New Age Instrumental Review: Alan Matthews-The Ineffable

Release Date: October 9, 2017

Label: Independent

Website

Ineffable is a word that means too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words. In my world I have not heard it used, in fact, this is the first time I have ever heard of this word. I am not ashamed to admit it and I always have an open door to learning every day.

This is the name that describes the music of musician Alan Matthews, whose first release came out last October, The Ineffable. I have to say, after reading his bio, that he is one of the more interesting and complex characters I have had the pleasure to cover in a music review.

As Will Ackerman so astutely makes us aware of in the CD liner notes, “Alan Matthews lives in a very cerebral world as a physician.” His transformation as a musician enters him into an entirely different realm.

It is important to note that Alan was influenced by his father who was also a doctor and jazz enthusiast and a player as well. As I have always said, you are a product of your environment. And lucky for us that he was influenced by his father as now we can enjoy his inspired and beautiful music all interpreted from the ivory keys. I acknowledge him for having the ability to separate himself from his daily work and stepping into a completely different world and fitting in so nicely.

So, we have music that is so powerful and meaningful to this man that it cannot be described in words. I can appreciate a thought like that and with all sincerity, can think of feeling that way many times throughout my life.

Alan Matthews plays his instrument with great skill and rhythm. I always find it amazing how an individual can have a feeling or thought process, play out a tune then name it, and sometimes very appropriately. I think that in and of itself is a tremendous gift to have along with being able to present music with form and substance without uttering a word.

The Ineffable is an incredibly successful and impactful debut for an artist that has now made himself available on a world level. I am certain that this is just the beginning of many amazing recordings that Alan Matthews is going to produce in the coming years. Right out of the gate he has a great start with this release. The bar is now set high but I have a feeling that will not phase him and he will just get behind the piano and let it go and let it flow, just like he did on the eleven tracks on this album.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

August 22, 2018

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Tracks:
01. Moiras Song
02. No Words Remain
03. The Resigned
04. The Conversation   
05. The Second Goodbye
06. Strange to Me
07. Wistful
08. The Empty House
09. What She Knows
10. You Don’t Know What Day It Is
11. Moiras Song Reprise
 

Jazz Day Camp of The Berkshires In Concert at Bounti Fare Restaurant

Jazz Day Camp of The Berkshires In Concert at Bounti Fare Restaurant

August 17, 2018
Adams, MA.

I attended a very special event that happened last evening right in our own backyard. The Bounti Fare Restaurant hosted a concert for the Berkshires Jazz Day Camp.

The camp was for five days hosted by Jacob Keplinger. The students came in from all over Berkshire County and there was a young man from Boston as well.

Each professional musician is also a teacher, in fact, some teach at several schools. The instructors included bassist Alex Blake, who started his career with Sun Ra; drummer Victor Jones, who has played with Chaka Khan; and pianist Charles Blenzig, who has played with Marcus Miller and Michael Brecker, Alex Foster, saxophonist, who has played with several artists over the years and has been a resident of the Saturday Night Live band for 28 years and most importantly, North Adams native Richard Boulger, the originator of the camp, plays trumpet, and got his start with Freddie Hubbard.

Richard Boulger was instrumental in conceiving and implementing the camp. He teaches in the public-school system in New York City in the Brownsville section a socio-economically depressed part of the city.  Notwithstanding the same young jazz students come out of his program and go on to the jazz program at Lincoln Center under Winton Marsalis then from any other school in the city.  

This was an unexpected treat for everyone in attendance. It all happened because of few key people that include of course Richard Boulger, William Kolis, Mike Mach, Jacob Keplinger, and important contributions from folks like Edmund St. John.  Kolis and St. John are lovers of the arts and have been major supporters of live music in the Berkshires. Kolis was involved with Nashville in the Berkshires Music Festival for two years and I have seen Edmund at many live concerts over the years that I was covering.

It is nice to see influential and affluent people giving back to the community and more importantly to the arts and our children. A big thanks goes out to all those gentlemen that had a hand in making this event happen. Also sponsors such as Berkshire Bank, Ellen and David Clarkson and the St. John's helped to make this event a reality.

The young folks in High School that are musicians had an opportunity to work with these professionals and learn how to play music without any notes, music sheets, iPads or anything, just open-ended jamming. Although it was for only three days these talented young people put on one great show. All the horns, bass, keyboards, vibes and drums all came together and the pros added their own flavor to the mix. This was a very unique form of entertainment and quite enjoyable. I felt I was witnessing something very special, it felt that way all night. I have to give the nod to all of these wonderful teachers that showed these youngsters what they were capable of creating. It’s a beautiful thing and even more impressive to unfold before your eyes.

My nephew is Bryan Brophy, he plays the keyboards. If it wasn’t for him I would not have found out about the event. We are of course very proud of his accomplishments as are all the other parents there in attendance.

One of the things that made the evening so special was the fact that it was so up close and personal. The pros there were very helpful in explaining how things developed during the camp with all the young musicians. Additionally, they spoke with the parents of the children whenever they could, offering encouragement and letting them know of the potential these amazing kids have.

One thing I learned from Charles Blenzig and Alex Foster was that there are many fine music schools and parents don’t have to pay upwards of 50k for exclusive schools like Berkley. That was an eye-opener for a lot of folks there looking for direction to get their children in to keep them developing all their talents.

There were some performances by the pros that were excellent. This segment of the show was an interesting contrast to all the kids joining in. I have provided a short clip of bassist Alex Blake showing how one instrument can entertain an entire audience.

The Jazz Day Camp of the Berkshires and last night’s concert was a fantastic success and I hope the community continues to support this kind of event more often. It’s all about supporting music programs in our schools and encouraging today’s generation to carry on and be able to become teachers themselves one day. What better way to give back than to mentor an upcoming musician? This is what it’s all about.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

August 18, 2018

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 Note: This is by no means a professional video, I took it with my phone just to get a snippet of a bass solo by one of the pros at the concert that evening-KH

San Francisco Jazz Singer NOA LEVY to Release Her Debut EP TAKE TWO & Perform a RISING STAR SHOWCASE at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley

San Francisco, CA – With a beautiful, rounded voice and a magnetic stage presence, NOA LEVY is a unique and charismatic female vocalist and performer who sings across genres – Jazz, Rock, Cabaret, Musicals, and Pop. She has set a worldwide digital release date of August 17, 2018, for her recently recorded debut TAKE TWO EP, a thoughtful collection of Jazz arrangements featuring NOA LEVY in a duo format with three different instrumentalists. That same day, Noa will headline her own RISING STAR SHOWCASE at the California Jazz Conservatory, featuring songs from the TAKE TWO EP as well as other material.

Drawing on influences from her favorite musicians and artists including Peter Gabriel, Brad Mehldau, and Carmen McRae, NOA LEVY has developed her own signature arrangements of classic and unique tunes to paint a picture that anyone listening can relate to. Her favorite thing about jazz is the possibility to collaborate with fellow musicians about universal themes and day to day life, and her arrangements on the TAKE TWO EP are the fruit of some of these collaborations. She is also developing her own original songwriting, and will perform a handful of shows to support the release of the TAKE TWO EP throughout the summer and fall of 2018.

NOA LEVY is currently studying and honing her craft at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, CA, while also working on her repertoire and performing with local musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally born in Jerusalem, she grew up for most of her life in Israel. She has performed with Israel’s National Chamber Orchestra, was invited to tour and record an album with Israel’s leading composer and pianist, Yoni Rechter, and was co-lead singer for the popular ABBA tribute band, Waterloo. She also arranged and directed her own cabaret show, Cheetah. Since moving to San Francisco in 2016, NOA LEVY has immersed herself in the world of jazz. In 2017, Jazz in the Neighborhood twice recognized her as an Emerging Artist, providing her the opportunity to perform and study with the eminent Bay Area jazz singer Clairdee and the prolific Brazilian jazz singer and composer Sandy Cressman. She was also invited to collaborate on the Jazz Voices of Poetry project which debuted new material early in 2018.

Her passion for performance was apparent at just four years old when her grandparents found her dancing on stage at a large music festival. While listening to Queen’s Greatest Hits on a cassette tape given by her father, she discovered her singing voice at age 12 – she was blown away by the amazing musicality and vocal talents of Freddie Mercury and she’s been singing ever since. In middle school, she joined a renowned local theater group and starred in lead roles as the group toured Israel.

At 18, for her mandatory military service, NOA LEVY auditioned for and was inducted into the IDF’s prestigious Navy Ensemble where she performed throughout Israel and also toured across the United States. Following her IDF service, she pursued her passion and developed her talent for musical theater at the London School of Musical Theatre in London, England, earning a diploma. Afterwards, she concentrated on music studies at Rimon School of Music in Israel.

The first release party for her TAKE TWO EP will be held on August 17, 2018, at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley (formerly known as the Jazzschool). A privately-owned non-profit music school founded in 1997, the school won accreditation as a conservatory in early 2014, and is the only American school with a year-round jazz music program.

For more information about NOA LEVY please visit: www.noalevylive.com

To purchase tickets to the RISING STAR SHOWCASE on August 17, 2018, please visit: https://cjc.edu/concerts/?eid=27355

To Pre-Order the TAKE TWO EP on digital services please visit: http://smarturl.it/NoaLevyTakeTwo

To Pre-Order the TAKE TWO EP on Bandcamp please visit: https://noalevylive.bandcamp.com

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR: (828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective: jerome@independentdistro.com

Featured Track: Children of Aleppo-By James Alexander Featuring Úyanga Bold

"Children of Aleppo" was developed for the Original Soundtrack, Alternative, World and New Age genres according the artist James Alexander.

The song is dedicated to those that cannot speak for themselves. It is a message to man from the heavens.

The music is texutred with many colors and a beautiful atmosphere that reaches your soul instantaneously. It is prolific instrumental music meant to have an impact on the listener. Once you understand what the track is about then it really hits home.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck



More About James Alexander
http://childrenofaleppo.org/

My Music Tells My Story 

James Alexander is an American composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, musician & poet of Indian origin. He considers A.R Rahman as his musical guru. At an early age, he was deeply influenced by the music of ARR in films like Roja, Bombay, Duet, Rangeela and Taal...READ MORE...

New Age/World Instrumental Review: Marcia Watson Bendo-Woodland Moons

Release Date: August 17th, 2018

Label: Independent

Website

I love it when I am able to read about an artist and all their amazing accomplishments. It gets everything into proper perspective before listening. Then writing about what I heard becomes more meaningful.

Marcia Watson Bendo is a multi-talented artist that is accomplished in many disciplines including the violin and a large selection of Native American Flutes. Picking up a woodwind changed her life and her music.

Woodland Moons is her tribute to that instrument. In her own words, the artist explains what her music stands for…. 

“I strive to artistically create music that resonates with people by expressing an emotion, an image, a story, or reviving a memory.”

From where I sit, that wraps it all up in a nice package and puts a bow on it. This type of music has a magical and mystical essence that cannot be compared to any other genre that is within my realm. I know there is a lot to choose from in the globally connected world we live in, so the choices are made by personal tastes and or a drive for exploration. Back when I was a young teenager I would buy albums out of curiosity. I have not lost that part of my decision-making process I just refined it over the years a bit. In any instance, I would not hesitate to listen to music like what Woodland Moons has to offer. The feeling of discovering something new and stimulating consumed me with this album.

“Berry Moon” for instance, takes the flute and builds all the other instruments around it. The flute playing still stands out however the other music just enhances the entire track. The instrumentations and orchestrations are beautifully done and arranged. This track, in particular, illustrates the pliability of one instrument wrapping itself around everything else to create a bigger sound that reaches the listener. As I always say, it comes across differently for each individual yet it remains universal with no borders. That is the beauty and perfection of music and the one element that will never change. I am very grateful for that.

Even though each song is about a different moon, it most certainly works because of the thought process the artist goes through. We do have many moons that we see in our sky, however, looking at the varying degrees presented here gives it an entirely new flavor. This interpretation is related to nature and our precious mother earth and all it has to offer us. Also, this may serve as a reminder of how we need to take care of our planet and appreciate how it sustains all life.

Woodland Moons is twelve tracks of musical bliss that will serve every listener well. I highly recommend it for relaxing, meditation and for getting a spiritual connection. You can get a greater respect for your inner voice and purpose. If you listen enough, you will honor that inner voice and thank the music for bringing you to that realization.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

August 13, 2018

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Tracks:
01. Fallen Leaves Moon
02. Planting Moon
03. Strawberry Moon
04. Midsummer Moon
05. Forest Moon
06. Yellow Leaves Moon
07. Big Bear Moon
08. Snow Moon
09. Crane Moon
10. Maple Sugar Moon
11. Little Bear Moon
12. Berry Moon