, but a master artist, one who paints with tones and manifests from his heart to yours, glorious images are invoked by compositional brilliance and a multi-instrumental genius.

Terry is back once again with a superb new album called LOVE IS... and it comes to no surprise to me that the contents of this release are simply breath taking and deeply moving, the imagery of the first track alone sets the scene sublimely and called Is This All Just a Dream? (Moon River Variations) featuring Rebekah Eden and the aforementioned vocalist is an ethereal angelic presence that expands the work to unknown heights and majesty.

Nichols follows that up with one of the most charming musical reveries ever on the piece Friendship, a full flowing narrative of classic multi-instrumental proportions set to light up the heart and soul, this also reminded me of the ending piano based version of Clapton’s “Layla” that had that same cogent fluency.

At this stage it would be only right to include a tip of the hat to the legion of talent amassed by the artist for this project, their contributions were beyond amazing, so I give to you Soprano Rebekah Eden, Tenor John Riesen, Flute Katrina Penman, English Horn Maisie Ireland, Cello Ardie Son, Guitar Vladimir Gapontsev, Bass Lewis Spencer, and Percussion from Joni Strugo.

In an almost mystical crystalline opening this next offering created a further sense of musical well-being inside me, and was called Lying Next to You featuring Rebekah Eden. This is a delightfully gentle pastiche of tone and timbre, one that drifted with the warm winds of a July afternoon, but created a mood of calmness as it went, much can be said also for the following piece called Morning Glory featuring Rebekah Eden also, however a more pronounced piano rolled down from the musical mountains like an early spring waterfall of tonal brilliance.

The string segments and absolute symphonic grace of this next track were unbelievably powerful, this creation is called I Remember Her Smile, a simple theme, but one of simplistic beauty with an almost Celtic lilt to its overall narrative could be felt here, while the mid-way border is broken by the offering Finding Annie, a heartfelt musical tale of reflective piano, one that had that cinematic element weaved into its construction.

A hovering sense of anticipation can be found in the mysterious manifestation entitled Trinity featuring Rebekah Eden. The horns and overall symphonic nature of this amazing piece gave me the chills; Eden’s soprano vocals added so much texture to this crafted offering, adding in the strings and flute, manifested for me a piece I hadn’t heard the like of since Nights in White Satin from The Moody Blues.

Lullaby is an enchanting creation, with majestic piano, a multi-instrumental base, and an almost new age carrying the offering in the background can be found here, but don’t let that fool you, as towards the latter half of the composition the piece builds to a crescendo, and then draws to one of the most reflective codas you would ever wish to witness.

As we move ever onwards and towards the deeper waters of the release we come across one of the most powerful and moving pieces from the album called We've Had a Good Life, I reflect on this daily, now that I have become older and hopefully wiser. The crescendo and enchanting build and progression remind me greatly of my dear friend David Lanz with his inroads into the world of neo-classical music, and for some reason the arrangement also reminded me of that old poem of Lewis Carrols called “A Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky” perhaps it is true we are ever drifting down the stream, Lingering in the golden gleam, Life, what is it but a dream?

Our penultimate offering is entitled Nella Fantasia featuring John Riesen and his stunning vocals; I have just recently just started singing again, so this was a pure moment of inspiration for me, and to be honest one of the most moving musical manifestations from this outstanding album, the classical qualities of this track alone are breath taking and also incredibly empowering.

So sadly we conclude this magical journey of neo-classical luminosity with the last creation from the album, the perfection that is The Winds of Time. Truth is told, it is music akin to this that should grace movies from Hollywood, this piece alone holds reality with its structures and paints a tender, but ever onward moment that can never be changed crescendos abound here in a wonderland of climatic cinematic intensity, and is a track well worth of being the final offering.

Sometimes it’s hard for a writer to say the tired old worn out cliché of, this has to be the best work of the artists so far, but in my view it is, here lays musical aptitude and talent, each and every composition is a delight on their own, well thought out with a musical intellect that achieves greatness and cares about it, dare I say it? Could this be the best album I have listened to from any genre this year, I have a feeling with the utmost respect to all other musicians, I believe it could well be, which means that I predict a chart topping position for LOVE IS... by Terry Lee Nichols, and perhaps decorations and accolades are on the musical horizon as well.