Time Dances Past By Lynn Tredeau

 

Time Dances Past

By

Lynn Tredeau

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have very fond memories of the music of Lynn Tredeau, it became quite a highlight around 2015 with the release of Echoes of Life, and her increasing success as the years rolled on has been impressive, here on this new album Lynn explores the narrative that once you reach a certain age, the thoughts about your life, how you have lived, and will live, becomes forever more important, than when you were an immortal youngster; in my view this explorative new album addresses those thoughts and creates a musical panacea to ease the concerns, and highlights the tranquillity that can be found within the tone and timbre of a truly good solo piano release, in this case called Time Dances Past.

The opening piece is remarkably reflective and called Her Hands, the soft pastiche of tone here is thoughtful yet progressive, and it has a sense of calm within the arrangement that manifests a soothing refrain to both enjoy and float with.

The following narrative goes in deeper in Special Wish, this is wonderfully poignant in its musical prose, the usage of the minor nature and chords here is very heart felt and deeply moving, one can also feel the dance here as well, that ever oncoming darkness of time going, juxtaposed to the energy of youthful vibrancy once experienced, in what is a true masterpiece of a composition.

The moments of rich recollections are incredibly strong in this next beautiful song called Small Town Summer, a composition dedicated to those long hot summer days of youthful perfection that you would never believe would end. Here Tredeau presents a memory palace of a composition that is both idyllic and sun kissed, and something that will never fade from the happy places within the mind; the keys are caressed here with a delicacy of happiness and joy, and the major structures create a true looking glass moment of a piece.

Thread the Needle has a more melancholy energy to its creation, the title too could have many meanings, and perhaps that’s just part of the purpose of music, each person will connect with a creation for their own reasons, Tredeau’s style manifests for me an old room covered with dust sheets and reminiscences.

To add flavours and dynamics is the skill of a true artist, for me here the composer creates a redolent memory of a piece, and in doing so touches the hem of a similar style to that of the late but great Erik Satie on her track Daisies in Her Hair, whilst on Falling Softly Tredeau manifests a more palpable remembrance in an almost snowfall of a composition, one covered with a blanket of warm yet reflective notes.

Time Dances Past is a 13 track release that is indeed the perfect autumn or fall release, it’s one of those albums to have on by the fire, as you watch the leaves drift to the earth below, on offerings like Socks on Shoes you can get that mood perfectly in a piece that could be a simple tribute to a moment that maybe personal to a single persons memory box.

There are many stunning pieces on this album, but one that caught my heart and mind was the flowing grace of the following musical narrative entitled Capture the Breeze, this one reminded me of being on the coastal regions of my past life, and watching the yachts dance upon the blue ocean that surrounded them, it manifested a sense of glee in me, and this embraces the sheer joy I feel when I listen to this extremely naturally artistic offering.

The power and the ability to change its mind emphasises the very nature of the creature we are gifted music about in this next composition called Wild Horses, there is a simplistic feeling here of the open fields and meadows that Tredeau manifests so well, and in doing so she brings a warm hug of appreciation in this sensitive manifestation.

Like the aforementioned piece Daisies in Her Hair, a song that had the honour of becoming a single release, this next composition holds that same happy prize too as we listen to When I Dream, that delightful soft and slow progression is here, it’s like Tredeau is the story teller, with her audience sitting spellbound around a winter fire, whilst on One Last Time, which is our penultimate offering we have a much more sombre offering, if ever a track created an expression of the title of this album, then it would be this one that I would point to, it’s like watching something or someone you loved slowly disappear into the mist of time never to be seen again, but you still want more, this has to be the most imploring track off the album with ease.

I have always said that Lynn Tredeau is an artist who paints with her piano; this concluding track will prove that with ease, we can hear and see the darker tones of Turn the Page, but we can still see shards of hope glistening in the last sunlight of the day. Here the artist sums up her entire project with one of the most creative and intelligent arrangements from the release.

Time Dances Past by Lynn Tredeau is a journey, a musical voyage of thought memory, reflection, and life in general; it’s a musical anthem that applauds times relentless onward dance without a care, but offers up solace in the medium of a full life lived and appreciated. This for me has to be Lynn’s best work thus far, and those that know me well, know I never use that cliché unless I truly mean it. Time Dances Past by Lynn Tredeau is a truism of a release, but it is also one of the most beautiful collections of her work so far, and one that I think should be much loved by the solo piano community worldwide.

Evolution By Tim Neumark

 

Evolution

By

Tim Neumark

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The subject of evolution is one of my favourites, the sheer magnificence of it all is amazing, the ethos of progression is another form of evolution, and a veritable epoch of change can be felt on this new release by one of my personal favourite piano composers in Tim Neumark, every aspect of the word can be explored in a wonderful reflective narrative entitled Evolution.

The opening piece is remarkable; the tonal delights are of a quality that many would only hope to achieve, on the opening offering Runner. This composition grows, expands and lifts itself into a powerful opus by the midway structure, and then flows like a soundtrack till its conclusion.

The following narrative Traveler has a waltz styled progression to its overall early tendencies; the subtle fluency is there again, always allowing room for the listener to explore the empty rooms of musical magic, in this dance like opus, in a breath taking fashion.

On Younger we have a memory filled piece that seems to pull me back in time whilst listening; the melody here was lush and textured, the tempo alterations were so passionate, as Neumark pulls from his magicians musical hat, a track made from heaven, and for some reason one that reminded me slightly of my dear friend David Lanz, and his epic Cristofori's Dream, his legendary manifestation.

Flour was a horse of a totally different colour, with raised energies and elevated notes; the track was like an unstoppable train, this powerful creation calmed into a softer pastiche as an almost dream like sequence occurred. This in my view was one of the most emphatic offerings from the album, and should be saluted as a fine example of pure solo piano at its very best.

That sway is back with the midway piece entitled Greener, there was a certain charm about this track that was truly palpable, firm strong passages were juxtaposed by a pristine touch and softer segments, from a wonderful fluent opus.

Evolution is 12 tracks of some of the finest piano work around, offerings like Vulture manifest a reflective essence and a memorable touch, while creations like Darker, a gentler feel on the keys can be found, on this quite moving tonal delight, and one I thoroughly adored.

Down the dark streets of a dusty town on the long road to know where can be found, a track filled with desolation and hope, and called Beggar, a charming tale can be unwoven here by the listener, the performance by Neumark is beseeching in tone and powerful in its construct, this is one for a movie in a scene guaranteed to make you cry.

Renter gifts the erstwhile fan an opportunity to once again invest in the tone and timbre of a superior work, whilst on Loaner a more calculated offering can be heard, one that trades lightly as it goes.

Winter is one of my favourite times of year, living where I do summers are packed with tourists, so winter is a time of being able to enjoy the spaces previously occupied by them, in a quietness explored in this piece by the artist, the deeper tones are matched well by the more ponderous vistas, in a homely offering of great passion.

The concluding narrative is called Speaker; this is a clever way with which to end the album by the artist, one that leaves more questions than answers, but its meditative and natural arrangement gives us all a moment of peace filled bliss to enjoy, partnered with a long look over the shoulder of the journey just taken.

I have known Tim Neumark musically now since 2007 and his release Biography, since then and onward, he has been a constant high achiever of great quality, technique and style, and on this latest album he manifests probably his most thoughtful and emotive work thus far. In today’s solo piano micro obsession, Neumark has to be applauded for giving us his loyal listeners well over fifty minutes of quality piano, a guaranteed hit with ease surely must be had for Evolution.

Lotus Dream By Shambhu

 

Lotus Dream

By

Shambhu

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The soft tapestry of an acoustic guitar is a wonderful thing; its emotive tone creates rich palettes of character and ambience for all, Shambhu is a prolific composer and performer, and on this brand new release he may yet have produced his most expressive and poignant album thus far, this gem is called Lotus Dream.

There is no surprise that the artist starts off on familiar territory with the opening piece entitled Shall We, a flowing acoustic resonance is given here freely by the artist, a little reflection and a soothing narrative all give way to a perfect opening piece.

Awakened Dreams is our next port of call, once more the use of minor musical constructs makes this a finger style opus of delight, smooth crisp notes are a blissful addition to this memory box of a composition, there is something about this one that moves us along on a stream of gentle melody, at times its flow reminds of Richard Digances folk classic Dear River Thames.

If my memory serves me well this next track means unique among other words in Sanskrit, it is called Ananya, this is actually an incredibly powerful composition, with its structures bathed in magical guitars, a matchless beauty of a track with piano contained within can be found, one that reaches the depth of our very existence, when listened to with an open mind and heart.

A single now approaches our view, one released earlier in the year by Shambhu which harnesses the talents and skill set of one Leo Steinreide and called Resilience, this I believe will be a timeless classic, whilst taking us to the half way point of the album is an instrumental joy of both ambient piano and guitars and called Majestic Mountain, we have two ranges here in my small country, and there is nothing I like to do more than investigating their natural beauty, this track would make a perfect composition for those nature bound perambulations.

The sublime eastern ethic of Lotus Dream thrilled me in the same way that retired Al Conti’s Blue Rose did back in the day. This is a meditative slice of calm and serenity, the mixture of piano and guitar here grant the listener a blissful repose on the mirrored pool of superior instrumental music, on a track that would make an excellent single.

Deeper in the weave we find a wonderful treasure, once again with reflection and harmonic minor structures, this was actually my favourite offering from the release and called Blue Mantra, the dualistic guitars manifest both rhythm and tonal superiority, the mild intense backdrop offers a deep meditative experience for the listener in a truly memorable presentation from Shambhu.

Our penultimate gift is called Prana Tides, guitars of an ambient nature gift us the most tranquil and serene offering from the album, the usage of synths and electric guitars here created a mood so powerful that it truly moved me at the very deepest level, this life force manifestation would build on an dimensional awareness, with a hovering backdrop that was utterly blissful, this track is like floating on a small personal cloud of unconditional love.

We can now conclude this most thoughtful release with the last track entitled Visions, a crafted piece by the artist, a gentle caress of a composition that doesn’t disturb the listener, but enhances their overall experience, on an album that is one of the finest of its type.

Lotus Dream by Shambhu is the artists 10^th release overall, we go back to 2010 with him here, and each passing year he just gets better and better, this release is filled with memorable moments, and without doubt his most emotive release so far, one packed with reflective moments and cathartic opportunities, which is why I am predicting a huge chart placement for Shambhu with Lotus Dream.

Butterfly Swarm By Richard Dillon

 

Butterfly Swarm

By

Richard Dillon

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

A new single one packed with emotion has been given to the world by composer Richard Dillon, once again pianist supreme Neil Patton performs this wonderfully moving opus, a dedication to Jessica Cowley, Pontypridd of the UK, a young girl who is unable to speak and is bedridden, with only a short time to live, and now Dillon has written a beautiful passing piece, for her to take with her, and it is utterly breath taking.

This terribly sad and moving construct is so cogent and fluent, and describes the subject matter perfectly, a few years back we stood in the middle of a butterfly swarm, and it was one of the most emotional things I have ever encountered.

Here Patton’s hands run along the keys manifesting energies of movement and flight on gossamer wings, the delightful ambience one can take from this new single is so charming and so very emotive, but one that offers up notes of hope, peace and gratitude at all times, in one of the most colourful solo piano singles I have heard this year.

Butterfly Swarm by Richard Dillon is that single you must have at all costs, it’s a timeless reverie bathed in the beauty of the moment, it’s a charming touch, a friendly resonance, and a glorious tapestry of tone and timbre, set on the untethered gossamer wings of such a delicate creature.

Fragments of a Journey By Mike Hans STEFFL

 

Fragments of a Journey

By

Mike Hans STEFFL

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

My first connection with Mike came in 2023 with the album Calaboose Islands, it was an exhilarating experience, now some two years later I stand on the precipice of something else new and exciting, as Mike Hans STEFFL releases his latest album Fragments of a Journey, it is a musical voyage of electronic genius you will never want to return from.

This new release is one of the finest of its type I heard for some years, its jam packed with 10 quality pieces to thrill and engage the audience with, the opening offering is one of the smoothest examples yet and called, Into the Forest, the pastiche of synths, and eventual percussion here manifest an electronic vibe that is deeply compelling.

Offerings like Passages gifts the listener an immersive experience in a similar fashion to that of fellow European electronic composer Philippe Wauman with his Anantakara project, but one can find a slice of Keith Emerson styled brilliance deep within the weave of this very creation, in this clever Berlin School flavoured opus.

A gentle ambience is also here on pieces like Butterfly Directions, an onward arrangement in the blissful valley of the track Getting Lost, with elements within that reminds me so much of US electronic artist Forrest Smithson, and pieces like the vibrancy of the long form Out of Nothing into Something, this specific track had me encapsulated, offering up flavours of Richard Carpenter in sinister mode, smooth transitional passages of ambient constructs, and one that concludes with a dramatic coda, simply and with ease, long form electronic music at its very best.

The penultimate offering is called Dead End Road, and this last but one slice of EM brilliance weaves its way into our musical hearts with such colour and style. With elements of classic Laraaji from 1980 and hints of David Wright from the 90’s, this is a spectacular last but one manifestation indeed.

The final boss of this amazing album is called Out of Reach, a glorious long form conclusion is at hand, with a mixture of soft synths and chimes and a bed of delicate sound is set on one of the most attractive starts from the collection, this is utter beauty, an oasis of tone can be found here that will ease the listener with a sense of full appreciation and bliss.

Fragments of a Journey by Mike Hans STEFFL in my opinion is the finest electronic based album I have listened to since Geigertek gave us Sound Track For City Living in 2011, each track is spectacular in its structures, with this release it will hook the listener into an experience of electronic music like they have never had before, this is superior work from the German artist, and as such he should be acknowledge for its genius.

Heart: 639 Hz By Extasis

 

Heart: 639 Hz

By

Extasis

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It is so good to be immersing in good old New Age music once again, this style of tender tone is what I grew up with when I become one of the first presenters of a new age music show in the UK back in the late 90s, this brings back such a sweet melodious mood on this brand new beautiful offering from Extasis called Heart: 639 Hz.

This is such an easy on the ears track to listen to; or to bathe in sonically; in fact 639 Hz is one of the ancient solfeggio frequencies, which are considered to be miracle tones for healing, so I may well play this during the next Reiki treatment I give.

Musically the soothing energies of the keyboard climb and recede like a gentle summer tide, the opening bowl sound starting our journey of beauty, chimes a cathartic tone. This new offering also reminded me, and I think this is a first for me to say this, of one of my own tracks entitled Walking on the Edge of Occam's Razor.

Extasis has brought another caring slice of new age music into this arena of calm, following on from the last creation called Navel he has another winner here, one that could be used by therapists the world over, as an example of superior healing instrumental music.

Hot Swing By Hernán Navarro

 

Hot Swing

By

Hernán Navarro

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s been a nice transition for me lately, we have gone from summer to autumn, and now my writing skills today drift from a plethora of solo piano albums and singles, and into the welcome arms of a guitar based new manifestation called Hot Swing by guitarist supreme Hernán Navarro.

Here is a vibrant new offering, one that at times reminds me of Puerto Rico acoustic performer Victor Samalot, in its vibrancy, bounce and of course its emphatic energy, here Navarro captures the mood of dance and rhythm in a perfect pastiche of musical colours and flavours.

Hot Swing is the title track for the brand new album, and proudly is the opening piece, you should really check out the YouTube video as well! If ever a guitar based track will capture your imagination this one will, packed with gypsy styled motifs and filled with fun and joy.

This new single is literally infectious, and even though it is just a short 137 seconds long, it has a vibrancy which will pull you in and never let you go. I have a feeling that this one is going to be a popular song, so check out the album of the same name and enjoy Hot Swing from Hernán Navarro.

https://youtu.be/yyh_0rXS5x0?si=ShxpEYH8YRjL6DgA

Penguin Parade by Suzanne Herman

 

Penguin Parade

By

Suzanne Herman

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have had the good pleasure to listen to the works of Suzanne Herman for years now; her first musical energies came into my life back in 2021 with the album Stories From Portugal. Whilst those days are long gone now, I can reflect on another beautiful single from her called Penguin Parade, a somewhat lighted hearted solo piano reverie.

Suzanne’s trip to Antarctica certainly seems to have inspired many of her recent works and so it should, here on this innocent serene new single, she explores the fun side of the nature of the penguin, and its somewhat amusing experience, I’ve only seen them in our Zoo here in Paphos, but I can see what she means.

Suzanne’s presentation is spot on as well, the trickling piano shows the juxtaposition of movement from the creatures, at once appearing clumsy, but in reality fit for the environment, ah evolution is such a wondrous thing.

The second half of the composition is deliciously elevated to take in the backdrop perhaps, and to emphasize the total beauty of the situation, the coda equally sumptuous with its gentle refrain and slow tapering coda.

This is a special piece composed by Herman, its delicate yes, but its pristine nature allows the energies of the moment to come through, similar to watching a glorious sunrise when one is filled with nothing more that gratitude, therefore I feel that Penguin Parade by Suzanne Herman, is going to proudly treat itself to a big placement on the charts, it’s that good.

Dreams and Wings By Annemarie Picerno

 

Dreams and Wings

By

Annemarie Picerno

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The singer songwriter genre is in full flow in these balmy days of glorious music, and so is the talented artiste Annemarie Picerno; her creations over the years have been a real mixture of many styles, here on Dreams and Wings, she may have just produced her best one yet.

The US based singer from Nashville really sets the scene here with this most melodious of tracks, her performance on piano alone is blissful enough, but her powerful and emotive vocals will literally set the listener free of their shackles, and be willing participants to enjoy life utterly.

Dreams and Wings has many textures, a little bluesy, a harmonic Gospel mood, and a latent rock backdrop literally dripping with pure soul, this woman’s remarkable style is breath taking and deeply moving, powerful and filled with passion.

The lyrics are far reaching and freeing, allowing one to move onwards in love, and this brand new single is a testament to her rich, yet simple arrangement, one filled with unconditional love, honesty and acceptance.

This is a song that will resonate with many in these dark ages, a tuneful tale that will lift the spirits and set them free, and as such, there must be big things on the horizon for Annemarie Picerno and Dreams and Wings. 

Forever Elsewhere By Samer Fanek

 

Forever Elsewhere

By

Samer Fanek

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The most powerful form of expression is to create a musical offering so commanding, that a listener will be moved to a well of deep emotions, and will reveal their deepest felt passions, Samer Fanek has always been a master of the art, and now with each passing year, this alchemist of emotive piano improves exponentially, his latest album Forever Elsewhere is a fine example of that aforementioned statement.

I was therefore delighted to see Samer choosing his title track as his opening piece, never has a musical brush painted so beautifully, this passionate symphonic creation is a place of pure desire, a fervidness of power and intensity, and one of the finest title tracks from the artist thus far on Forever Elsewhere.

The following narrative Glass Half Empty thrilled listeners earlier on this year as a single, this once again full flowing piano with added instrumentation, with a touch of a jazz influence is gratefully included in the release, whilst fellow single of 2025 Fleeting Struggle is also added, this pacey global ethic of a release still thrills me to listen to it to this day.

So into the darker realms we go as we reach the deep cities of mystery, with the track Toward the Unknown. It is a slower piece, more ponderous in nature, like we are seeking with the artist, something that has of yet been discovered, there is a fluency here that reminds of Argentinian pianist Matias Bacoñsky and the passion is the same too.

The mid way marker has been reached and called Caught in Circles, this is a curious offering; its resonance is clock wise, its energy, seems to fall forward and back, brass is included here in one of the most fascinating creations from the artist.

The hovering keyboard narrative of this next piece called Restless was a new location of music for Fanek, combining a sensual beat, a jazzy piano, but a bass line that was truly driven; this would be my creative choice for listeners, one with an even mild progressive rock element combined within too.

Time ticks by ever so slowly, but this thief of always moves forward, onward without care, on Endlessly Lost we have a powerful piece that in its initial stages reminds me a little of how Nightwish used to build and progress a long form offering. Here Fanek shows his own desires; musical urges to manifest something deeply meaningful and he of course succeeds with utter ease.

The solo piano on Inner Collapse is a brilliantly artistic moment, so much so it reminded me that this would fit with ease on any new Tim Burton movie, its haunting notes, its mysterious essence all contribute to making it a fine solo track, one with the perfect coda for the subject matter.

The last but one piece from the release is the fast paced Scar Away, this resolute offering is true Samer Fanek territory, one that I also detected a slight Beatles influence later on in the arrangement a clever penultimate manifestation indeed.

The concluding narrative is called One Last Try, it’s a strong offering, one that utilises a sense of unyielding persistence within its build and progression, the performance slowly gains confidence as it goes, and reminds me of the style of brilliant US pianist Wayne Bethanis in its structure, build and progression, and simply the perfect ending for a classy album.

Forever Elsewhere by Samer Fanek maybe his first album since 2022 and Call Of the Desert, but I think the pianist here has nailed it, this new release is cogent, fluent, powerful, touching, romantic and passionate and with ease it should be a huge hit for Samer Fanek, the alchemist of emotional piano.

Flathead Lake: A Montana Album By Wayo Hogan & Aritra C

 

Flathead Lake: A Montana Album

By

Wayo Hogan & Aritra C

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I must admit I love a project that takes in a location and goes on to describe it in music, why? because it’s something I try and do here with my musical recordings in the country of Cyprus, it is so satisfying to see just how close you can get, here the artists take a previous work created along Stillwater Lake and reimagine the entire thing, and in their endeavours produce one of the most listenable albums ever, entitled Flathead Lake: A Montana Album, by Wayo Hogan & Aritra C.

Key personnel on this album are the following, Aritra Choudhury (Aritra C) is the arranger on all tracks and what a sublime contribution to the overall artistic narrative he makes, and speaking of artistic intellects we can include the creative and art director Scott R. Hansen into the mix as well, the combination of both, and Hogan’s performances raise this album to seriously superior heights.

There are six beautiful descriptive tracks on this album, the first opens with sheer intent to grab the listener’s attention, drums power their way into the light of the piece as Hogan’s keyboards reign down notes of creative genius, in what is a masterful opening indeed, I hear so many people struggle with the mixing and engineering on records, but that is not the case here, this is a piece that sets up the entire scene so succinctly with Whitefish.

I have several friends who perform mastering and engineering tasks for major labels, but I can honestly say that they would be impressed with this album, and especially this track called Going-to-the-Sun, the overall musical narrative on piano floats around you, the percussion and added instrumentation kicks in, and a more smooth and lush instrumental track is born, I especially adored the electric guitar here so very craft fully played, this is a truly in-depth textured offering, and big tips of the hat must go to the agents of immersive brilliance in both Jennifer “JNY” Ortiz immersive engineer, and no other than Scott R. Hansen, the producer, on a total quality track, of a forward thinking narrative.

The shorter tale Glacier is our midway offering, the piano dances here, with the instruments all flowing like sun across an autumn lake, on one of the most compelling artistic endeavours from the album, one that as it plays allows a scenic palate to evolve naturally, whilst on Stillwater, the track of ultra-inspiration, we add a sway into the mix of an anthem like manifestation, if ever a track deserved to be used as a theme for a TV this is the one I would point to, this whole piece is produced so blissfully that one could literally imagine being on a mirrored lake in total peace and harmony.

We arrive at the location of Bigfork Bay, a folk like motif can be found here, with a wistful Celtic undertone as well, soft pastiches of guitar and bass can also be found here also, I was so wrapped by the joy and production of this track it shocked me, I felt the entire arrangement all around me in a sonic mixture of tone and timbre like never before, and the dancing piano of Hogan, the chief narrator of the construct on a superior produced piece indeed paved the way to a musical heaven.

Our wondrous concluding narrative is the haunting tale of Flathead Lake, this flourishing slice of instrumental genius is a classy work of art, its floating deep minor ethic is sublime, it’s no wonder it is a fan favourite, synths add highlights to the piece, percussive intelligence is utilised to a thoroughly expansive composition, this myriad of class then eventually tales off into a mist filled charming coda to conclude matters.

There is not a thing about this album that you can dislike, precision musical performances, superior skill sets and intellect used on the production, mixing and engineering, it is albums like this that give hope to the instrumental genre and new age music industry, and it is releases of such high quality that should be awarded for their attention to detail in every minute sense of the word, this is a top quality instrumental album, and like the location, a musical location of outstanding natural beauty on Flathead Lake: A Montana Album by Wayo Hogan & Aritra C.

Wayfaring Stranger By Juan El Grande

 

Wayfaring Stranger

By

Juan El Grande

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

When I turned to my writing desk for today’s literature action, I wasn’t expecting to be writing about a song that I remembered from years back, decades in fact, I can still remember Johnny Cash and that version in my mind’s eye today, however time is a fickle mistress, and this old folk gospel classic rears its head again, this time from singer songwriter Juan El Grande from Barcelona in Spain, and what a moving and artistic version of the almighty Wayfaring Stranger it is too.

Known for his hits “Another Hero’s Gone”, “Born to Be” and others, El Grande takes this timeless standard and breathes fresh life and colour into it. The walking acoustic line on guitar, and the opening vocals remind me very much of Netherlands singer songwriter Paul Vens in tone.

Here though El Grande flows with the rhythm of the piece, the slight additional percussive element aids his journey and the grateful listeners are gifted a memory box of a piece, one that will remind them fondly of their happy childhood days perhaps.

It’s always a hard thing recreating a timeless classic like this, but in my view Juan El Grande has manifested something warming to listen to here on this version that will be appreciated by fans of folk and the singer songwriter genre the globe over, as once again Wayfaring Stranger becomes a hit all over again.

Boca Ciega by Peter Catucci

 

Boca Ciega

By

Peter Catucci

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Peter Catucci is back with a brand new single called Boca Ciega, after his last single that I received back in 2024 called Another Me I was eager to break into the latest offering and I wasn’t to be disappointed. A flowing rock pastiche of both power and fluency can be found here.

The minor structures in this new single and the gentle segments made this compositions truly stand out for me, and the Brian May styled guitar solo at over 2:20 doubly so, this is a real rock treat, one that has such a neat commercial flow, but also one that retains its rock nature at all times, uncompromised in all its glory.

Boca Ciega Bay is a body of water connected to us in the world of reality and normalcy, in the Gulf of Mexico; it has dolphins too, and now a classy rock song as well, by one of the finest rock musicians originally from NYC, and the combination of Trevor Drushal on electric and acoustic guitars, and the chief of the engine room on drums, mister Jeff Poppe, they truly bring home the musical bacon big time, and the addition of Anna Paloma (backing vocals) raised the rhythms of the piece amazingly.

You can’t question class when you see it and hear it, and this new manifestation from Catucci is literally inspiring to say the least, a rock song, a little American roots, and compelling vocals and bass of a true man of rock in Peter Catucci with the outstanding Boca Ciega, it is a special treat that any rock aficionado should not miss out on.

Monte Rosa (Adagio in Am) by Kristin Amarie, David Lanz, Cameron Stone & Czech National Orchestra

 

Monte Rosa (Adagio in Am)

By

Kristin Amarie, David Lanz, Cameron Stone & Czech National Orchestra

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There are some musicians who are performers of a great standard, there are some who produce fine works and have moments of brilliance, akin perhaps to a firefly’s existence in late summer, others find a niche and stick with it, then there be the gods of music, those who are the ultimate creators of great beauty, fluency and passion, that last slot goes to one of the most masterful contemporary musicians of their time in David Lanz, and partnered with his soul mate Kristin Amarie, they have brought into reality a blockbuster of a creation with Monte Rosa (Adagio in Am), a cinematic overture of outstanding natural beauty.

I must be honest here, this one took me so long to write, because I became incredibly emotional listening to it, probably the Am effect, but the pleasure was so pronounced, the master Game of Thrones cellist, Cameron Stone whose tonal descriptive intelligence reigned supreme started this emotional roller coaster, and that so very powerful Lanz piano literally made me tingle with very nerve in my body, Kristin’s sense of musical composition is beyond anything I have seen or heard, she has such a keen and intelligent ear, and the Czech National Orchestra a treasure to be treasured indeed.

The huge crescendo at around 1:50 said so much about the sheer talents of world renowned arranger Kurt Bestor, then this symphony of grandeur entered a softer phase, emphasising the textured beauty of this mountain in the Alps, and the composition climatically drew to a close in ways that even John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith would only ever wish to do, if ever a piece of music should win an award, without doubt it has to be the cinematic glorification called Monte Rosa (Adagio in Am) by Kristin Amarie, David Lanz, Cameron Stone and Czech National Orchestra, it is literally the apex of the neo classical genre, by a light year.

Håb By The Haiku Project

 

Håb

By

The Haiku Project

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s time for a musical treat for our global senses with the release of Håb. Henrik Hytteballe aka The Haiku Project is about to release his eleventh solo album, and that moment alone is a freshly opened door to one of the most intelligent, instrumental music artists the modern world has seen and heard, and Håb another new vehicle to help each and every listener to a place of musical ecstasy.

Flourishing is our opening track, this is a powerful electronically driven beginning, one can feel essences of a John Carpenter styled opus from the late 70’s, but one that also contained some wonderful new age motifs from the latter half of the last century as well, in what was a very impressive opening foray.

We then move into a more gentle narrative with the piece Serenity, the acoustic guitar of Kim Jeppesen is used many times on this album and this would be the first of those sublime moments, one that sees a further electric explorative journey by the guitarist too, combine this with a light percussive element, and we can note that this is a crafted creation of great value and sound indeed.

Night Watch once more takes us along another narrative that lies more in the traditional new age meadows, with a combination of keyboard and sensitive percussive timbre, soft pastiches of synths are layered with a mood filled cello performed so beautifully by Christophe Luciano, this for me raised the track itself into a realm of great character.

We head slowly to the mid-way marker of the album and as we do so we come across a wonderful globally fused offering entitled Vesuvio. My research suggest a link to Mount Vesuvius, if that is correct then a more apt creation of a composition you would not find, this certainly does have a progressive build and a most pronounced almost dance like electronic manifestation to its overall storyline, with Hytteballe presenting a powerful exploration of a more Berlin styled arrangement, one that eventually leads to a stimulating coda.

One of my adorations of the artist is his ability to change alter direction and mood at whim; on tracks like Toy he does just that, bringing together a friendly keyboard based arrangement, with a light hearted refrain, whilst on offerings like Dew a more pronounced 90’s new age style comes to light, one that utilises various tones, effects and musical postulations.

This 10 track release is an incredibly gifted compilation of artistic endeavours; a prime example would be the following narrative Swimming in the Sky, one maybe quite surprised by the overall arrangement, which through its powerful refrains on both keyboards and drums, invigorating energies can be found, the latter performed by the incredibly insightful Cabeabel, bringing the listener an anthem like composition that could with ease fit into any futuristic movie..

As we move into the deeper waters of the album we come across a piece that was released as a single earlier on this year called Esperanza, its memorable melody and the fluent guitar of Kim Jeppesen, still brings a moment of instrumental pleasure and gentleness to my mind on this autumn day.

So we arrive at the penultimate track from this exciting new release, and this warming musical prose is entitled Beekeepers Son, the essence from its birth, its musical genesis so to speak, is cleverly artistic in manifesting an opening redolent of the subject matter, and then literally exploding into a mixture of global fusion of guitars, keyboards and percussion to gift us an effervescent offering.

The conclusion to this fantastic album is the smooth and cinematic-like piece entitled Circulation. Blissful synths chords lift us up above the clouds on this quite ethereal parting creation, the angelic like wings of this glorious ultimate gift, are a sublime opportunity for the artist to leave us with a memorable and magical moment, this he achieves with ease and great aplomb.

It is always a pleasure to visit the land of musical magic created by The Haiku Project; in this case that charming tonal location would be the album Håb, on which a voyage of melodious plenitude can be found, on one of the most exciting and artistically intelligent instrumental albums I have had the pleasure to listen to for quite some time. There literally is something for everyone on Håb by The Haiku Project, and as such any result other than a huge chart hit for the composer would be an insult, this album is the epitome of what truly great instrumental music should sound like.

Rumi's Truth By Gary Schmidt

 

Rumi's Truth

By

Gary Schmidt

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Whilst solo piano certainly seems to be on the ascendency again, a new form of piano beauty is emerging from the tiny worthless micro culture of the genre, it is one that may one day be called philosophical piano, and within its confines lies some of the most beautiful and tender tones you would ever wish to hear, Gary Schmidt’s latest single is an example of such a thoughtful beauty and called Rumi’s Truth.

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, or simply Rumi, was a 13th-century poet; his works spanned some of the most inspirational works of their time and still do to this day, what’s interesting about Rumi his usage of many languages, including our native language here in Cyprus, by using Greek and Turkish words sporadically, and of course his native language of his mother tongue being Persian, this gave him that beautiful fluency of literal brilliance.

Here Schmidt achieves the same, with one of the most handsome compositions of solo piano you would ever wish to find, the constant repeating motif creates a sensitive onward progression, whilst the melodic tone manifested a delicious eastern element within its musical construct.

Gary Schmidt is without doubt a pianist of stunning quality in many forms of piano music, but I believe here he may have just produced his most meditative creation yet, I adore this new single from him, which is why I am predicting a massive chart hit for the artist and for Rumi's Truth, philosophical piano in motion can be found here in a plethora of delightful tones, a magical release indeed.

Arcadia By Kevin Keller

 

Arcadia

By

Kevin Keller

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have always examined the power of music, I have always listened with such openness and intent to its many and varied forms of beauty, and still it amuses me that as an atheist I adore Gregorian chants, devotional music and other compositions and tones of other mythological voyages, that abound in this glorious tonal world, here on Arcadia, Kevin Keller brings us a tone and timbre of various medieval creations, but with a modern spin, and one must say, it is amazingly brilliant.

Arcadia is a fluent 8 track release with many artistic musical endeavours, but instead of going towards the folk aspect of the middle ages, his manifestation utilizes the stunning talents of vocalist Sofía Campoamor on lead vocal, with stunning keyboard motifs, and classy reverberations on many of the pieces.

One of my personal favourites would be the opener entitled Arcadia 1: Et vidi caelum, and on the more sombre Arcadia 3: Me solum me invenio ft Sofía Campoamor, a creation that would emphasise a soft gentle vibration, this is one that literally shines upon a musical horizon like the dawning of a new day.

The release also contains some explorative tracks like Arcadia 4: In tenebris, it gifts the listener a more ominous feel to revel in, a darker tone and timbre can be felt here, one of a more mysterious nature, which in fact gets deeper the further the keyboards drive the narrative, especially the coda, which is delightfully dark!

The listener will truly be enthralled and encapsulated by this beautifully produced album, tracks like the steady onward rhythms of the piece Arcadia 6: In equo fugit, another favourite of mine, explores the more exciting tales of an escape at night on horseback, the beautiful juxtaposition of instrumentalism and vocals here is simply outstanding, and a guilty pleasure to behold.

Our voyage concludes with a blissful final gift called Arcadia 8: Veni intus, a soft lullaby styled narrative that sweetens the taste even further, where one can imagine the soft pillows of a blissful sleep reign supreme.

Arcadia by Kevin Keller is an exceptional album, a release of outstanding natural beauty; the contributors contained within are also to be applauded and are: Sofía Campoamor on lead vocal, Danya Katok soprano, Katherine Wessinger soprano, Wendy Baker  soprano, Sarah Zun violin, Angela Pickett on viola and Laura Metcalf on cello. The redoubtable Plainchant creations are composed by Sofía Campoamor too, and this entire compelling release is composed and produced by Kevin Keller himself, in one of the most stunning styled albums in this elk I have heard for years, as the power of music transcends everything.

Valley of Hope By Chrissie Sheppard

 

Valley of Hope

 By

Chrissie Sheppard

Written by

Andy Rogers

Chrissie Sheppard (besides being co-owner of One World Music Radio) is an accomplished flautist who continues to surprise and delight us with every new release. This new single, Valley of Hope, is no exception.

Following on from the deeply personal and heartfelt “More Than a Sister”, this new offering takes us on a much darker musical journey altogether.

Chrissie tells me the music was inspired by a dream she had of a dark valley full of uncertainty and you do get that feeling immediately. The music opens with Chrissie’s flute hovering over a sustained minor chord…somewhere close by an owl calls… the mood is dark, uneasy and threatening.

We decide the only way is forward. A slow drum pattern leads us into the valley as the chords in the background continue to swirl like mist. Feeling a little anxious, even scared, we move slowly forward. There is light ahead: The chords change in nature to a more positive feel as we move through the valley led ever onwards by Chrissie’s hypnotic flute notes. Slowly our fears subside and we feel the hope that there are better times ahead.

Eventually we emerge from the valley, the darkness recedes, we are greeted by the sound of birdsong and we find ourselves in the sunlight with surety that we are now totally safe.

Valley of Hope is another excellent single from Chrissie Sheppard, an artist who continues to evolve and progress with each new release. Followers of New age, flute and even ambient music will find this very much to their taste.