From the Depths By Soul Improvisations

 

From the Depths

By

Soul Improvisations

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Improvised music is I believe, some of the most honest forms of art one can create, here on this mammoth work, self-taught pianist Devorah (Soul Improvisations) roams the vast dimensions of extemporisation of tone and timbre, and in doing so she creates a cathartic soundtrack for all who wish to try, and transform their existence on this globe to a higher frequency, it is entitled From the Depths.

This 10 track work of art is a huge cosmos of tonal delights, starting with the empowering opener called Keep Hope. This is a potent long form composition to raise the energies of those who need lifting from the floor on up, her transformative presentation here succeeds, and sets the listener up for the musical journey ahead.

There is a plethora of stylish offerings on this release that demand attention, like the track Be Still in Divine Power, a crisp uplifting solo piano narrative that caresses the vibrancy of the moment, and pieces like Just a Little Light is emphatic in its essence too, and both of these compositions literally breathe a fresh perspective into a cloudy reality of change, the latter being almost anthem like in its construction.

Devorah states that her mission is to help uplift the spirits of others and foster recovery from trauma, a worthy goal indeed, tracks like Love from the Heights, is a fine example of her success on this voyage, a powerful and insightful presentation on the piano here leads the listener by the hand to calmer lands, whilst on In Quietness and Confidence, she manifests one of my personal favourite tracks from the release, this is a meditative yet imploring narrative that works on many levels, bringing peace, but also exploring the growth that has been attained through past negative events, this is one of the finest dualistic creations I have heard for quite some time.

We are about to transverse into the second half of the album, and as we do so we come across a longer narrative entitled Waking Up to Wonders, Modeh Ani, after some research I found this to be a Jewish Prayer said every morning upon waking. The light tones here give the listener a cloud like structure to float upon, and a certain state of tranquillity to drift within, whilst on the following track we have something a little different in Spring Rebirth.

I adore long form music and here is a fine example of such and called Spring Rebirth, this wondrous composition, one that spans just under a quarter of an hour, is a piece that one can literally walk through sun kissed woodlands, with the artist in full and fluent piano flow, for me personally this brought back many memories on long distant walks through the countryside, with the blue skies of hope glistening above, this is a fantastic example of how to manifest something long, and still incredibly engaging.

Variations in Loving Memory, is another amazingly powerful opus of grandeur, with classical motifs and confident arrangements and at times reminding me of my old friend David Lanz with its lush and creative melody and passionate message of love, at other times it poses an interesting musical juxtaposition of major and minor, pause and reflection, and then an increasing full flow of emotion.

The penultimate offering is entitled Reflections on 39 Years; this is without doubt a reflective piece of great colour and texture. The elevated notes partnered with the deeper tones, once more allows the listener to gaze over the shoulder at times gone and lessons given and perhaps learned.

The craft that goes into making sure a concluding track does the job is a clever one indeed, here on The Liberation, Soul Improvisations does just that, a happy refrain can be felt here, one redolent of the subject matter, and of course is with utter certainty the perfect final part of this quite amazing project.

From the Depths by Soul Improvisations is an album that speaks from the soul of the composer to the hearts and minds of the listener, bringing a moment of musical clarity calm and healing to all who give themselves to the moment. Here is an album that solo piano fans will also love, and a delight that contains 10 tracks of medium to long form arrangements, to thoroughly get into an enjoy the creative and inspiring experience, I have a feeling this one could well be marching its way up the charts very soon.