How does an ageless Christmas Classic song become something new and refreshing? I have an answer to that question! It takes talent but it can be done. If you listen to Michele McLaughlin's track "What Child Is This?" off her recently released album Christmas Plain & Simple III, you will find out.
Michele's solo piano breathes new life into the track. Her piano artistry is on full display on this track as I am sure it is on the entire album.
Check it out now I am sure it will get you in the true spirit of the Holidays.
My music is my story, it is my diary, my journal, my biography… a glimpse into my soul.
I started playing piano when I was very young. My earliest memories are around the age of 5, playing piano for show-n-tell in kindergarten. I’ve always had a musical ear, and could figure out any melody I heard. I’ve also always been drawn to pianos… if there was a piano or keyboard in the room, I gravitated toward it, longing to touch and play it. There has always just been a connection between the piano and I...READ MORE...
London - Prog rock pioneers, Mabel Greer's Toyshop (for without Mabel Greer, there would be no YES), are to release a new album The Secret on December 8th.
On this album, Peter Banks (former YES & Flash guitarist) can be heard playing a guitar duo with Mabel Greer's founder, guitarist and vocalist, Clive Bayley for the first time in 50 years. Clive has written a new song around guitar parts recorded by Peter Banks, who passed away in 2013. This song is a tribute to Banks and Chris Squire who both joined the band in September 1967.
Bayley explains, “I was inspired to do this because Peter's passing in 2013 was the catalyst for meeting Bob Hagger (drummer with Mabel Greer's Toyshop) again and coming up with the crazy idea of re-forming Mabel Greer. The result is that we have produced two new albums since then, and released re-mastered BBC tapes from 1967 on the EP Images”.
The Secret is an album of 9 new songs, with Max Hunt on keyboards and Hugo Barré on bass joining Bayley and Hagger. With roots back to an era when music evolved like never before and now combined with musical maturity, this album is must have for all Prog fans everywhere.
Track Listing:
1. Big Brother, Little Brother 2. Love's Fire 3. Turning To The Light 4. Angel Sent 5. More & More 6. Swan 7. Image of Existence 8. You 9. The Secret (ft. Peter Banks)
Clive and Bob first met in 1966 - a time when the London underground music scene was an impressive force for future development of a different kind of rock music. Clive was only 16 years old but had already been playing in a band since the age of 13. He was writing his own compositions and knew what kind of music he wanted to perform. Bob had previously been for an audition with THE SYN whose bassist was Chris Squire and guitarist Peter Banks. Not long after, both Squire and Banks joined Bob and Clive in Mabel Greer's Toyshop and the seeds of YES were planted. In early 1968, Jon Anderson also joined the group, followed by Bill Bruford, who replaced Bob and Tony Kaye joined on keyboards. When Clive left the band in August that year they changed name to “YES”.
Fast forward to 2013, Clive met Bob again for the first time in 45 years! Both now in their sixties. The first thing Clive said to Bob was “let's get into the studio, see if we still have the old magic”. The result became the album New Way Of Life featuring Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye, released in 2015.
London - Prog rock pioneers, Mabel Greer's Toyshop (for without Mabel Greer, there would be no YES), are to release a new album The Secret on December 8th.
On this album, Peter Banks (former YES & Flash guitarist) can be heard playing a guitar duo with Mabel Greer's founder, guitarist and vocalist, Clive Bayley for the first time in 50 years. Clive has written a new song around guitar parts recorded by Peter Banks, who passed away in 2013. This song is a tribute to Banks and Chris Squire who both joined the band in September 1967.
Bayley explains, “I was inspired to do this because Peter's passing in 2013 was the catalyst for meeting Bob Hagger (drummer with Mabel Greer's Toyshop) again and coming up with the crazy idea of re-forming Mabel Greer. The result is that we have produced two new albums since then, and released re-mastered BBC tapes from 1967 on the EP Images”.
The Secret is an album of 9 new songs, with Max Hunt on keyboards and Hugo Barré on bass joining Bayley and Hagger. With roots back to an era when music evolved like never before and now combined with musical maturity, this album is must have for all Prog fans everywhere.
Track Listing:
1. Big Brother, Little Brother 2. Love's Fire 3. Turning To The Light 4. Angel Sent 5. More & More 6. Swan 7. Image of Existence 8. You 9. The Secret (ft. Peter Banks)
Clive and Bob first met in 1966 - a time when the London underground music scene was an impressive force for future development of a different kind of rock music. Clive was only 16 years old but had already been playing in a band since the age of 13. He was writing his own compositions and knew what kind of music he wanted to perform. Bob had previously been for an audition with THE SYN whose bassist was Chris Squire and guitarist Peter Banks. Not long after, both Squire and Banks joined Bob and Clive in Mabel Greer's Toyshop and the seeds of YES were planted. In early 1968, Jon Anderson also joined the group, followed by Bill Bruford, who replaced Bob and Tony Kaye joined on keyboards. When Clive left the band in August that year they changed name to “YES”.
Fast forward to 2013, Clive met Bob again for the first time in 45 years! Both now in their sixties. The first thing Clive said to Bob was “let's get into the studio, see if we still have the old magic”. The result became the album New Way Of Life featuring Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye, released in 2015.
London - Prog rock pioneers, Mabel Greer's Toyshop (for without Mabel Greer, there would be no YES), are to release a new album The Secret on December 8th.
On this album, Peter Banks (former YES & Flash guitarist) can be heard playing a guitar duo with Mabel Greer's founder, guitarist and vocalist, Clive Bayley for the first time in 50 years. Clive has written a new song around guitar parts recorded by Peter Banks, who passed away in 2013. This song is a tribute to Banks and Chris Squire who both joined the band in September 1967.
Bayley explains, “I was inspired to do this because Peter's passing in 2013 was the catalyst for meeting Bob Hagger (drummer with Mabel Greer's Toyshop) again and coming up with the crazy idea of re-forming Mabel Greer. The result is that we have produced two new albums since then, and released re-mastered BBC tapes from 1967 on the EP Images”.
The Secret is an album of 9 new songs, with Max Hunt on keyboards and Hugo Barré on bass joining Bayley and Hagger. With roots back to an era when music evolved like never before and now combined with musical maturity, this album is must have for all Prog fans everywhere.
Track Listing:
1. Big Brother, Little Brother
2. Love's Fire
3. Turning To The Light
4. Angel Sent
5. More & More
6. Swan
7. Image of Existence
8. You
9. The Secret (ft. Peter Banks)
Clive and Bob first met in 1966 - a time when the London underground music scene was an impressive force for future development of a different kind of rock music. Clive was only 16 years old but had already been playing in a band since the age of 13. He was writing his own compositions and knew what kind of music he wanted to perform. Bob had previously been for an audition with THE SYN whose bassist was Chris Squire and guitarist Peter Banks. Not long after, both Squire and Banks joined Bob and Clive in Mabel Greer's Toyshop and the seeds of YES were planted. In early 1968, Jon Anderson also joined the group, followed by Bill Bruford, who replaced Bob and Tony Kaye joined on keyboards. When Clive left the band in August that year they changed name to “YES”.
Fast forward to 2013, Clive met Bob again for the first time in 45 years! Both now in their sixties. The first thing Clive said to Bob was “let's get into the studio, see if we still have the old magic”. The result became the album New Way Of Life featuring Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye, released in 2015.
Camille Nelson’s recent release is hard to put into a neat
little box. Some music is actually like that and not very memorable. With Lead Me Home she plays the acoustic
guitar and violin. She offers a multitude of colors and flavors for a
perspective audience.
This music is atmospheric and something you may here as the
soundtrack to Western type of movie. It does cover a lot of ground including
spirituals, roots, blues, folk and new age.
That kind of eclectic selection for one album holds a
listener’s interest from start to finish. It certainly did the trick for me.
Camille and her many talents will keep you spellbound. This
is a complete soundtrack, one that could fit into any listener’s lifestyle or
musical preference. It is like getting in an easy chair and just letting your
hair down for a while. Music such as this prompts this kind of feeling as the
movie in your mind flickers away. Additionally, if you want to empty your mind
this can be accomplished as well.
Some of the highlights for my ears was the outstanding
picking on the acoustic guitar and the slide playing. The slide of course gave
the tracks a definite blues and roots feeling to them. I could picture rustic
scenery, or a cowboy riding into the sun setting off in the distance (like one
of those old Clint Eastwood movies). That is what this music did for me.
Everyone is different and for my tastes and interpretations that is the movie
that I could see in my mind.
Camille Nelson is the kind of talent that could get noticed
by more than one industry and I look forward to what she will create next. Lead Me Home should make plenty of ears
perk up along the way before she decides to go back into the studio again.
Review
Provided By New Age Music Reviews Tracks: 01. Amazing Grace 02. How Great Thou Art 03. Nearer My God to Thee 04. Be Thou My Vision (feat. Alex Sharpe) 05. Adelia 06. Be Still My Soul 07. Israel Israel God Is Calling 08. Come Come Ye Saints (feat. Steven Sharp Nelson) 09. Lead Me Home 10. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing 11. Patterns of Light 12. Count Your Many Blessings
