New Age/ Piano Instrumental Review: Joe Heinemann-Gratitude

Release Date: January 15, 2016

Label: Independent

Website

Joe Heinemann has been dipping his toe into music since the young age of seven. Studying everything from jazz to classical and dance music, he has progressed to solo piano. This new album is all about leaving something behind. To explore new horizons and know that what you've accomplished is what you were meant to do. It is a theme that resonates with a lot of artists, writers and composers and with this album, the desire is well met. 

Gratitude brings us a look at the tender emotions that make up life and living and the knowledge that in one breath, it could be gone in an instant. "Lenape" is the first song on the album, and begins with tender strokes along the piano keys. Each touch of the finger brings meaning and introspection. We are alive. We breathe. We feel-even when it hurts. Strings slide along and whisper sweet nothings alongside the piano movements, crafting a sweet melody that haunts the soul and draws us into the album.

"Sign of Spring" is one of the flagship tunes on the album. It begins with a poignant glimpse into a brisk spring morning, full of hope and expectation. Rain splashes down on the fresh green stalks of grass, each bursting with life. Each keystroke is implemented with a purpose, plodding and well thought out. It is an awakening of the earth and the soul.

"Gratitude" is the title track on the album and a very apt song title. Meaningful keystrokes illustrate emotion, highlighting our inner lives. Gratitude comes when you appreciate the world around you. It is in the small things. The simple act of giving, a lick from a dog who loves you, a tender glance between husband and wife. It is the air we breathe and the essence of our being. With every keystroke, Heinemann illustrates why it matters. To have gratitude is to appreciate life in all of its foibles and idiosyncrasies. To be fully aware that we aren't perfect and to be loved in spite of it.

Joe Heinemann has created an album filled with blissful moments. For days I've listened contently writing while my dogs huddle around my feet in abject happiness. There is joy in the little things and today as rain clouds tease me with the promise of a dark afternoon for writing and thought, I'm grateful for this music and happy canine companionship. Heinemann takes our longing, our late nights and our solace and wraps it up in one neat little album. Every note is right on. Every emotive melody there for us to relish over and over again. And I have-and will again. This album is a must have if you enjoy a quiet interlude away from the world.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Sign of Spring, Gratitude, Lenape

Tracks:
 01.Lenape
02.Enduring Hope
03.For Satie
04.Sea Dream (Away)
05.Sign of Spring
06.Longing
07.Solace
08.My Song (Carried Along)
09.Gratitude
10.Golden Waves
11.Late At Night
 

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

January 22, 2016

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Instrumental New Age Review: Robert Linton-Beyond The Clearing

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Label: October Moon Records

Website

Beyond The Clearing is Robert Linton’s third studio release. My introduction to Robert was the track “Aside the River Bed.” It was featured on our Rate The Tracks site. His delicate guitar playing led me along the river and I felt like I was there, one with nature.

If music moves you enough to be picturesque then it is doing what intends to. Instrumental tracks must create something other than an auditory experience for the listener. Without words there is no story right? This is not always the case when someone knows how to deliver a message with music alone. Mr. Linton accomplishes this with a flair and excellence on Beyond The Clearing.

“Lingering Rustle” certainly holds a meaning. It is a sound, perhaps a feeling one has, something is moving and trying to tell you something. That lingering could be a feeling you have internally, whether it’s an urging, a rumbling in the stomach or just a voice within giving you direction. That fact that it is lingering indicates that it will not go away unless addressed. This song is very gentle in its approach and Robert

paints the sky with the gentle pastels of his decisive guitar lines. Other instruments come into the picture and are then sprinkled in ever so slightly to accentuate the atmosphere and sincere feeling of the track.

As always I leave the interpretation of each song to each individuals own perception. I look at the CD cover, the title of the track and listen intently then put all of that together as each track develops and then I start feeling certain things and begin seeing a movie unfold in my mind’s eye. This can only happen with exceptional music and this album passed the test.

The title track is always significant and the artist holds up his end of that expectation with “Beyond The Clearing.” Once again gentle acoustic and melodic guitar lines whisper on the wind as it swirls around your being you begin to feel like you are melting into the scenery unfolding in your mind. It is the very essence of beauty and perfection much like the natural surroundings that Robert is standing in the middle of on the cover of this album. A man, his thoughts and his guitar take the barren hot desert and turn it into his own personal heaven. What was once looked at as a desolate and lonely place blooms into a haven of peace and solitude that a spiritual individual can appreciate and want to return to.

Beyond The Clearing is a work of art that an artist with a clear vision of what he wanted to present to a listening audience. The sheer beauty of one instrument leading you down the path of completion and satisfaction is what awaits you inside this music. The sounds and colors that paint this musical canvas are bright with life and the promise of a new day. What more could one ask from a recording?

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Aside the River Bed, Lingering Rustle, Beyond The Clearing

Tracks:
01. Aside the River Bend
02. Gathering over the Surface
03. Lingering Rustle
04. Shadowing the Hillside
05. A Distant Storm
06. Beyond the Clearing
07. Stretching Across the Horizon
08. Amid the Stillness
09. Beneath the Cloudless Sky

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder

January 20, 2016

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Instrumental New Age Reviews:Raphael Groten-Journey Home

Release Date: July, 17, 2015

Label: Silent Wing Records

Website

Raphael Groten takes the six string acoustic guitar and turns it into a magic wand on his recent release Journey Home. 

The first track I had the pleasure hearing from this talented man was “Sweetness,” which is included here and it was also a featured track on our Rate The Tracks site.

This album gets in touch with our natural surroundings and with the most important element, the giver of life and water. “Black River,” “Waves” and “Ebb and Flow” (the ebb and flow of life?) are three that will push you in the right direction or downstream if you will. Music, water, all-encompassing nature, this is life and everything in existence.

Groten has complete command of his instrument. As he becomes one with nature so he does with his guitar. This music soothes the soul and calms the frazzled nerves. It is so simplistic and straightforward that it becomes easy to assimilate and picture each title in your mind’s eye. One has to be quiet internally to meditate and center and this music serves the same purpose if you let it.

Also the four sequential “Journey” tracks serve a higher purpose. As you take in nature and all its beauty it is a journey with facets and twists and turns like the imaginary river you are walking along or just sitting peacefully by. The first is “Journey Home: Awakening” followed by Breath, Echoes and then Arrival to the destination you seek.

It all makes perfect sense and is pieced together with logic and purpose. If you really listen to the singularity of Groten’s guitar it will all come together for you. It certainly did for me and when I listened and looked at all the track titles and how they progressed it was like putting on a perfect set of new shoes. 

I really enjoyed every track on this recording, however I listed the key tracks for their significance in title, besides the fact that they were all stellar compositions of beauty and grace.

Raphael Groten chose the right people to work with that would understand his music. Will Ackerman is a fine guitar player and producer himself so it is not hard to imagine why this project turned out so well.

Journey Home can hold different meanings for everyone but I know one thing for certain, if you like solo acoustic guitar music you will love this album! It is perfect just the way it is.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Sweetness, Journey Home: Awakening, Ebb & Flow

Tracks: 
01. Sweetness
02. Black River
03. Waves
04. Journey Home: Awakening
05. Journey Home: Breath
06. Journey Home: Echoes
07. Journey Home: Arrival
08. Ebb & Flow
09. Grandpa's Hands
10. Rest
12. Truth
13. Be
14. Sweetness Reprise

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder

January 14, 2016

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Instrumental New Age Review: David Lindsay-Nightbound

Release Date: November 6, 2015

Label: Fallingfoot Records

Website

With simplicity there comes beauty, spirituality and peace. David Lindsay released Nighbound late last year and with that music, his acoustic guitar to be more specific, he created 13 tracks of pure instrumental tranquility.

With the help of stellar artists such as Tony Levin and Jill Haley to name but a few, and the amazing talents of Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton at Imaginary Road Studios, another masterpiece was created for the lovers of new age instrumental music.

The music is a exquisite combination of acoustic, instrumental, new age and classical. All of these genres find a way of enhancing the other and the sounds you will hear are like watching butter melt on a hot dish of your favorite food. The ambiance and texture delights the senses and the very spirit you hold within. One track leads to the next inviting you on your own personal journey, as you ride the wave of sounds you will be instantly relaxed and motivated to hear it all.

The album opener is “Bright Stars,” which is self-explanatory. The music is clear and bright like a winter’s night sky and the light of the brightest star gets your attention instantly. Lindsay’s acoustic guitar reels you in and keeps you focused on what you are hearing without ever letting go. That is the goal of every artist, if that is accomplished then the mission is complete. The first track is the most important one for any album as it sets the precedence for the listener. In this case that point is proven with authority.

“Nightbound” is the all-important title track and it an essential part of any release. It starts off very slow and methodically to make you pay attention so you will anticipate how it develops. After about the 2:40 mark it starts to change in pace, it picks up and moves in another direction as the cello is introduced and some percussion. As each instrument comes in it adds more depth and color to the track making it sound like a potential soundtrack to a film or video - or if you wish thoughts that may be going through your mind. I appreciate the way the song provided a very purposeful introduction to set you up for a climatic ending. Even though this is graceful and thoroughly relaxing music it still provides a listener with a storyline and the hope of change in a musical sense. It does not disappoint at all.

“What The Wind Said” is another track that got my attention, at first simply for the title as it sounds so very mystical and spiritual. After listening, that train of thought was indeed confirmed. The guitar is delicate and steps lightly as it leads you to the whispering wind with strokes of the strings that help you envision what the title is saying. Just like a cool breeze brushing up against your face it speaks to you and invites you along for a journey of the soul.

For a wonderful musical experience that will leave a lasting impression and uplift your spirit I would highly recommend listening to Nightbound.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Bright Stars, Nightbound, What The Wind Said

Tracks: 01. Bright Stars 02. Dreamwalk 03. A Boy and a River 04. Nightbound 05. Ila’s Lullaby 06. Vermont 07. Unspoken 08. Bluewater Beach 09. What The Wind Said 10. Nocturne 11. Vanishing Point 12. Protectress Moon 13. Bright Stars Reprise Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder January 11, 2016 Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

 

Instrumental Piano/New Age Review: Tim Neumark-Moments-Solo Piano, Op. 7

Release Date: October 1, 2015

Label: Independent

Website

Moments is Tim Neumark’s seventh album release. A solo piano endeavor, this album looks at the small but important moments in our lives that can often go unnoticed. The conversations had between father and daughter or millions of tiny occurrences that we take for granted while they are happening, only to remember them fondly later when the moment has passed-in some cases, forever.

“Beauty” is the first track on the album and it immediately garnered my attention. The steady and heartfelt playing is an emotive experience that captures the love the artist has for his wife and daughter. Poignant and rife with appreciation for the women in his life, Neumark crafts an eloquent portrait of his loves, one keystroke at a time.

“And Then” is the second piece on the album and it struck me for the somber and thoughtful tone. It wasn’t until I read the inside notes on the cover that I realized why. It is the story of a woman who had talks with her father over the phone that always included “and then?” When her father died, she missed those dialogs. My father wasn’t a part of my life growing up. I treasured the moments when we reconnected and had those same kinds of phone conversations. I grew to know him again and when we finally got to reconnect for real it was amazing. To lose him so soon after that broke my heart. It was the talks that connected us and started it all. This song illustrates the stirring of emotions from bitter to sweet and all the echoes of emotions in between. It is truly the small moments that matter in very big ways.

“Eight-Paw Waltz” brings us to the food bowl. Oh yes. The fun moments where furry paws dance and twirl all for the love of kibbles and crunchy bits. This fun little song was written for the moments of doggie appreciation and canine food induced bliss. I have a pack of my own and to observe the delight and anticipation on my furry kids’ faces when they know it’s time for a cookie or their breakfast is one of the highlights of my day. Every keystroke is an ode to puppy-dom and the tromp of four legged feet and the joy they bring to us each and every day.

If you are searching for an album that reaches into the real moments of our lives then you have just found it. In between the big events there are the small ones. These are the ones that matter and the ones most easily taken for granted until they are gone. A conversation with a loved one, a goofy doggie smile, a few seconds of a dream before it is taken from you or even the consideration of memories that may have been. All of these things are part of our lives. The key to it is to appreciate what we have-and who we have- while they are still with us. Take a moment and listen to this amazing walk through the hidden corners of our lives…you might just find yourself hidden within the notes.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Beauty, And Then, Eight-Paw Waltz

Tracks: 
01.Beauty
02. And Then
03. Little Renée
04. Daughters
05. Waiting for Ella
06. Eight-Paw Waltz
07. 11 Seconds
08. Double in the Sun
09. What If
10  Meditation: Remembrance
11. The Orange Bridge
12. You Are Here
13. Beginnings (For Orchestra) [feat. Doug Hammer]

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

January 10, 2016

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Holiday/New Age/Classical Review: Jennifer Thomas-Winter Symphony

Release Date: November 20, 2015

Label: Tickled Ivory Music

Website

Jennifer Thomas is a talented multidimensional artist. She is a composer, pianist and violinist with a lot of respect coming from her peers in the industry. With Winter Symphony she takes tradition and several genres and creates a magnificent soundtrack. The album is titled appropriately as it is a shimmering and magical journey. At times certain parts did remind me of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I knew after hearing the first track that this recording was going to be prolific and moving.

The curtain opens to a spectacular unraveling of sound and color with “Angels We Have Heard On High (feat. The Ensign Chorus),” and the chorus indeed sounds like it was heaven sent.

The brilliance of “Carol of the Bells” opens the door to the Holiday with parts of a legendary track that come alive with cascading piano and orchestrations. Classical and New Age music merge with tradition for an entirely new universe of music for a listener to enjoy.

As an individual that gets inundated with Holiday music every year it becomes harder and harder to get my attention and any particular release to make a lasting impression. I have been fortunate this year to hear several great unconventional recordings that gave me a new perspective and outlook on this special Holiday season.

“Ice Dance” is a musical ballet with the grandeur of orchestrations, a choir and Jennifer’s tinkling and alluring piano strokes. It is quite beautiful…you can envision a lone ice skater joined by others as the song reaches its apex then winds down like a snow globe in your mind gently bringing it back to the singularity of purpose this dance represents.

As mature and distinct as this music is it can most certainly bring to light the child inside all of us. Remember when you were the wide eyed little girl/boy full of the wonder of Christmas morning? It is all here for you to absorb and hold in your heart for as long as you wish or to listen to again and again.

Winter Symphony needs a stage with actors to play out the parts of this engrossing musical story. I would not be surprised to see it all come to life on a stage or on the screen someday soon. If that does not happen I will surprised. There is so much going on in this music, it makes you feel alive and grateful for life and all there is to enjoy. The power of music proves once again that it can heal and change an attitude within minutes. The spirit of humanity and the holidays are alive and breathing in this music, do not miss it!

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Carol of the Bells, Angels We Have Heard On High (feat. The Ensign Chorus), Ice Dance

Tracks:
01. Angels We Have Heard On High (feat. The Ensign Chorus)
02. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
03. Carol of the Bells
04. Alleluia (feat. Felicia Farerre & The Ensign Chorus)
05. Ice Dance (feat. The Ensign Chorus)
06. I Saw Three Ships
07. Breath of Heaven
08. Theme from Home Alone (Somewhere in My Memory)
09. What Child Is This (feat. Taylor Davis)
10. Silent Night (feat. The Ensign Chorus)
11. Winter Symphony
12. O Holy Night

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder

December 22, 2015

Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age/Classical Review: David Lanz & Kristin Amarie-Silhouettes Of Love

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Label: Dkl Records

Website

Grammy nominated David Lanz has been thrilling fans for decades. His newest album with Kristin Amarie, Silhouettes of Love is a jazzy blend of classical and New Age sound.

“The Soaring Heart” is the first piece on the album. Filled with chimes, bells, string, piano movements and the playful sound of Kristen’s voice as she highlights the already perfect multi-instrumental experience. This track is a landscape of audible artistry and one I never get tired of listening to. Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

“Circles Round the Moon” begins with tender piano movements and the kiss of chimes. Kristen’s voice descends watching over her loved one like an angel. She hears her love singing, melodies drifting by as she ponders whether it is stardust or merely a dream. This song is a tender fairy tale of moments buried deep in the night as her true love’s arms wrap her in his embrace.

“Beatrice and Dante” is a song based on the Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri and the woman that haunted him during her life and her untimely death. Dante met Beatrice as a child and never forgot her, leading the two to fall in love despite being married off to different people. When she died at the young age of twenty four, he was devastated. His only recourse was poetry and he invokes her in two portions of his trip through the levels of Hell. 

This piece has a haunting quality, with the twisting piano and string combinations. Down and down into the bowels of the earth Dante wanders as he hears his true love’s breath on his ear. Waiting. Longing. Eternity in a state of passion that can never fully be fulfilled. Only words remain but neither can let go of their love for the other, despite one being dead and the other trapped in the land of the living. Dante is deep in contemplation of the nature of Hell and those who deserve to reside there. The sweet song of Kristin Amarie gives voice to the lovely Beatrice as the music swirls around her and she vanishes into the darkness. “Want me. Need me. Speak to me words of love…”

“Silver Threads” is a song of grief. The threads that hold us together are not severed when death lays its cold hand on our lives. Love endures and sweetness envelopes the heart as moments are remembered. Piano blended with multi-instrumentation bring the stark feeling to life. Kristin’s voice is the sound of a breaking heart desperately clinging to the happy moments and facing the future without the person you held so dear. 

Silhouettes of Love is a journey of emotion that covers many musical genres. At times Classical, jazzy and New Age it touches us all with memories and tender, wistful sentiments. David Lanz, Kristin Amarie and the host of musicians working with them on this project have outdone themselves. The melodies constructed are masterful and exude emotion and Kristin’s voice…as I have said before, an angel must be missing from heaven.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Soaring Heart, Circles Round the Moon, Beatrice and Dante, Silver Threads

Tracks: 
01. The Soaring Heart
02. The Promise
03. Circles Round the Moon
04. Falling
05. Found By Love's Return
06. Lady On the Shore
07. Silhouette of Love
08. Our Illusion
09. Amore Eterno (Redux)
10. Beatrice and Dante
11. Waiting for the Sun
12. So in Love
13. Silver Threads (Without You)
 

DanaWright, Sr. Staff Writer

December 17, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews