New Age/Contemporary Instrumental Review: Neil Tatar-Learning To Fly

Release Date: June 2015
Label: Indie

Website

They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. However, in this case the beauty comes to you through your ears and then works its way to your heart and soul on Learning To Fly. This 9 track album from Neil Tatar offers the listener an audible journey of the soul. As he says in the CD notes “Each track on this album comes from memories of life experiences, reflections on personal and meaningful moments that have ultimately shaped my world.” That says it all and you can take that to heart and find your own way through these musical journeys.

So how does one translate these life experiences through instrumental music you may ask? I experience this frequently and can say without any doubt that I can feel more and envision so many different things while I listen to this type of new age instrumental music. To be more precise, the artist refers to this music as contemporary instrumental which is like a “blanket” term that covers everything on the recording. I think that is appropriate considering what a potential listener has in store once they give it a spin.

To say this album is laden with talent would be a good place to start. Besides Neil’s gorgeous and effective guitar and piano playing he has the incomparable Tony Levin on various basses, Jill Haley on English Horn, Jeff Haynes handling percussion and Mr. Will Ackerman on guitar (“Summer Strut”). Also Michael Manring, another bass player that shows up on a lot of albums, plays on one track (“Twilight Dance”).

I honestly do not know where to start with bringing attention to certain tracks as they all are stunning works of art and beauty. As I made my way through the first four tracks I was mesmerized when “Twilight Dance” began to play and I realized that I was hearing one of the best new age CDs of the year. The guitar leads you into another world with layers of sounds that have jazz and world undertones bubbling to the surface. It is the most eclectic and interesting track on the recording.

What I heard on Learning To Fly  was the perfect blend of instruments and atmospheres. If you already know how to fly (and that interpretation is up to each individual listener) or want to learn, this music will enhance that experience. For this listener it held a few meanings. I felt as if I could appreciate the beauty of life itself and reflect upon my life and all the love and gifts that surround me. It is a journey without question, it just depends where you want to go and what you need to accomplish along the way. I found peace and transcendence in this music and I hope every listener can be open to that type of experience.

Because every track was so outstanding I have to say that each was a key track in its own right. Again personal preference rules the day here and each individual will find certain tracks to have more impact as with any album new age or otherwise.

“Summer Strut” is the quiet storm of jazz taken a path of exploration and the music spreads its wings and takes flight. It is definitely something that would sound right on a summer’s day. It’s light and airy and brings a smile to your inner being.

I especially enjoyed and appreciated the combination of jazz, new age and world music. Like a strong and divergent tree this music grows and spreads out to give every listener something to connect with. And with that my music loving friends I highly recommend Learning To Fly.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Tracks: 
1. Wait For Me
2. Breeze In Blue
3. Ode To My Mentors
4. Missing You
5. Twilight Dance
6. Learning To Fly
7. Morning Peace
8. Summer Strut
9. Falling For You

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music  Reviews Founder

June 10, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age/World Review: Russell Suereth-Spiritual Haven

Release Date: March 14, 2015

Label: Haven Tone Records

Website

Russell Suereth is a keyboardist with a focus on New Age and world music. His new album Spiritual Haven is a combination of classic Western instruments blended with some more exotic instruments such as a duduk, guzheng, grand marimba, koto, oud, krin and ethnic frame drums. These sounds are accentuated by the hang drum and woodwind instruments as well as many others. Original compositions range from spiritual reflection to observation of nature in all of its forms.

“Glitter of Light” is a song based on hope in difficult times. Sometimes I think we are led to things when we need them most and after losing a family pet of fourteen years and dealing with the illness of another pet this past week I believe it. “Glimmer” breathes life via percussive elements, woodwinds, synth and keyboard action that was peaceful and reflective. The rhythms and soft vocalizations were both soothing and uplifting, and a nice trip out of my head for a time.

“Notions Astir” begins with a mellow synth experience blended with clanging that reminded me of banging silverware and frenzied housework on a weekday night. It made me smile and be joyful in the basic things of life.

“Red Moon Rising” compelled me with the title of the song and I was not disappointed. Electronic keyboards and synth bring to mind a large red moon rising over the big night sky. Percussive elements add to the anticipation, along with clanging sounds that reminded me of going sky watching with my husband at the cemetery in Yorktown, Virginia. The big dark sky, picnic laid out (clanging silverware sounds again) and a telescope so you don’t miss a thing.

“The Village Breathes” is the last song on the album. Sounds of water, birds in flight, people speaking and a lovely piano sequence make it one of my favorite tracks on the album. This piece has a more distinct sound that brought to mind the movie The Medicine Man and the villagers working and laughing together as they worked. Exotic world music blends with modern sound to create a visual impression of the South American jungle.

Russell Suereth has captured moments in nature and the human psyche with his album Spiritual Haven. The album moves from one song to the next weaving a spell of modern musical design interspersed with exotic elements and textures. This was an enjoyable album for both its rhythms and sentiment.    

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Glimmer of Light, Notions Astir, Red Moon Rising, The Village Breathes

Tracks: 
01. A Magic Flight
02. Distant Voices
03. Glimmer of Light
04. Night Dances
05. Swirling Spice
06. Nightingale Rushes
07. Notions Astir
08. Sudden Awareness
09. Red Moon Calling
10. Red Moon Rising
11. Realization
12. The Village Breathes

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

April 4, 2015                         

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age Review: Reneé Michele-Seasons of the Heart

Release Date: December 20, 2014

Label: Independent

Website

Seasons of the Heart is a journey that begins with a memory. Bitter and sweet, the days of our lives are full of winters and springs. Of summers where we dance and stark autumn moments when we grieve. In this beautiful celebration of the artist’s memories we walk with her through some of life’s most personal moments. Produced by Will Ackerman at the legendary Imaginary Road Studio, this album is also graced by Jill Haley (English horn), Charlie Bisharat (violin),  Eugene Friesen (cello), Jeff Haynes (percussion), Noah Wilding (vocals), Tom Eaton (bass), and Michael Manring (fretless bass) and of course Reneé Michele at the helm of the piano.

“Gone” is the devastation of a loved one’s passing. The loving memories of a life well spent, but the absence where there once was a presence. Some voids simply cannot be filled. Fluid piano movements and tender whispers call out to those we love in remembrance and thankfulness that our lives touched, if only for a moment.

“Forgiveness” is an evocative piece that tears into the tender places in the heart where some of the deepest emotions dwell. Who has not been hurt by a loved one or been the one to cause the pain? Love is a scary and beautiful thing, much like the resonating melodies presented in this piece. Careful piano movements and string presentations delve deep. Tear stained cheeks and eyes that smile through the pain that only true love can cause bring the joy of forgiveness.

“Seasons of the Heart” is an all-encompassing voyage through the dark hour of the soul and back to light again. Our lives, like this vision of melodic wonder, are rife with challenges, hurts, victories and celebrations. Love, life and laughter walk with us even as death and unfortunate events bring us to our knees. The seasons change and with it the ebb and flow of our inner tides. Poignant piano playing combined with multi-instrumentation brings out the deep emotion that only Reneé Michele can. She finds the perfect note and spins her song, leaving us breathless with the beauty of truth.

Our lives truly are seasons. Memories come to us from the summer and winter of our lives. Some are bountiful and some haunt us with broken promises and hurtful actions whether from ourselves or others. In true artful fashion, Reneé Michele takes each feeling and brings it to the surface in melodious fashion. These are the seasons of our lives; the sun, the moon, the seasons…new beginnings and bittersweet endings. It is the breath in our bodies and the secret smile on the lips. It is music. It is…life.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Seasons of the Heart, Gone, Forgiveness

DanaWright, Sr. Staff Writer

January 7, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age Review: Peter Jennison-Coming Home

Release Date: October 1, 2014

Label: Independent

Website

Peter Jennison began his musical journey on an old lime green piano that had lost many of its keys. As a child he would escape into the world of music and as an adult music has been his companion through ups, downs and in between. A lawyer, composer, soldier, father and husband, Jennison used his time while deployed to write some of the most poignant music I have ever heard. His first album in the Songs of War collection was Longing for Home and was written while he was deployed for a year in Iraq. His newest album and the conclusion to the collection is Coming Home and it focuses on returning home to families, wives and in some cases, in a flag draped coffin. 

As I turned on this album, I went about my daily activities and didn’t realize what I was listening to. The songs were not in any particular order as sometimes happens when things are downloaded and many of the classical pieces were first. They made me pause and look to see the titles, but when it came to the piece “Remember Me” I sucked in my breath and had to investigate further.

I grew up on military bases. My step father was in the Navy and you dealt with long deployments and families being fractured. Coping was what you did. As I really began to listen to this album and understood what Peter Jennison was really writing about, the tears began to slide down my face. 

My brother was a Marine deployed to many of the same places and every time he was sent over, my heart lodged in my throat. The pride, the terror, the eventual homecoming and the birth of his child. It is all a coming home.

Peter Jennison along with some incredible folks from Imaginary Road have crafted an album that each and every person who has had someone in the military has to listen to. It brings voice to the emotion of both the soldier and the families that long for their return. The artists included in this album are: Charlie Bisharat (horn player), Jeff Oster (percussion), Jeff Haynes (Pat Metheny Group), cellist Eugene Friesen (Paul Winter Consort), Heather Rankin (vocalist), Will Ackerman (producer) and many others.

“Remember Me” is the first track on the album. Heather Rankin’s soulful voice joins the haunting backdrop of percussion and piano and the hair on my neck stood up. This song is for all who have lost a soldier to death, sealing them into the cold hard ground. For soldiers who have stood against great odds without fear only to give the greatest sacrifice a man or woman can give. Strength comes from home and home is where they return. This piece is the absolute highlight of the album and every time I play it, tears prickle in my eyes. 

“Farewell My Friend” is for all those lost in the wages of war. Classical in tone, with tender strains of piano and violin, it sears into your heart and reminds you of those who have passed on in the name of God and Country-to protect and serve us all. It is bitter. It is sweet. It is the sound of sacrifice and blood spilling into the ground.

“A New Day” is the coming home. It is the tender feeling of seeing normal again after the reality of battle. It is the poignant strain of the violin as you look into the eyes of your son or daughter or wife as they wrap their arms around you in homecoming. It is the beginning of change. Such a beautiful piece and so full of hope and wonderment. Home…

Peter Jennison captures the evocative emotion of a soldier deployed overseas longing to be with his family once more. Listening to this album brought every war to mind and loss that always follows. The sacrifice made and freely given by our soldiers every day is so seamlessly given voice in this album. It will break your heart and set it soaring all at the same time.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Remember Me, Farewell My Friend, a New Day

Tracks: 
1. Remember Me (Sgt. Mackenzie)
2. Waiting
3. The Journey to You
4. Taps
5. Farewell to a Friend
6. Reflection
7. The Moment
8. New Day
9. Coming Home

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

November 2, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age/Chill Instrumental Review: 7and5-Themes For A Grey Day

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Label: Nix Music

Website

John Nixon A.K.A. 7and5 and his new Themes For A Grey Day CD is ten tracks of new age instrumental chill. It could be a soundtrack to a film or your life, the choice is yours.

The name came from the fact that all musical notes can be expressed within an octave on a piano as 7 white keys and 5 black keys. Clever yet simple and direct, I like that explanation.

When you think about the title of the album it makes you wonder what kind of listening experience you are about have. The “grey” area as it is referred to in common everyday life is a neutral space, the unknown; it’s neither negative nor positive. This is music we are talking about here so where is the difference and how does the term apply?

As we dive into this aural journey of sound and color “Cloudburst” invites you into a menagerie of sounds and textures. It is uplifting and refreshing as cool rain drops hitting your face on a steamy hot July afternoon. For my senses it was a pleasure and I heard and felt no “grey” areas. This is a solid opener and a terrific way to kick off the album. The next track “Nightfall” starts off slower and more introspective before reaching an apex of sound with keyboards. It is filled with anticipation and the wonder of nature’s gifts.

I can see how the artist is able to implement all the instruments and sounds at his disposal to create something that matches up well with the title of the track. With instrumentals it is difficult to do that however 7and5 has his pulse on the human condition and knows how to manipulate sounds to make everything work together beautifully. I am not one that can stay focused on chill music for too long; I get bored easily and lose interest after a fashion. This did not happen to me listening to Themes For A Grey Day. The reason is that there is the right combination of new age and chill mixed together to make one complete sound that satisfies and intrigues you.

“Frozen” is as prolific as the title. It is a “what you see is what you get” kind of term. Picture a river flowing underneath the frozen ice ever so slow then as you look closer it starts to move faster. That is the best way to describe how this track unfolds. I really enjoy how new age artists take the essence of nature and our surroundings and turn it into beautiful sounds that create images within the Third Eye Chakra.

“Passing Storms” keeps up the momentum and spirit of this recording going. This could relate to what nature brings us or certain life situations and challenges. The passing storm eventually leaves and the sunshine comes back if we have a positive outlook on life. 

Instrumental music holds so much within for one individual listener to interpret and that is a blessing for those who have an open heart and mind. The instruments are healers and the one that administers the sounds is like your own personal shaman. Themes For A Grey Day is a relaxing and exhilarating experience all at once. This is a journey you will want to take again and again.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Cloudburst, Nightfall, Passing Storms

Tracks: 
01.Cloudburst
02.Nightfall
03.13 Days
04. Frozen
05.Passing Storms
06.November
07.No Moon, Fallen Stars
08.The Pulse of Rain
09.Flow
10.Clear
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

September 26, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age Instrumental Review: Jonn Serrie-Day Star

Release Date: June 14, 2014

Label: New World Music

Website

Jonn Serrie began his musical voyage alongside his grandmother at the piano when he was a young boy. His passion for flight and music became conjoined later in life and he has put the two together to craft music inspiring planetarium shows and several albums with the inspirational possibilities and in some cases, reality of space travel.

Serrie uses an electronic medium to capture evocative imagery that spans the cosmos. In the first track “Day Star” the title track from his newest album, Day Star, the album opens up to a slight hum, like the opening of a planetarium show. If you just sit back, you can see the lights flicker in your mind’s eye as the stars burst into a story all their own. The heavens hold many secrets, but Jonn Serrie might just have an inside track to a few of them. Tendrils of sound reach up and grab you, pulling you into the dark abyss of space, letting you float on clouds of vaporous gasses and natural wonderment. In this music, I could see the planets spin and the universe move in a breathless pace of electronic splendor.  

“Eden’s Waypoint” is a climb into the electronic realms of the vast canvas that are the heavens. Tinkling chimes and electronic blips are surrounded by swipes of sound like a radiant brush of color across velveteen blackness. There is much to be seen in the landscape of this piece. It is a voyage of discovery in a land as foreign to us as we are to it, but still we seek it out. The human heart is never content to just be…it always wants to see across the next horizon. 

“The Sum Over Histories” is the last piece on the album and one of the most effervescent. While all the pieces were celestial in nature, this song delved into the deep and hallowed mysteries of space and all of its frontiers, both in our hearts and in our imaginations. All of the books that take us to far off galaxies, namely the Alastair Reynolds series can be found within each note. Heinlein, Herbert, Moon, Cook and many more are other authors ruminating with a deep space feel. Hollow sounds, wispy sensations, electronic pulses and the complexity of a composition that transcends music into a work of the soul is what this piece is all about. If you want to experience a walk through space and time, listen to “The Sum Over Histories.”

Jonn Serrie is a revolutionary voice in the pursuit of celestial electronic music. His work encapsulates the deep mysteries of space with the human desire to explore yet another blank canvas. It is a beginning. It is the before and ever after. It is the music of the great beyond and that which will never be discovered. That is space…open…wild and free. One of the last unknowns and Jonn Serrie has crafted its soundtrack with artful electronic and brilliant compositions that have been heard at planetarium shows and on several albums. “Day Star” is the perfect end to a stressful day and the perfect gift for sci-fi fans.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Sum over Histories, Day Star, Eden's Waypoint

Tracks:
1. Day Star
2. Galaxy Prime
3. M-Theory
4. Eden's Waypoint
5.The Antares Rift
6.Quantum Seas
7.The Sum Over Histories

DanaWright, Sr. Staff Writer

August 14, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

 

New Age Instrumental Review: The Gathering II-Various Artists

Release Date: August 2014

Label: Imaginary Road Studios

Website

Will Ackerman has made his mark in music several times over and he continues to do so with his Imaginary Road Studios in Windham County, Vermont. The Gathering, released in 2012, received a lot of praise and won the Zone Music Reporter album of the year with the highest rating in their charts history.

The Gathering II is a similar collection of tracks featuring artists that recorded albums at Ackerman’s studios. I am proud to say that our affiliation is strong with most of these artists having covered their albums in reviews from last year to date. Also our affiliation with ZMR is a joy to have and a privilege to help promote these fantastic artists.

This collection of 21 select tracks sheds the light and illumination on each and every artist beautifully. Without a word the music delivers a sense of warmth and spirituality that every sentient being desires. A break from everyday pressures and stress may be the just the tonic your soul desires. The Gathering II is the right prescription. The instrumentals are led by the piano in many instances however many other instruments become factors as well and create the same pleasant desired effects. 

Lawrence Blatt’s “Where The Pines Once Stood” and Matteo Palmer’s “Ex Nihilo” are fine examples of where the compilation steps away from the ivory keys and lets the six-string do all the talking. Blatt’s guitar whispers sweet nothings in your ear from where the strong and tall trees once stood and Palmer’s sweet and graceful picking showcase the sheer beauty one guitar can make if played properly. Those are but two examples of the transitions all of this music can offer within one singular track. 

These tracks are artists taking a once empty canvas and painting their broad musical strokes to create their own individual masterpieces into one collective of amazing new age instrumentals. As one entity they are representative of the genre and serve as an introduction to not only their world but to the Imaginary Road Studios where it all begins. The recording process is impeccable and the studio resonates with the full bodied sound provided by each individual artist. It all seamlessly falls into sync with the awesome surroundings of rolling hills, majestic green mountains and fresh air. 

I would not be surprised to see this second edition of The Gathering to make its mark once again on an audience eager to absorb and fully enjoy each track. This is a taste of heaven my music loving friends and it comes highly recommended from this listener. 

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Tracks:
01.Afterglow-Ann Sweeten
02.Joy Comes Again-David Kydd
03.Starlight Melody-Denise Young
04.Early Falls The Christmas Snow-Dominic Silla
05.Naked Love-Fiona Joy
06.All Souls Lullaby-Heidi Bryer
07.Uncertainty-Isadar
08.Sojourn-Jim Gabriel
09.Midwinter Lullaby-Katherine Kay
10.Calligraphy-Lauren Sullivan
11.Where The Pines Once Stood-Lawrence Blatt
12.Sailing-Louis Colaiannia
13.Yew and I-Lynn Yew Evers
14.Lullaby For The Hills-Masako
15.Ex Nihilo-Matteo Palmer
16.Photograph-Rebecca Arnold
17.Pathway To Love-Ryan Michael Richards
18.Devodance-Shambu
19.Open Spaces-Stanton Lanier
20.All The Days of My Life-Vincent Avella
21.Dark Blue Wind-Vin Downes

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

August 13, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Instrumental Piano/New Age/Classical Review: Tim Neumark-Storm

Release Date: April 2014

Label: Indie

Website

Tim Neumark creates a Storm of emotions with his piano on his recent release. The CD includes 12 tracks that were released as singles from 2013 to 2014. The artist has released four previous albums and now introduces a beautiful tapestry of emotions and tastes through his talented fingers. 

Neumark’s focus is the range of emotions that include anger and heartbreak and all of the situations that arise during those feelings. The list is long for the human condition and although the atmospheres created have a laid back sad tone to them, the beauty of each track is easy to recognize. This man is tremendously talented. His special touch and classical new age sounds will soothe and heal a soul just waiting for that moment to arrive.

As Neumark explains on his website…There is a different mood than previous albums, Stormcontains almost all minor tracks, reaching a deeper emotional depth including both anger and heartbreak. In an era where individual tracks are the norm, Storm was composed as a single project that's meant to be experienced from the first track to the last, while also providing tracks that are memorable enough to stand alone.

I felt using that passage encapsulates what you will get while listening to Storm. Right from the door opener to your soul “Anticipation,” it sets the mood instantly. Anticipation eventually leads to “Transitions” then to the solace and grace of the heaven sent “Meditation: Calm.” Every track gently nudges you in the right direction while inviting the healing process to begin. 

What I enjoyed most about this album was its utter simplicity. The effect is direct and stunning. This is indeed a most beautiful Storm that you will want to experience over and over. Neumark’s classical influences are everywhere on this recording yet he is able to introduce it all with a new age flare and precision that serves a higher purpose. Music so expressive and elegant definitely can be your own private Chicken Soup For The Soul.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

5/5 Stars

Tracks:
01.Anticipation
02.Ice
03.See You Soon
04.Setting Sail
05.Stolen
06.Transitions
07.Meditation: Calm
08.Storm
09.Waiting
10.Adrift
11.Forgiveness
12.Peace

Key Tracks: ALL

May 7, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews