Instrumental New Age Review: Josefine and Trine Opsahl-Unbroken Dreams

Release Date: November 13, 2015         

Label: Heart To Heart

Website

Trine Opsahl is a composer and talented harp musician. Joining forces with her daughter Josefine on the cello, this duo has created a new album of Nordic and Celtic folk music. The album sticks with you long after the playing is over. Thirteen original pieces composed by Trine bring a blend of contemporary and classical elements and improvisations that grab hold and let your imagination take flight. Unbroken Dreams is Trine Opsahl's fourth album.

The first piece on the album is "The Last Grasp of Winter." It begins with a fluttering harp sequence that made me instantly think of snowflakes. The cello eases into the picture, eliciting images of sweeping snow covered hills and icy winds determined to keep their hold over the world. But then the tone of the piece changes. A lilting flower winds its way open amidst the frosty backdrop. One crimson bloom against the frigid air…and spring struggles to take hold once again. Thus the dance of the seasons begins, all set to the elegant melodies of harp and cello and the artisan workmanship of Trine and Josefine Opsahl. 

I can think of no other perfect title for "Fairytale." Listening to this album, I wrote my latest manuscript and this piece in particular reached down and lifted the story from my writer's heart. Sweet and tender, you can hear the hero coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress or even a beauty waking from an enchanted sleep in the loving arms of her prince charming. Winding sequences of cello and harp craft a spell that any lover of Celtic music will absolutely adore.

"Drifting On Silky Clouds" begins with a pensive cello movement reminiscent of a storm passing over. Sweet, fluffy clouds drift in, both dark and light fighting for the right to take over the sky. Sunlight shines through the cloudbank, drifting down in radiant harp sequences that enliven the soul. Drifting melodies spiral and twist through the air, an audible dance of majesty.

Trine and Josefine Opsahl are a marvelous mother and daughter duo. Unbroken Dreams is a brilliant combination of Celtic and Nordic tradition blended with contemporary inclinations. The spiraling nature of each piece was like a flower bursting open, with new discoveries every step of the way. I couldn't stop listening and don't plan to any time soon. There is a reason Opsahl's work is used as soundtrack material in documentaries. It's that good. And now with the added layer of her daughter's cello work, I'm hooked for life. More please. This album is amazing. If you are a fan of fantasy novels or just plain good music, you seriously have to get this album.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Last Grasp of Winter, A Fairytale, Drifting on Silky Clouds

Tracks:
01. The Last Grasp of Winter    
02. A Star in Heaven is Born Tonight    
03. Dawn/The Light Dances my Love    
04. Drifting on Silky Clouds    
05. A Fairytale    
06. Diving into an Ocean of Love    
07. I am your Moon and your Moonlight too    
08. Somewhere in a Hidden Memory    
09. Castle of Unbroken Dreams    
10. Sterna Paradisae    
11. Rosebed Garden    
12. Norwegian Summer
13. Ladybirds and Butterflies

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

February  15, 2016

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

New Age Instrumental Review: Kathryn Kaye-There Was A Time

Release Date: February 1, 2016
Label: Independent
Website: http://kathrynkaye-music.com/
Buy Link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kathrynkaye5

Solo piano music can be soothing  and anything Kathryn Kaye records certainly has that effect on you. With There Was A Time she puts together 10 gorgeous tracks of keyboard heaven.

"Learning To Waltz With Clouds" was my introduction to the new release and also featured on our Rate The Tracks site. It made me feel that I could get in sync with the clouds above and move and float right along with them. For my ears this music translates to something more than an auditory experience, it is a form of divinity that calms and centers me and that is exactly what I need on a daily basis.

Tracks two and three carry some sadness with them. “Arise” and “Bittersweet Goodbye” have a certain melancholy atmosphere but in the same instance reflect a beauty and elegance a piano can easily portray if played by the right individual. In this case all of the above applies and they pull you in and keep you as you make your way through the recording.

Much of new age instrumental music I have the pleasure of hearing is directly connected to Mother Nature and this album is definitely one of those fine examples of getting in touch with our life’s essence. “Shadow of a Bird in Flight” is one track that brings you to the great outdoors and can have you imagining yourself walking along a sundrenched trail and seeing the shadows created by the branches of trees and the passing movement of our winged friends. I can appreciate any music that takes me out of my current environment, puts me in touch with another reality, and reminds me of who I am and the true inner spirit of us all. That is the music’s intent and purpose as far as I am concerned yet it can mean something entirely different for another listener and that is the beauty and freedom of what good music can offer

“Spring Snow” is another track that brings into light a season of prolific change and if you are living in an area that takes you through all four seasons, you can easily relate. I know from my own environment that snow in spring is entirely different than the snow that falls in January. This snow has a purpose, as the temperature begins to rise, it slowly melts away bringing the promise of green fields, blooming trees and flowers, giving the once dormant life a nudge to awaken and says hello! So perhaps for each individual this concept can apply to your life, if there is something that needs to change or be renewed this track and the progression of the music take you through that transformation. The flow of life itself and nature is translated through Ms. Kaye’s fingers in the most poignant way.

There Was A Time is a fantastic journey through the meaning of life and our surroundings. If you enjoy any kind of instrumental music for the sheer enjoyment of listening or the ensuing effect it can have on your mind, body and spirit then I highly recommend listening and paying close attention to each track, you will be glad you did.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Learning To Waltz With Clouds, Shadow of a Bird in Flight, Spring Snow

Tracks:
01. Saro Remembered
02. Arise
03. There Was A Time
04. Spring Snow
05. Wind In The Aspen Grove
06. Shadow Of A Bird In Flight
07. Revival
08. Learning To Waltz With Clouds
09. Bittersweet Goodbye
10. Darkening Skies

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder
February 1, 2016
Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews
 

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