MuzikMan's Reviews And News: Christopher James

4/01/2019

Contemporary Instrumental Review: Christopher James-Grace From Persistence

Release Date: April 5, 2019

Label: Val Gardena Music

I heard The Sad Waltz in 2017 and was very impressed with the talents and musical output of Christopher James. Two years on and my anticipation is mounting to hear the next offering titled Grace From Persistence.

From my perspective, it always helps to know the meaning and messages in the music. It makes my listening experience richer and fuller. Christopher took the title track and gave it some thought. The Native Americans’ belief about the Saguaro cactus came to mind. That album title is a perspective that each of these sacred Saguaros is considered to be a unique individual, surviving on its own despite nature’s extremes. This relates directly to mankind and how resilient we can be as well. It also makes you think about living things like trees and how important they are to our survival.

Christopher set out to continue his explorations into the more complex compositions and that is what he accomplishes on Grace From Persistence. I had to call it contemporary instrumental because of the diverse instruments that accompany the piano of the main artist. I got lost in this music so much that before I realized it, track 7 was playing and it was getting near the end of this musical excursion.

Christopher definitely achieves his own Grace From Persistence by continuing down the path of musical intricacies. Music like this you simply cannot pigeonhole. If the entire album was like “Cul-De-Sac” for instance, then you could classify it as jazz. Which by the way is a big step away from the previous tracks, and it is that kind of change done so well that makes this recording a special and an important contribution in 2019.

I am consistently in awe of musicians that can take one main instrument, like the piano, and build these incredible musical stories. As I always say, music without words presents more of a challenge to convey a mood, atmosphere, ambiance, or message if you will. When I feel the impact of the music strongly like I did with Grace From Persistence it sets the bar higher for the next artist that is attempting to accomplish the same thing with their music.

All of these thoughts point in a positive direction because we need each other for inspiration and to set goals. Your interpretation of this music will be based on your own life situation and overall feelings and thoughts the moment you listen. I think it’s important to keep one thing in mind, and that is to listen to this music at different points in the day to see what it can do for you. It’s a wonderful listening experience that heals and brings joy. The musicianship is beyond reproach and every track will get and keep your attention.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

March 31, 2019

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

Rate The Tracks

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks:
01. Awakening
02. Get on with It
03. Mother Russia (Fantasy Based on a Theme from Scriabin)
04. Where's Frederick?
05. Beyond the Stars
06. Grace from Persistence
07. Yes and No
08. Weimar Blues (1929)
09. Cul-De-Sac
10. Neitherworld

8/03/2017

New Age Jazz Fusion Review: Christopher James-The Sad Waltz

Release Date: 2017

Label: Vai Gardena Music

Website

There is one word that can explain what you will hear on the new Christopher James release The Sad Waltz, diversity!

Listening to instrumental music is a wonderful thing and at times it becomes similar, then I crave for something fresh and different. Well I got just what the music doctor ordered with The Sad Waltz.

The list of contributors on this recording is quite impressive. This is the reason the 14 tracks sound so complex and different. There is brass, percussion, acoustic bass, different layers of keyboards and many other sounds that make for a symphony of sound. This beautiful work is a real journey for the artist. James wanted to explore harmonics and different approaches to every track. The result is a constant flow of change with perceptions and colors that only music such as this can provide.

The opening track is very exciting and it sets the tone for the entire album. “Consequence of Intention” has some excellent guitar lines provided by the guitar maestro David Torn. While listening I was sincerely appreciating the sound and particularly the guitar. I nodded my head in recognition of Mr. Torn, whose name I recognized instantly. He is well a respected musician in the world of jazz rock fusion.

Where the album goes from there is hard to explain but I can tell you it is very good! The changing sounds and textures in each track is like watching different scenes in a movie. The movie playing is the thought patterns and feelings the music will create for each individual listener. For my listening pleasure, this is what makes this recording so special. And speaking of soundtracks, the bonus track is an alternate take of “How Can I Change Your Mind?” And it is a fantastic way to close the curtains on this amazing listening experience.

I found nothing sad about this music as the title may indicate. Of course, this can be interpreted by some as the word sad in literal sense or it can mean different things dependent upon your own perception. The album title and track was inspired by Randy Newman’s “Ragtime Theme.” The simplicity of the main theme was the core of the track but fair warning, to expect simplicity consistently with this music is way off base. The title track invites you to listen some more. The balance is finite and focused and what you will discover is an inventive and refreshing sound throughout the entire listen.

This is pure creativity and energy coming together to form a super nova of sounds. The Sad Waltz just made it into my top 10 instrumental albums for 2017.

5/5 Stars