Instrumental New Age/Jazz/World Review: Lawrence Blatt-Longitudes & Latitudes

Release Date: August 9, 2016

Label: LMB Music

Website

When I saw that Lawrence Blatt’s latest release Longitudes & Latitudes was produced by Will Ackerman it totally made sense. Ackerman is a great acoustic guitar player that I have enjoyed over the years particularly when he was running his Windham Hill label.

Right from the outset of this album I could hear Ackerman’s influence however now he is more of an influence on the production side of the house. Tom Eaton is the engineer on the album as well, a consistent partner of Ackerman.

As stated on his website Lawrence often plays in an open tuning to create a nice rhythm then adds the other instruments. It is a very effective combination. He plays electric and acoustic guitars and synthesizer (and like any good musician has many to choose from). Many of the guests appearing on the album help to make this journey complete including Ackerman and the marvelous brass of Jeff Oster. Because of the diversity offered on the album it is clearly an instrumental foray into new age, jazz and world.

The percussive elements on the track “Ima” along with various earthy tones, switch the albums path to a worldlier flavor when prior tracks were bubbling over with a definite new age/jazz flavor and inspiration. The beauty of many of the recordings I have heard this year pay tribute to Mother Earth and that is the route Lawrence took as well on several tracks. With 15 tracks there is plenty to process and it’s a beautiful thing.

“Upon Griffy Lake” carries a gorgeous melody with the equally attractive female vocals of Noah Wilding. The lady seems to call out to you from beyond as the music lets you float to your destination via the acoustic and electric guitar lines of Lawrence. He uses a intriguing and impactful combination of acoustic and electric instruments with the young lady’s voice serving as an instrument as well. It is one my favorite tracks. So much beauty and gracefulness packed into one song is hard for the mind, body and spirit to miss.

The other component I recognized on this album is the excellent restraint exercised when needed to accentuate each instrument allowing for the best compliment to each. Each track moves from strength to strength.

“Noches de Barcelona” is full of the embodiment that is Spain and the video with the track is beautiful. It was featured on our Rate The Tracks site and is provided here as well.  We have also included a preview of the album with a video and a Soundcloud stream so you can get a good idea of what this talented artist can offer.

This is 5-star recording session that is both relaxing and exciting at the same time, not an easy task to pull off. It is all done extremely well and the tastes of genres is most appealing including the mixture of them all in one single track.

Add Longitudes & Latitudes to your list one of the very best instrumental recordings of 2016. It’s not hard to do if you appreciate new age, jazz or world or all three combined, the choice is obvious so give it a good listen!

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Ima, Upon Griffy Lake, Noches de Barcelona

Tracks: 
01. Two Shades of Sunshine
02. Longitudes and Latitudes
03. A Place in Your Heart
04. Hyde Park Bench
05. Open Fields and Running Water
06. Two Steps Down the Line
07. I.M.A.
08. Morning in Beerse
09. Upon Griffy Lake
10. The Places Left Behind
11. Park Lane
12. Noches De Barcelona
13. Flying over Ellis Island
14. Slow Walk Past the Bank
15. Over the Rainbow
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

September 30, 2016

Founder of:

MuzikMan Productions

MuzikMan Reviews

Write A Music Review

Prog Rock Music Talk

New Age Music Reviews

Rate The Tracks

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age-Jazz-World Instrumental Review: Todd Mosby-On Eagle Mountain

Release Date: April, 1, 2016

Label: Mosby Music Group
Website

Todd Mosby creates an intriguing combination of new age, jazz and world music on his new release On Eagle Mountain.

As an introduction to this artist I had the pleasure of focusing in on one track on our Rate The Tracks site. “Spirit Dancer” is a multicultural brew of new age with some infusion of smooth jazz topped off by hints of world to make it a distinct crossover flight.  

As with many of the recordings at Will Ackerman’s Imaginary Road Studios, some familiar names are part of the equation. The incomparable Tony Levin and several others including Michael Manring, Jill Halley and Tom Eaton combined with the astute guidance of Ackerman make for an unbeatable team. They all draw out the very best from each other during a recording session.

“Eagle Mountain” in all its beauty and splendor pictured on the cover of this recording gets a proper introduction through the delicate and tasteful guitar playing of Mr. Mosby. The bass section is amazing as well and it all jells into auditory perfection.

The great outdoors can inspire and refresh when embraced and surely Todd is one such person. After listening to this music that one thought becomes reality. “Falling Light” dances and sings and turns into one of my favorites very quickly. It is nearly six minutes of musical enchantment. It builds and builds until you hear percussion, violin, guitar and bass all intersecting at the same point. I really enjoyed the way the track started with a simple foundation then built a towering monument of sound. As the sun rises over the mountain peak it falls onto the trees, animals, vegetation and people below. This is a beautiful thought process that becomes totally engaging once transferred to music.

I think the artist really gets in touch with his surroundings while recording this music and obviously could envision the places he held dear in his mind and heart. Instruments like the ewi, bells, singing bowls and English horn, cello and other elements make their presence known and are part of the final product.

Perhaps the deciding factor that made this entire listening experience coalesce for my ears and spirit was how Todd took his guitar and added all the other instruments to make On Eagle Mountain a delight to fall into, like your favorite comfy chair. This recording was like a culinary delight taking every ingredient and then measuring it properly to flesh out the sound for each individual track. Interesting enough the titles go very well with the music.

On Eagle Mountain took me down a road that made me feel alive and free just like the open sky and mountains ranges that adorn our land. Music that is that powerful needs recognition and validation. It was my pleasure to be one of the fortunate people to give all the credit to the creators of this superb release.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Spirit Dancer, Eagle Mountain, Falling Light

Tracks:

01. SPIRIT OF THE MOUNTAIN

02. SOARING 

03. EAGLE MOUNTAIN 

04. FALLING LIGHT 

05. COLORADO, MISSOURI 

06. JACK’S FORK 

07. SPIRIT DANCER 

08. ODE TO JOE

09. MOON SONG 

10. MOUNTAIN LULLABY

11. STAR SONG
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder

February 11, 2016

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Jazz World Fusion Review: Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann-Beyond Borders

Genre: Jazz World Fusion

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Label: UMP Records

Website

Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann have released a jazz world fusion album that reminded me of why I fell in love with jazz back in the early eighties listening to Al DiMeola, Jean Luc Ponty and Stanley Clark. Those artists showed me the way and invited me to explore a complex genre of music that offers a journey that never ends. 

With Beyond Borders, one of many releases that this duo has brought to the masses over the years, they have reestablished their place in the world of music. Several songs on Beyond Borders are tributes to jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar, and Beatle George Harrison.

I do not use the term world lightly; if you look at the fascinating and expressive cover it says it all for these artists. To me, the cover conveys that we are one people on this vast globe and music can unite us. So, let’s try to make our own music as a sentient race and make this a better place to live. This of course leaves the door open to your own personal interpretation and that is the beauty of such a stunning work of art as portrayed on the cover of this CD and all the music that it contains. As quoted from the artist page “Beyond Borders is considered their “Magnum Opus” featuring a collection of songs composed over a 40-year span of creative output, dedicated to the belief that music has the power to uplift the human spirit and be a catalyst for change in the world.” I think that puts it all into a proper perspective.

The term jazz world fusion comes into perfect focus with the opening track “Ciao Bella” (which was featured on Rate The Tracks). In Italian it translates to "Hi/Bye Beautiful," and what a hello it is. The first time I heard the sitar in popular music was back in the 60s when George Harrison introduced it into The Beatles music. I cannot say it is an instrument that fascinates me like some others however in this particular case I was amazed how beautiful and appropriate it sounded in “Shanti Om,” the dedication to Harrison and Shankar. It is one of the best tracks on the recording. The myriad of instruments employed throughout this project make it one of the more eclectic listens of the year.

There is something to take into account regarding the flow and energy in life, it is crucial to the balance of the body, mind and spirit. With that in mind I realized after a few listens to this captivating album that this brought this concept to the forefront of my consciousness.

“White Cloud Black Thunder” is another prolific change during the course of this album. It is a reminder of from whence we came and encourages us to honor our Native American brothers and sisters that gave us so much while receiving so little during the development of our great nation. It serves as a rain dance of life with tribal beats and chants accompanied by music that will mesmerize you.

For this listener Beyond Borders was like a guide to syncing my soul with my surroundings and finding more appreciation for the beauty of the human spirit and how Mother Nature can be one with us. The key is that we honor her rather than interfere with that delicate balance and synchronicity that is necessary for a spiritual partnership, one that has always been there. All of that and more can be discovered in the music, it invites you and cajoles you into a perfect blend of sound and textures that bring you to another place that is pure and feels right. In essence everything about this release reaches Beyond Borders, in fact any lines in the sand or self-imposed restrictions melt away, they all disappear after one listen. Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann have created a masterpiece of jazz world fusion that will surely receive high praise for quite some time.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Ciao Bella, Shanti Om, White Cloud Black Thunder

Tracks:
01. Ciao Bella
02. Fear Not Fear
03. Unidad Anthem
04. Unidad
05. Wherever You Are
06. Shanti Om
07. White Cloud Black Thunder
08. There's Always Hope
09. Love Letters (The Story of Abelard & Heloise)
10. Fun in the Sun
11. Unidad Epilogue

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

August 6, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews