Sacred Balance By Dan Chadburn

 

Sacred Balance

By

Dan Chadburn

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Dan Chadburn has to be one of the longer term musicians I have known from the states in my time as a writer and broadcaster, my collection dates back to 1998 and an album called simply Solo Piano, some 27 years later we are gifted a beautiful release from the master of sensitive piano called Sacred Balance.

Here is an album rich in musical aromas, to quote Chadburn and to add some context the album is dedicated to the memory of Mark Alan Smith, an extraordinary artist and cherished friend, who faced his battle with cancer with courage and grace.

The opening piece says it all, a perfect blend of cello and piano paves the way for something quite extraordinary, both perfectly played by Chadburn, this starting point is breath taking and is the proud title track Sacred Balance.

This is a large body of work containing both a fine solo piano performance and the sound of a cello, on all 14 pieces. Chadburn is at his best, bringing emotion and colour into every pore of the music, and on pieces like Blessed Be, a symbiotic presentation that winds its way down the country roads of life, or the charming narrative of Descending to Heaven, with a carefully progressive tonal delight that is accomplished in bringing a lush level of tranquillity with every note played.

Beyond Imagination is one of those offerings that sets a postulation of something better around the corner, here a Chadburn piano is a wonderful thing indeed, and a breath taking kaleidoscope of beauty can be found here, whilst on the offerings like Four Months an almost dance like comparison can be felt, this waltz-like opus drifts across a horizon of reflective precision.

The album is a tapestry of serious gratitude and love, tracks like the outstanding Cosmic Resonance hovers expectantly like a new star being born into the universe itself, where Chadburn’s piano is the master narrator of that very lofty goal, one can also detect a sultry layer of synths perhaps in the backdrop too.

Walking Each Other Home is a happy familiar theme of joy and charm, with a little Celtic hint mixed into the weave of the arrangement too, in a track that has a delightful sway to the manifestation. Then we can be blessed with offerings like One Day Soon, a crisp early morning sunrise of a track that is bathed in the cool light of day, a song of hope perhaps.

There is even time for a short form narrative called Patches; a windswept oasis of tone can be found in this most picturesque of piano compositions, and even though this track is barely 118 seconds long, it is complete in its beauty and expression.

A vast sense of anticipation can be found on this more spacey track called Waiting, the openness and soft pastiche of its electronic backdrop is one that manifests something very compelling, whilst even the micro form is gifted to the listener with the track Quick Costume Change. This segway’s brilliantly into the following heartfelt piece called The Long Goodbye, a memory box of thoughtful tones can be found here on this most emotive of moments from the album.

The penultimate offering is the track 13 and is entitled Thirteen, here we can enjoy a soothing piece as Chadburn’s sensitive approach offers up a little sun kissed cadence to the day, whilst the concluding narrative entitled Lost and Found leaves the listener wanting more, and reminds me of Keep Sakes in the Attic by Jeff Bjork, on this final gift to the listener which ends the project with great skill and tenderness.

Sacred Balance by Dan Chadburn is the latest in the line of beautiful albums given to the world by the artist, thus pacifying the hoards of adoring solo piano fans globally. A delicate balance has been found, a symbiosis of musical tone all weaved into a tapestry of piano with an accompanying sound of a cello, one which highlights just what a proficient pianist Chadburn truly is and what a thing of great beauty Sacred Balance actually has turned out to be.