Native
American Flute CD Review - Archives by Rick McDaniel
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October 23, 2006 - "Global Mission Vision" by Pedro Eustache
This week we take a look at a truly world talent, who plays not only
world flutes, but classical western woodwinds as well.
Pedro Eustache
is a Venezuelen born artist, now living in L.A. His
instrument collection includes over 600 instruments, (so now my 50+
flutes seems like just a small collection.) (smile)
Pedro has studied with some of the top artists in their own various
cultures, around the world, not only learning their instruments, but
also the style of their music, so that when he plays their instrument,
he also maintains the "sound" of the culture.
Pedro was recently featured on the PBS special "Live! in Las Vegas"
with Yanni, as the solo flautist/woodwind performer. (I caught the
program, and he was truly amazing.)
We will take a look at the compilation CD, of a number of previously
recorded pieces, entitled "Global MVission", or maybe if you look
closely, "Global Mission Vission", as it is printed, on the Casa
Creacion label.
There are 15 tracks, with 4 of the tracks being parts of a Raga (East
Indian classical music). The tracks vary in length from just over a
minute to 5.75 mins.
Track 1 is the title track, and it includes instruments from 4
continents, with a very eclectic mix of didgeridoo, slidedidge,
bansuris, dizi, fujara, sop, sax, and keyboards.
Track 2 is a traditional Christmas Carol (O Come Emmanuel), in
Armenian style, with duduk, bansuri, and keyboards.
Track 3 has Eastern European flavors, with kaval, fujara, and keyboards.
Track 4 has Middle Eastern flavors, with the ney, arguhl, and keyboards.
Track 5 is a South American style waltz, with silver flute and guitar.
Track 6 is a traditional Venezuelan Creole piece, with cuatro and
silver flute.
Track 7 is a Brazilian Bossa Nova with C, alto, and bass silver flutes
and keyboards.
Tracks 8-11 comprise the total of the 4 part East Indian Raga style
piece. Instruments include the sitar, bansuri, tabla, and keyboards.
Track 12 is a Nuevo Flamenco style piece, with guitar, cajon, palmas,
C, alto, and bass silver flutes.
Track 13 is a modern cha cha piece, featuring lyricon, WX5 wind synth,
keyboards, and cuatro.
Track 14 is an Andean inspired piece, played with Quena, Quenacho,
zampona,WX5 wind synth zamponas, charango and keyboards.
Track 15 is a Celtic flavored piece, played on D & G Irish whistles,
recorder, silver flute, keyboards, cymbals and percussion.
This is definitely an around the world woodwinds journey, with many of
the wind instruments of the world used. As is often the case with
compilation CD's, there is a little loss of continuity and flow, since
it isn't a single work, but the slight dissonance experienced, isn't
too uncomfortable, and the sheer display of skills and talents, across
so many instruments, is most astounding. Definitely not an act you
would want to follow, as a performer.
My favorite pieces include tracks 2,3,5,6,7,12,13,14,15.
This is an artist you may want to get familiar with, as his range of
instruments is just astounding.
Thanks to James Brohard for the gift of this CD, to review.
October 5, 2006 - "Postcards from Bundanon" by Riley Lee
This week's review starts off our World Flutes Month, with a selection
from Australian Shakuhachi Master, Riley Lee.
"Postcards from Bundanon.....the Very Best from Riley Lee", on the New
World Music label, is a collection of 10 tracks from some of the best
music from Riley's previous music (over 40 CD's worth), and is a
tribute to the Bundanon Trust (artist enclave in Australia), that has
supported his music as artist in residence, and in performances, over
many years.
This work tends to be more traditional in style and sound, having
minimal accompaniments, and being more meditational in style. That
makes this particular work, very pleasing to listen to, while relaxing
and concentrating on the music.
Riley's music is some of the best, especially in the new age style, of
shakuhachi music available today. Much of his music is accompanied by
Koto, played by various players, providing a touch of traditional
flavor to even his new age works.
There are 10 tracks, varying in length from about 3 mins. to over 9
mins. Since this is a compilation CD of various earlier work, the
accompaniment varies from track to track.
Track 1, "Morning Rain: Sparkling Light", is the second part of a rain
forest piece, which depicts a day in the rain forest from dawn through
the night.
Track 2, "Voices of the Night", was recorded in Cathedral Cavern
(about 4 hrs. west of Sydney, AU). In this piece, a single drop of
water, which drips from the ceiling about every 4 mins., can barely be
heard in the background.
Track 3, "Ancestral Beings", is a piece devoted to the spirits of the
ancients, of the Australian continent, and those spirits are felt most
strong, in the outback. (Strong similarities between the spirits of
indigenous people of Australia and North America.)
Track 4, "Spirits Dance", provides didgeridoo accompaniment, to a
piece which celebrates the winds of change.
Track 5, "Sacramental Christian Lullaby", is a traditional piece, for
koto and shakuhachi, in memory of the government persecution of
Japanese Christians, during the Edo Period (1600-1868). This is a very
traditional Japanese sound.
Track 6, "El Sueno" or "The Dream", mixes folk harp with the
shakuhachi, and has its roots in the music of Spain, I think. It is a
very unique sound with that Spanish influence in the sound, yet with
delicate instruments used, to convey the soft quality of the piece.
Track 7, "Felucca to Zanzibar", was a collaboration of shakuhachi
added to tabla music, which was recorded several months earlier,
following a world music festival. This piece features the tabla,
backed with "in the distance" shakuhachi play, that provides a piece
with distinctive East Indian influence.
Track 8, "Prayer for Children", is a piece that was not previously
released, which was recorded at a benefit concert for children in
Sydney. This is one of the most spiritual pieces on the CD, with
various subtle accompaniments.
Track 9, "Shimmer", was created by having the bassist lay down some
rough tracks, which were then the guide for the shakuhachi parts, and
then the bass and percussion were recorded to accompany the shakuhachi
parts, to create the finished piece. This has a nice new age feeling
to it.
Track 10, "Suzuru/Cranes Nesting", is one of the classic shakuhachi
pieces (even among the crane pieces), and depicts the emotions, and
trials of the parents and offspring alike, during the first attempts
of the offspring, to learn to fly.
This work is certainly a nice CD to have in your collection, and is
beautifully played. While I usually take compilation CD's with a grain
of salt, I can highly recommend this one, as being well put together,
uniform, and easy to listen to, without any technical issues.
October 16, 2006 - "In Concert" by Damian Draghici
This week we continue with world flutes month, with a selection from
the artist being compared to George Zamfir......as the "new" master
pan flautist.
Damian Draghici is also Romanian, and is the heir apparant to Zamfir,
is perhaps the most renowned Pan flautist today, after Zamfir. We will
take a look at his album "In Concert, from Bucharest", on the Naimad
Entertainment label.
If you are familiar with the music of Yanni (greek new age symphonic
artist), this work will feel right at home, as this is also "big band"
or symphonic style, which includes keyboards, drums, bass, guitar,
various percussion, cello, violin, middle eastern percussion,
saxophone, cymbaloum, and vocals, with the Pan flute.
The music is very dramatic and very "big sound", with the Pan flute
just a part of the overall compositions. You will not find this to
work well as "background" music.....it is far too powerful and
dramatic, commanding your attention to the various tracks. (Think
movie themes.) Yet there are certain subtleties in the work, as the
flute subordinates to the lead vocals, on the vocal tracks, allowing
for beautiful voice parts, which lead to powerful chorus parts.
This work is also quite full.....with the play time on this CD being 1
hour and 13 minutes, with a total of 15 tracks.
I first saw Damian (as he prefers to be called), on PBS, in an
absoluting stunning performance in Monte Carlo. He makes playing Pan
flute seem effortless, and plays base flutes with very long tubes,
which are quite difficult.
On this CD, he plays beautifully, but as only a part of the overall
sound of the orchestra, (not really a band, but not your ordinary
orchestra, either). I was quite taken by the dramatic sound, and high
energy level of this music. This is most certainly NOT meditative
music. (smile)
The track list includes:
01. Introduction
02. Haunting Eyes
03. Day of Dreams
04. Love is All We Know
05. Damian's Fire
06. Epilogue
07. Dance of Flames
08. Dancing with the Stars
09. Lover's Rhapsody
10. Ocarina
11. One Day
12. Tzigane Soul
13. Erdelezi
14. 12-21-89
15. Gypsy Song
If you ready to expand your horizons, with some absolutely stunning
music, then find your sound bytes here:
October 5, 2006 - "Postcards from Bundanon" by Riley Lee
This week's review starts off our World Flutes Month, with a selection
from Australian Shakuhachi Master, Riley Lee.
"Postcards from Bundanon.....the Very Best from Riley Lee", on the New
World Music label, is a collection of 10 tracks from some of the best
music from Riley's previous music (over 40 CD's worth), and is a
tribute to the Bundanon Trust (artist enclave in Australia), that has
supported his music as artist in residence, and in performances, over
many years.
This work tends to be more traditional in style and sound, having
minimal accompaniments, and being more meditational in style. That
makes this particular work, very pleasing to listen to, while relaxing
and concentrating on the music.
Riley's music is some of the best, especially in the new age style, of
shakuhachi music available today. Much of his music is accompanied by
Koto, played by various players, providing a touch of traditional
flavor to even his new age works.
There are 10 tracks, varying in length from about 3 mins. to over 9
mins. Since this is a compilation CD of various earlier work, the
accompaniment varies from track to track.
Track 1, "Morning Rain: Sparkling Light", is the second part of a rain
forest piece, which depicts a day in the rain forest from dawn through
the night.
Track 2, "Voices of the Night", was recorded in Cathedral Cavern
(about 4 hrs. west of Sydney, AU). In this piece, a single drop of
water, which drips from the ceiling about every 4 mins., can barely be
heard in the background.
Track 3, "Ancestral Beings", is a piece devoted to the spirits of the
ancients, of the Australian continent, and those spirits are felt most
strong, in the outback. (Strong similarities between the spirits of
indigenous people of Australia and North America.)
Track 4, "Spirits Dance", provides didgeridoo accompaniment, to a
piece which celebrates the winds of change.
Track 5, "Sacramental Christian Lullaby", is a traditional piece, for
koto and shakuhachi, in memory of the government persecution of
Japanese Christians, during the Edo Period (1600-1868). This is a very
traditional Japanese sound.
Track 6, "El Sueno" or "The Dream", mixes folk harp with the
shakuhachi, and has its roots in the music of Spain, I think. It is a
very unique sound with that Spanish influence in the sound, yet with
delicate instruments used, to convey the soft quality of the piece.
Track 7, "Felucca to Zanzibar", was a collaboration of shakuhachi
added to tabla music, which was recorded several months earlier,
following a world music festival. This piece features the tabla,
backed with "in the distance" shakuhachi play, that provides a piece
with distinctive East Indian influence.
Track 8, "Prayer for Children", is a piece that was not previously
released, which was recorded at a benefit concert for children in
Sydney. This is one of the most spiritual pieces on the CD, with
various subtle accompaniments.
Track 9, "Shimmer", was created by having the bassist lay down some
rough tracks, which were then the guide for the shakuhachi parts, and
then the bass and percussion were recorded to accompany the shakuhachi
parts, to create the finished piece. This has a nice new age feeling
to it.
Track 10, "Suzuru/Cranes Nesting", is one of the classic shakuhachi
pieces (even among the crane pieces), and depicts the emotions, and
trials of the parents and offspring alike, during the first attempts
of the offspring, to learn to fly.
This work is certainly a nice CD to have in your collection, and is
beautifully played. While I usually take compilation CD's with a grain
of salt, I can highly recommend this one, as being well put together,
uniform, and easy to listen to, without any technical issues.
September 29, 2006 - "Warrior Flutes, Flames of Fire" by Tommy Wildcat
This week we visit a CD from Oklahoma Cherokee flautist, Tommy Wildcat, titled "Warrior Flutes, Flames of Fire", on his private label
A.W.S.P. Records.
Tommy's musical style, reminds me a lot of William Gutierrez, with
solo flute, and nighttime nature sounds, such as crickets, or
crackling fire flames. (A Nammy Flautist of the Year.)
There are only 5 tracks, which means the tracks are all long, with
some very long, varying in length from about 7.25 mins. to about 14 mins.
The quality of sound system used to listen with, can impact how much
of the subtlety of nature sounds you get, but of course the flute
carries well on any equipment.
The style is a little more woodlands sound, with less of a crisp
separation of the notes, than might be found in plains or southwest
style, flute music.
The melodies tend to sound more improvisational, and the title does
not reflect the style of the music, as the pieces tend to be more
meditative and not at all warrior-like. (smile)
Having met Tommy several times, and chatted with him, I would venture
the opinion that his music is more like the person......very
unassuming, and gentle in nature.
While this music is very nice and gentle, it can get to sounding a bit
repetitive, after more than one listening, so I would not suggest
playing it on auto-replay. As something nice to listen to now and
again, it is fine.
Track 1, "Warrior Flutes" is a softly flowing piece, with some crisp
higher notes, that gives an impression of 2 flutes, with crickets in
the background.
Track 2, "Fire People", seems a song to the spirits and ancestors, a
bit of a tribute, and very easy to hear.
Track 3, "Pow-Wow Flutes", is a title that doesn't descibe the music
for me. The music feels more like a lament, rather than a festive
occassion. It conveys a little loneliness, and a little sadness, to me.
Track 4, "A Warrior's Spirit", conveys gentleness and strength, at the
same time. It is more of a gentle spirit, with underlying strength,
and is more of a salute to the spirit.
Track 5, "Flames of Fire", is the fire of the heart, as this is more
of a love song sound, with appeal to a loved one, as the focus of the
piece.
This work can be listened to at very low volume, but the nature sounds
may disappear. It can almost be turned down to a distant, far away
sound, and still be very listenable, as the flutes carry very well.
It is simpler music, for quiet times, even background for reading a
book. Nicely played, overall.
September 15, 2006 - "Shadows of Dawn" by Peter Phippin
This week's review is of the latest release from Peter Phippin, on the
Canyon Records label, titled "Shadows of Dawn". Joining Peter on
various tracks, are percussionist Jason Introwitz, keyboardist David
Roll, singing bowls artist Steve Mittelstet, and drummer Joshua Daby.
It has been almost 3 yrs. since Peter's last release on Canyon,
as I recall, so this release has been eagerly awaited, by
this reviewer. As soon as I played the CD for the first time,
I knew the wait had been well worth while, as this is a wonderful
work, with a great deal of sophistication as well as being
sensitive and moody......great attributes in a flute CD.
The accompaniment is often very subtle, but enhancing, although there
is one track where the drum may have competed just a bit with the
flute, for my ear. Overall, I would say it is Peter's best work so
far, although I am sure there will be more in the future.
It is always amusing to me, that such a "wild and crazy guy" exterior
as Peter's, contains so much inner sensitivity and feeling, to express
in his music. While we have found that inner person in his earlier
CD's, for certain, in this work it has really manifested in a big way.
As usual, Peter performs with an assortment of world flutes, and not
just the NAF, but I think we all know him well enough to bend the
rules a little, and review this now, rather than wait the couple of
weeks longer, for world flutes month.
There are 11 tracks, ranging in length from about 3 mins. to about 6
mins.
The track listing is as follows:
Track 1, "Safe Passage", is a delicate piece, with solo sounding
portions, and with drum accompaniment portions, which has somewhat of
a lament sound to it, and with simple drum rhythm to complement the
range of very high to low sounds Peter coaxes from his flute. The
piece does have a story-telling kind of sound to it, as might be
indicated by the title.
Track 2, "Ritual", has a soft methodical drum beat, with flowing
flute, and possibly has 2 flutes used, although with the gentle flow
of the music, it is hard to be sure, given Peter's octave ranges. The
music tends to soar, but has occasional dips in tone. Very meditative
piece.
Track 3, "The Dawning", has a lazy, languid flavor to it, like early
morning at a beach house get-a-way, where you can escape from the
hectic world, and find tranquil relaxation, and savor the quietude,
with only the occassional sound of a gull's cry, or the gentle lap of
a wave on the sand.
Track 4, "Invocation", is a title that kind of threw me, so I will
just describe what I hear, and ignore the title. (smile) This piece is
sooooo coaxing and gentle, it seems like a love song, almost like a
whisper in the ear, with an almost trance-like quality.
Track 5, "Oceans of Time" is the track where the keyboards are most
prominent, perhaps, yet that is not to imply they are obvious. There
are some simulated nature sounds of birds and creatures of the sea.
Very subtle, but setting the scene for the piece. The sounds of the
flute rise and fall with the waves, now and again husky, and other
times soft. A nautical adventure.
Track 6, "Shadows", we might presume to be the inspiration of the
title for the CD, as there isn't a track with the title of "Shadows of
Dawn". There are some nice spatial textures from the keyboards setting
the scene for this piece, against absolutely beautiful flute play,
that is again gentle and flowing, trailing off into the spatial
setting, and perhaps allowing you to slip away from reality to a world
of imagination. These shadows are very friendly ones, without any
menacing qualities.
Track 7, "Spirit of the Woods", brings us the rich sound of the drone
flute. (Whether that might indicate a flute maker or not, is purely
speculative.) Even with the richness of the drone flute, I still
imagine I hear yet another flute, speaking to the drone... perhaps as
the "spirit" of this piece. It is all so delicate, and so
sophisticated, I cannot be certain of what I hear. The technique used
with the drone, is so subtle for such a flute. Most intriguing.
Track 8, "Devotion", seems to imply something.....but there are
special effects in this piece, from the singing bowls (and I suspect,
something more, in a kind of gong/bell-like sound as you might
asociate with a temple), and yet this delicate beginning gives way to
a strong tribal-like drum rhythm, backing the soaring sound of the
flute, that leaves you with the feeling of an adventure.
Track 9, "A Silent Place", has just bits and pieces of accompaniment,
while the flute creates a kind of haunting sound, in more of a solo
way, with just textures blending in here and there. Kind of makes me
think of a slightly tortured soul, calling out, yet with no one there
to hear, as it fades away.
Track 10, "Parallel Worlds", is the story of two flutes, singing at
once, and yet, separately. This is the shortest track, and yet one
that will get your attention, with the flute interplay that goes on
here. You have to listen closely, to be sure.....is that an echo, or
another flute? Is that the same notes, or different notes? This will
play games with your ears.
Track 11, "Elysian Fields", is a very "feel good" piece, with a spring
in the step, and joy in the heart, that flows gently, but with such a
nice feeling, that it lifts you, as you listen. (Talk about the
antithesis of stress.) This will literally dissolve away your cares.
If there is one attribute that Peter brings to his music, that truly
is remarkable, it is his creativity. The sounds that he coaxes from
his flutes are truly amazing, and the flows can never be predicted.
This is definitely one of the most amazing talents on flute I know,
even if he does play some of those "furrin" flutes. (smile) With
Peter, you can't always tell what flute he is playing, whether NAF or
something else, so I recommend you just go with the flow. (smile)
Thanks Peter, for a truly wonderful listening experience.
Find your sound bytes here:
Canyon Records
(sound bytes not up yet...but coming.)
September 7, 2006 - "Heart of the Wind" by Robert Tree Cody
This week we look at the latest release from Robert "Tree"
Cody, joined by Will Clipman on percussion "Heart
the Wind", produced on the Canyon Records label.
This collaborative effort is quite nice, with Tree's
very pretty flute
play, and Clipman's excellent drumming and percussion
effects. The
thing I am always pleased about, with Clipman's percussion,
is there
aren't any "tinny" drum sounds, such as you
often get with non-native,
contemporary drums. While the udu isn't exactly a native
drum, at
least the sound of pottery doesn't seem out of place.
As with almost all of Tree's CD's, there are some vocals
on track 9,
which is often his way of communicating with his ancestral
spirits, I
think, as he performs.
There are 12 tracks, ranging from just under 3 mins.
to about 8.75
mins. in length. The overall sound of this CD is one of
relaxation,
with flowing tempos, and easy rhythms, for the most part.
The track listing is as follows:
Track 1- Gila River Sunrise
Track 2- Obsidian and Ironwood
Track 3- Rain in the Dust
Track 4- Totem Dance<
Track 5- Carrizo Breeze
Track 6- First Contact
Track 7- Turtle Island Waltz
Track 8- The Hunter's Return
Track 9- Grandfather's Breath
Track 10- Lightning over Sonora
Track 11- Before the Beginning
Track 12- Heart of the Wind (the title track)
This CD speaks to me in terms of daily routine......I
can "see" the
daily routine tasks and activities of people going on,
as I listen,
with a certain comfort level associated with daily life,
without
tumultuous events or happenings. A kind of "life
as usual", if you will.
As always, Cody plays the flute very well, and draws
you into the
musical scenes that the notes describe to you. You feel
you are there,
and relate to the activities at hand.
Clipman plays subdued percussion on this work, allowing
the relaxed
melodies to benefit from the rhythms of his percussion,
in a
comfortable way, and only getting a little more prominent,
when using
the udu, with the distinctive sound of that drum material.
This music can be enjoyed as relaxed lsitening, or as
background while
busy with activities of your own.
This
week, we look at a flute maker/flautist from the Carolinas
area,
with the work "Drifting Away" by Hawk Hurst, on
the Whole World Music
label.
This is a neat and different kind of sound, with a very
contemporary
feel to it, in a new age style work, with a bit of world
fusion thrown
in. Yet, in spite of that, there are arrangements of traditional
pieces, to include the Grass Dance, Cherokee Dream, and
even Amazing
Grace.
The flutes Hawk plays, are presumed of his own making, as
he makes and
sells rivercane flutes, in the Cherokee traditional style.
He does use a finishing technique that produces a wood burned-like
finish on many of his rivercane flutes, and many of them
are 5 hole flutes, although
he does make 6 hole flutes as well. His flutes can be found
in various retail shops throughout the Carolinas.
On this CD, he has several musicians joining in on various
tracks, to add accompaniment and vocals/vocal textures,
to include NAF, Maui
Zaphoon, congas, djembes, shakare, didgeridoo, Ago-go bell,
guitar, strumstick, bass drum, piano, berimbau, rattles,
and nature sounds, as well as what sounds like hammered
dulcimer, and I'm sure there's a few
other things in the mix, as well. (The Maui Zaphoon has
a sound a lot
like the duduk.)
Hawk does live performances with the group Sapien, and the
influences
of that performing history, come through in the world fusion
elements
of this work, with Australian didg, and African drum, as
well as
Hawaiian strumstick.
The musical sound on this work, has a very contemporary
sound, in spite of the instrument mix, and yet the NAF still
comes through very nicely. It is often lively, and upbeat,
and yet there are still tracks with a good bit of traditional
sound, and contemplative rhythms. It almost has a "fresh"
kind of sound, after hearing literally dozens of
NAF CD's.
There are 20 tracks on this work, ranging from about 2:10
mins, to about 5 mins. in length. With that number of tracks,
I think I will just limit this review to a few of my favorite
tracks, and let the reader visit the sound bytes for more
personal experience, with the other tracks.
Track 1, "Grass Dance", has enough of the traditional sound
to be recognizable, and enough of a modern arrangement,
to make it fresh sounding, at the same time. The flute play
is nice, the drum rhythm subtle, and once into the piece,
guitar and vocals, with rattles, create a neat contrast
in the piece, with some high flute effects thrown into the
mix.
Track 4, "Blue Rain", adds a lot of mood and interest, with
the sounds of falling rain, and Maui Zaphoon. This is a
very intriguing that tends to melt away your cares, and
soothe your soul.....whether melody, is hard to decide.
Track 6, "Aki-Wo-Wo" has a lot of vocals, and again gives
you that impression of a world fusion piece, in the rhythms
and vocals, as the vocals don't sound quite like the usual
native language vocals, but they aren't in any other recognizable
language, either. You could almost call them textures......but
not quite.
Track 7, "Mystic Serenade" is a pretty and languid piece,
accented by delicate bells/chimes, and it has a nice traditional
sound to the flute play, but with a little spatial quality
added in the chime sounds. Very pleasing piece.
Track 8, "Origins" is a neat piece with 2 flutes, one of
which is a drone, and this piece has a very traditional
sound, with subtlerhythmic undertones.
Track 19, "Oriental Odyssey" has a nice flute sound to an
accompaniment mix that has a bit of a Chinese sound, giving
this piece a more unusual flavor, as the sounds of bells,
and struck singing bowls, joins the mix.
This work is really a nice change of pace, and something
worth the extra effort of going to the sound bytes, and
listening for yourself. Give it a whirl, and see what you
think. I know I will be checking out Hawk's other CD's as
well.
This
week's review visits another of R. Carlos Nakai and James
DeMars CDs, "Native Tapestry", on the Canyon Records
Label. This is one of the recordings of the music composed
by James DeMars.
While I would have to classify the music of James DeMars, as an
acquired taste, this work is more pleasing to me than some others.
This is done with more of an ensemble than an orchestra, and is a
little more palatable for me, as an NAF CD.
Instrumentation includes NAF, saxophone, vibraphone, violins, violas,
cello, bass, silver flute, English horn, clarinet, French horn,
bassoon, piano, percussian, and spoken word. As you will note, many
orchestral instruments are used.
The sound of this work, is a bit of world fusion, with the influence
of native traditional music, western orchestral music, with African
percussion, and the end result is an eclectic ensemble, that has the
sound of orchestral music, with a twist. Perhaps those who will find
this most satisfying, are those who like a more unusual sound, and
those who like an orchestral sound, in their music.
Of course, I like to think of Nakai as the "chameleon" of the NAF,
whose play can blend with a wide range of musical styles and sounds,
and who in fact, seeks out those unusual collaborations, in exploring
the limits of his instrument, thus "changing his colors" of music, to
fit into various musical environments, outside the normal range of
traditional NAF music.
Here you have one of those examples, of that effort to blend into a
musical genre, that is a stretch for the instrument.
There are only 6 tracks, but they range in length from a little over 5
mins. to 17 mins. Within the tracks, the musical mix can vary a good bit.
Track 1, "Crow Wing", concentrates on the NAF, accompanied by
saxophone, and uses two flutes to create an interesting blend of flute
sound that is more unusual than typical, with drone flute also used.
This music is deliberately complex in nature, even with limited
instruments, and requires attentive listening. There is the feeling of
birds in the sound of music, without actually hearing bird sounds.
Track 2, "Lake that Speaks", begins with simpler instrument mix, then
adds more complex sound to the mix, and I felt it was attempting to
speak of the connection between water and birds. The tempo is very
languid, and brings visions of a quiet, placid lake environment.
Track 3, "Spirit Call", this is the longest track, and is much more
orchestral than the previous 2 tracks, although there are places where
Nakai is featured with minimal accompaniment. There are also spots
where the music seems to convey dissonance, as though moving in
different directions at once. I would have to call this more of an
exercise in technical composition, than a melody.
Tracks 4-6 comprise the "Two World Symphony", as 3 movements within a
single work.
Track 4, "First Movement" (catchy title), uses spoken word in French
(the composer is of French heritage), to express the "doors open on
the wind" theme, which describes what I surmise to be the seeking of a
shamanic vision of future events to come. Very orchestral in sound,
and not always calming, you can find this a bit disconcerting at times.
Track 5, "Second Movement", again uses spoken word in French, and
describes the ravages of drought, and of nomadic flight in search of
more hospitable environment, to the mountains.
Track 6, "Third Movement", again uses spoken word in French, to
describe the return of rains to the land, and of more tranquility and
peace in the natural environment.
This is not exactly meditative music, but for those who like
complexity, this may well suit the need. It is perhaps more palatable
for the average listener, than other DeMars compositions.
Catching up on my review schedule, this week we look at "Reflections",
from Robert Tree Cody and
Hovia Edwards, on the Canyon Records
label.
This work is a nice mix of solos and duets from these two
artists, and
is also a contemporary mix of male and female native flautists,
which
nicely puts to bed, that "tradition" of male only
players. I found
both artists to offer very nice pieces on this work, and
hearing them
together, in duet, is a real treat.
There is simplicity in the music, as only flutes, hand
drum, sticks,
and vocals are used. Yet within the simplicity of instrumentation,
comes a nice traditional sound in a contemporary work. There
is one
track from one of Tree's earlier albums.
There are 13 tracks, varying in length from about 3.25
mins. to about
4.5 mins., making most of the pieces medium length.
Track 1, "Young Eagle's Flight", repeats the title track from Tree's
earlier solo album.
Track 2, "The Heavens Above", is a nice solo from Hovia (hoo-vee-ya),
which conveys the feeling of spatial skies, very well.
Track 3, "Maze", is a duet of this award winning song. Nicely played
by both, it has beautiful flow as well as interaction between flutes.
Track 4, "A Desert Rain", conveys the cleansing and beauty of rain in
nature, and is a very beautiful song.
Track 5, "Divine Peace", is a song from Hovia, conveying divine peace
within, a spiritual piece to provide contentment and tranquility.
Track 6, "Traveling Song", is a duet, with both artists performing on
flute and with vocals. While Tree is well known for vocal parts in his
music, Hovia's voice blends well with his, and is very compatible.
Track 7, "Silvermoon's Song", is a song Tree wrote for his son, at the
time of his birth. While a liesurely flowing piece, the tone of
celebration is clearly within the sound of the piece.
Track 8, "Song of Friendship", is a song that expresses the warmth of
close friendship, and it is a gently flowing piece, which expresses
contentment and peace.
Track 9, "Reflections: The Dance of the Butterflies", is a nice duet,
expressing the beauty of a spring day in natural harmony, as
reflections of nature dance on quiet waters. The harmony between the
flautists is very much a part of the beauty.
Track 10, "Spirits of the Tetons", is Tree's tribute to the native
peoples of the Teton area, and of their kindness and sharing with him,
of their culture, and history.
Track 11, "Chopaka", is a song from Hovia, about a story of a
beautiful maiden that was told to her, by elders. Gentle song, that
has a touch of longing to it.
Track 12, "Buffalo Prayer Song", is a tribute to the plains people,
who have depended on the buffalo as a major part of life, for
centuries. The drum rhythm sets the tone for this expressive tribute,
from both artists, with Tree performing drum and flute, and Hovia
performing flute and vocals, in various parts of the piece. Again the
blend of the two voices is quite wonderful.
Track 13, "Payback Time!!!", is a song about stick games, passed down
over the generations, and continuing traditions. Both artists, with
sticks, vocals, and flute.
Overall a very pleasing album, and some of the most pleasant vocals I
have heard recently. Very easy to listen to, and to enjoy. These are
mostly gentle and pleasant songs, that flow gently, with much vibrato.
This
review is actually last week's, as I am playing catch up.
We will take a look at "First Cry", from Charlie Rising
Sun, an album of Northern Cheyenne songs, on the Shortwave
Records label. This CD is going to be hard to find, other
than at pow wows, or similar native events, as I cannot
find it on line, to offer you any sound bytes. Just the
same, it is a nice album, deserving of a review here. The
album is dedicated to Charlie's first born son, EJ, and
the title track is EJ's song. Flutes by Steve Southerland
(not a flute maker I am familiar with), and keyboards and
voice by Von. Crying baby....not specified. (smile) This
CD was ordered off ebay, as a totally unknown product, but
since I liked Joe Fire Crow's music, and this was also Cheyenne
flute, I said, why not? In any case, a good decision was
made. There are 11 tracks, of mostly shorter pieces, varying
from under a minute, to about 3.5 mins. in length. The one
shortcoming, is that totals only about 30 mins. of music,
and with today's music cost, we like to see 50-60 mins.
of music on a CD. (Ok so I got this at an appropiate price.)
Charlie's flute playing is very nice indeed, and will please
almost any flutie, with the gentle and relaxing sound of
his flutes. The tracks are solo, save for the title track,
which has keyboard and spoken word acccompaniment. While
a relatively simple CD, in terms of instrumentation, this
work will find you listening again and again, as you will
be able to relate to how it is played.
Track 1, "First Cry", the title track, has spoken
word in introduction, and then a crisp high flute, with
keyboard accompaniment, leads to the sounds of a crying
child, then to flute very far into the distance, in the
last part of the piece.
Track 2, "Buffalo Spirit", offers a nice traditional sounding
piece. It is a tranquil song, with crisp, clean flute play.
Track 3, "People of the Morning Star", is a soft melody,
gently played, and quite meditative.
Track 4, "A Warrior's Journey Home", has a bit of a forlorn
sound. A relatively gentle piece, for one related to warriors,
which would lead me to surmise a weary, and lonely warrior.
Track 5, "A Song for Tammy", is dedicated to Charlie's wife
Tammy. As you might surmise, it has the sound of a love
song.
Track 6, "A Fallen Warrior", conveys sadness and loss, in
the piece, in a slow and moving rendition. This is the longest
piece on the CD.
Track 7, "Voices in the Wind", this piece has a bit of a
lament to it, in the sound, and is again, a moderately slow
piece, with much feeling to it. It is played with 2 flutes,
a single barrel and a double.
Track 8, "Spirit of the Bear", might be called "conversations
with a bear", as it has an easy relaxed tune to it, as though
one might be casually chatting with the bear.
Track 9, "The Good Spirit Song", is played in a higher key,
with a bright sound and a livelier tempo.
Track 10, "The Fire Spirit", is a nice piece, with warmth
and feeling. It is a feel-good piece, for me.
Track 11, "The Vision", has a more ethereal sound to it,
and is perhaps the most spiritual sounding track. It is
somewhat introspective in sound, with a quiet sort of connectivity.
While I could not find a web site with sound bytes for you, the jacket
does offer an email addy for the label:
Short Wave Records
...if you would like to inquire about this nice CD.
The label is listed out of Portland,
This week's review looks at "Togo" from Andrew
Vasquez, on the Makoche label. This is a very pleasing CD, well played, with the flute
featured throughout the tracks. The instrumentation includes
flutes, keyboards, bass, guitar, drum, udu, and other percussion. Vocal
textures on the title track, are Vasquez's children and grandchildren.
Some nature sounds are also included.
(Flute credits: Butch Hall and Tom Mitton.)
There are 11 tracks of mostly medium length, varying
from 2.5 mins.
to about 5.75 mins.
Track 1,
"Togo", the title track, means "grandfather"
and is a nice dance rhythm piece with some vocal textures, and dance yells, honoring
all the grandfathers who have gone before.
Track 2,
"Spirit Eyes", celebrates those who watch over us in this life, that have crossed over. This is a meditative piece,
with a lot of expression in it, and a canyon type of sound.
Track 3,
"Morning Sun", begins with thunder
and rain, then shifts into
a greeting of the sunrise, in a piece that exudes reverance.
A
favorite track.
Track4,
"Spirit Eyes", celebrates those who watch over us in this life, that have crossed over. This is a meditative piece,
with a lot of expression in it, and a canyon type of sound.
Track 5,
"Night Shadows", looks to the heavens
for its inspiration, in
the great Milky Way, and presents in a piercing, stirring
piece, that
does remind you of the clarity of sound in the night
air.
Track 6,
"Wild Horses", is a spiritual sounding
piece, with stronger<
drum rhythm and horse whinnies, using more than one
flute, one drone,
one not, with interplaying parts. A favorite track.
Track 7,
"Kadence", is a very pretty, quiet
piece, dedicated to
Vasquez's 3rd granddaughter, of the same name. You could
almost call
this a lullabye.
Track 8,
"Cry for a Vision", is a call to
the spirit world, seeking
guidance, and direction for the good of all. Has a bit
of a journey
type of rhythm to it, and piercing flute, that will
send a chill up
the spine.
Track 9,
"My Heart Soars", has a totally
unique sound, with an almost
jazz like rhythm on the keyboards, while the flute is
soaring and expressive, almost like a blend of Ibiza cafe and native
flute.
Track 10,
"Life in a Day", birds and languid
flute sing together, in
appreciation of a good day. A favorite track.
Track 11,
"Wootavah" is a song dedicated to Vasquez's father-in-law,
has an unusual rhythm that kind of reminded me of "Taps". Clearly a
song to honor he who had crossed over.
All in all, a nice work, with some wonderfully pleasing music,
that truly emphasizes the flute. Which, after listening to
a duke's mixture of vocals, other instruments, and so-on,
among some of the more recent CD's, was a welcome respite,
indeed.
This week I bring you a relatively unknown artist, in this area, by
the name of Brad Smith, from the St. Louis, MO area. His album "New
Dance", is a new age style NAF CD, played on a Lakota flute, and
produced on private label.
Obviously, there are a lot of folks making CD's these days, but in
this case, we find another really nice CD, from someone who is not a
big name in the NAF world. The music is very pretty, the accompaniment
subtle, and the nature sounds subdued. The flute is pretty much
featured throughout the album, and is beautifully played, with very
melodic style.
The accompaniment is mostly keyboards/synth, with nature sounds, and
it provides a nice background as the flute melodies are offered. There
are 8 flute tracks, and 3 short nature interludes, woven between the
tracks, more as pauses in the music, than anything else.
Track 1, "New Dance", the title track, opens with evening nature
sounds....crickets, frogs, etc.....and then keyboards and flute bring
in a nice flowing melody with the sound of a tongue drum behind the flute.
Track 2, "Autumn Wind", has more harp like string sounds behind the
flute, in a piece that has a touch of a lament to it.
Tracks 3, 5, and 9, are all nature sound segues, which act as
separators between the tracks, with various nature sound content.
Track 4, "Flying Jazz", uses more nature sound background, with water
and insect sounds, with a piece that shifts from what might be a sad
song, to synth background textures, and more of a "resolved" kind of
flute sound. (Where the title came from, I have no idea.) This is the
longest piece.
Track 6, "Hide and Seek", is a sort of bird "chatter" sound, with that
"song and reply" type of sound. There are very soft nature sounds
behind the flute, that are very subdued.
Track 7, "Creation", offers some canyon echoes, in a very spiritual
piece, that moves liesurely through the background synth textures, and
seems to evolve along the way, before fading into space.
Track 8, "Glasswaves", has a nice lazy sort of piece, with synth
textures creating the feeling of sound waves bouncing off glass walls.
Track 10, "Longing", has the sound of harp strings behind an
especially pretty melody, that might be a love song, flowing and
expressive.
Track 11, "Improvisation", has more of a solo sound, and is a bit
introvertish, wandering just a bit, as might the workings of your mind.
CD Review of the Week.
This week's review is of the latest release from Mary Youngblood,
"Dance With The Wind", on the Silverwave label.
This was a much looked forward to release, as I heard songs from it in
April 2005, at Musical Echoes, and of course, Mary Youngblood always
plays a fantastic flute.
This release is somewhat similar to "Feed the Fire", however, as it
too has vocals, and piano in the mix. While I had hoped for it to be
more in the vein of "Beneath the Raven Moon", I would have to say that
there is no danger of this new release replacing "Beneath the Raven
Moon", as my favorite Mary Youngblood album. Still, there are some
great pieces on this new album, and Mary's vocals are very pleasing,
so I was mostly disappointed due to anticipation of something
different than I had anticipated, rather than from the actual songs on
this CD.
There are 12 tracks, from about 3 mins. to a little over 5 mins. in
length, so most of the pieces might be considered medium length.
One of the things most endearing about Mary's CD's, is the information
provided on instruments, with the full flute and maker info given. Not
many recording artists provide all that detail, and I find that very
beneficial to me, personaly, especially when trying to play along with
the CD. In addition, she includes the lyrics for the vocals, so you
can learn the songs she sings, as well.
Track 1, "Misty Rain", is a gentle, or even sad song, with guitar as
the primary accompaniment. There's almost a touch of country music in
there, bringing to mind old songs like "Rainy Night in Georgia".
Track 2, "Wind Whispers", is a favorite track, played on a Russ Wolf
diatonic flute, and brought visions of woodlands and lakes to my
mind's eye.
Track 3, "My Gypsy Soul", is a fairly lively piece, with stronger
sound, accompanied by guitar, which might be a depiction of life on
the road, as a musician.
Track 4, "Play with Me", gave me the impression of Mary's dealing with
empty nesting, which she has recently commented about. It has vocal
parts, and flute parts, and the vocals lead you to her remembrance of
a child who has grown and is now gone. (Or at least that was my
impression.)
Track 5, "Dance with Me", is a bright and lively piece, very much a
"Mary" kind of song. There is a part where you get a touch of a celtic
jig in the accompaniment, which is an interesting contrast, within the
piece.
Track 6, "Find the Song", brings a flute duo, with 2 flutes used, one
a triple chamber, and the other a single chamber. This is a moderate
tempo pice, but one that gets your foot to tapping, with some touches
of "blues" in the sound.
Track 7, "Lost Long Ago", is the second track on Russ Wolf's flute,
and this piece has the feeling of a ballad, without the vocals. (Maybe
there are vocals, but they weren't used.) Also a favorite track.
Track 8, "Make an Offering", is a more complex piece, mixing NAF,
silver flute, and vocals, which showcases Mary's voice very nicely.
This piece might be called either a lament, or a love song, depending
on your interpretation.
Track 9, "Reach for the Sky", mixes piano, NAF, and silver flute, in a
very expressive piece, with some soaring flute parts. Another
favorite track.
Track 10, "Blood of my Blood", almost has the sound of "jammin", with
some nice little rhythms to it, that's sort of wandering along.
Track 11, "On Our Journey", has the rhythm of a methodical kind of
journey to it. Makes you feel you are headed towards some destination,
only requiring time to arrive there.
Track 12, "Dance with the Wind", the title track, seems to be a song
of a mother to an older child, imparting some wisdom while encouraging
finding their way.
There may be a lot of personal moments in some of these pieces. Or
not. It is hard to say. In any case you certainly feel such an
influence in the music on this work. It is very well done, and has
some very nice songs, and for Mary Youngblood fans, will be very well
received, indeed.
For me, it is a very nice album, but I am still largely an
instrumental CD lover, so I am less enamored with the vocals, in spite
of the very nice voice.
Hope you can find a copy locally......I only found one. Might have to
order online.
This week's review, introduces you to a new artist (perhaps), that you
may not be familiar with. Well renowned as a silver flautist,
performing in new age music, Tim Wheater brings you an ethnic flute
work on NAF, titled "Sound Medicine Man", on the New World Music label.
While this isn't the only work containing NAF, from Tim Wheater, it is
the only one I have found, that features the NAF, on most tracks.
For those unfamiliar with this flautist, I might mention his
background includes performances as diverse as with Deepak Chopra, The
Eurythmics, and The Grateful Dead. Yet, this work is one of NAF
beauty, both meditative, and spiritual, but with a touch of
sophistication, not quite like other NAF artists.
Wheater has performed with a variety of new age artists, to include
Nina Spiro ("Silk and Bamboo"), Michael Hoppe (Romances for alto
flute: "The Yearning" and "The Dreamer", "Windsongs", "Afterglow"),
and has a number of his own albums, to include the fabulous "In
Unity", on silver flute, as well as new agey orchestral works such as
"Incantation", using a variety of flutes to include bamboo, NAF, and
silver flutes.
There are 7 tracks, of mostly longer pieces, that vary from about 4
mins. to about 10.5 mins. Accompaniment includes piano, bass, drums,
strings, and vocal textures.
Wheater's style offers fantastic vibrato, and precision play, that
makes you acutely aware of his virtuoso abilities as a flautist. His
ability to play a wide assortment of world flutes, is top notch, and
his performance is very relaxing, and yet moving, all at the same time.
Vocal textures are found in many of Wheater's works, and this one
includes them as well. The textures add that "chant" type of element
to the music, adding the vibration of voice to the other textures and
vibrato of the flutes.
"Sound Medicine Man" explores the world of the Shaman, following the
ancient spiritual path, in a celebration of all that is, in life.
Tracks include:
1. "The Great Journey"
2. "Meeting the Bright Ones"
3. "The Blindfolded Hunter"
4. "Healing the Earth"
5. "Totem Moons"
6. "Cloud Dreams"
7. "Seeds of light"
My favorite tracks? This is one artist whose work I enjoy, on each and
every track, I hear. On this work, especially, each track merges into
the previous one, and the next one, and the continuity of the music is
almost unbroken, as though the tracks are merely variations of a
single long piece, which tells the entirety of a story. Yet the story
is so pleasing to hear, that you can hear it again and again, without
interruption, for long periods of time.
This week's selection comes from one of our newer members, Rae Denton,
titled "Wind Speaks", Musical Conversations of a Mother and Son, on
the Soft Winds Productions private label.
(This recording is on CD-R, rather than pressed, so it should be noted
that extra care, to avoid excessive heat, is recommended, in our climate).
This music is very pleasing, with nice melodies, that include flutes,
nature sounds, drums, chimes and other effects. The interplay of
flutes is very nice indeed, and the accompaniment complements and does
not detract from, the flutes, in any way.
The music flows well, and the nature effects are nicely blended into
the pieces. There is good sensitivity in the playing style, as well as
a conveyance of beauty and gentleness, in the pieces.
There are 15 tracks, of mostly shorter pieces, varying from just over
a minute to about 3.5 mins. in length.
This work is mostly about the flutes, and you get a nice mix of flute
interplay, drones, and duets, among the tracks.
Favorite tracks include:
1. Conversations (neat interplay)
4. Dream Winds (chimes and crickets)
6. Just Because (nice flute play)
7. Life is Short (a touch of sadness, but pretty)
8. Soft Winds Harmony (nice drone work)
10. Summer's Lullaby (crickets and a kind of alone sound)
14. Butterfly Dance (interplay and drones)
15. The Understanding (flute made by Rae's son, Jackie)
This work is a short CD, of about 36 mins., so that would be a minor
criticism, from a value standpoint, along with the extra care
recommendation in our heat for the CD-R format, but otherwise this is
a nice piece of work.
It is really nice to have another really good player in our group.
Phoenix's loss is our gain. Tell Rae how you like the sound bytes. I'm
sure she would like to have your feedback.
This week's selection, is available locally in Garden Ridge stores, in
a listening kiosk.
"Spirit Dreams" by Tomas Walker, is on the Reflections label, out of
Ontario, Canada. (You have had a couple of previous reviews from that
label's NAF offerings.)
This release is in a new age style, with accompaniment of guitar,
keyboards, and drums, with other various percussion, to include
shakers and rattles.
The flute play is very nicely done, and the other instrumentation well
blended into the mix, with some vocal textures, as well. The style of
flute play actually will deceive you, here and there, as Tomas manages
to evoke sounds similar to a bansuri flute, in his flute play on some
tracks.
Of the 3 albums I have from this label, this is the most complex
music, and perhaps the best overall production, but not necessarily
any better flute play, than the previous 2 albums.
There are 11 tracks, ranging from a short, under 2 min. piece, to a
longish, just under 9 mins. in length, piece.
From the moody and soulful sound of "Dawn" on track 1, to the more
traditional sound of "Morning Prayer" on track 2, to the carefree
sound of "Cloud Watching" on track 3, and beyond, this music is very
pleasing to listen to, and very well produced.
It is really nice to find a CD this pretty in a listening kiosk, where
you can sample the music, before you buy. While some kiosks only offer
a single sound sample per CD, this one was very representative of the
quality of the music.
"Wildflower", track 4, has a bit of a sing along sound to the rhythm,
with crisp and clean flute play. Vocal textures add to the sing along
feeling of the piece.
"Peaceful Valley", track 5, actually reminded me a bit of that old
standard, "Shenandoah" in it's sound and rhythm.
"Soaring", track 6, begins with a solo flute part, that you might
imagine as describing the flight of a raptor, soaring effortlessly in
the sky, then the other instruments join in, as the music takes on
more complexity.
Track lengths were inadvertantly switched on the jacket, between 6 and
7, so although the jacket lists track 6 as the longest, it is actually
track 7.
"The Awakening", track 7, is a kind of meditative piece, with gentle
rhythms, but crisp flute play, and with vocal textures. This is the
longest track.
"Ancestral Home", track 8, utilizes rattle rhythms, in a kind of lazy,
meandering way, with vocal textures, and keyboards, and with flutes
blending more into the overall composition, rather than standing out
sharply. I had visions of "moving camp", from this piece.
"Sacred Journey", track 9, blends flute and guitar, in a nice tempo,
offering up a little taste of the southwest sound.
"Circle Dance", track 10, has lots of spirituality in the flute play,
with higher key and flute echoing effects, fading with the echoes. I
would say at least 2 flutes were used, and perhaps 3.
The last track "Sunbeat", has a touch of mystery, in the sound, and a
languid almost sublimimal beat to it.
All in all.....a very nice work, and one you might enjoy.
Sorry, I couldn't find you any on-line sound bytes, as the web site
for the label is still under construction, and Ash Dargen has an album
by the same name, which complicates finding any obscure sound bytes.
So.....I recommend you visit your area Garden Ridge, and give a listen
at the kiosk, there.
Happy Listening,
Rick McDaniel
June 1, 2006 "Flutes of Moo-Wa-Sah" by Mark Woerpel
This week we take a look at a little different kind of CD, from Mark
Woerpel, "Flutes of Moo-Wa-Sah", on the Noc Bay Publishing label. The
cover features a rather simple looking loon head flute, over a weak
image of a guitar, which conveys the right message, as this is a flute
CD from a guitar player.
Yet, the flute is allowed to reign on this work, in all but one track,
where the guitar tends to take front stage.
Ok, you might say....how good a flute player, is a guitarist? Well, as
we have seen all too often....a musician is a musician....and Mark
plays the flute very well indeed.
This work is not only very nice, but the flutes have the sound of the
"old flutes", of the loon lakes of the states in the upper midwest,
and lower Canada. This unique sound, which is partly a touch breathy,
and partly a touch husky, gives this work a measure of "authenticity"
in the flute sound, that makes it very pleasing to hear.
In the mix of instruments, Mexican (Mayan) and Peruvian ocarinas, add
to the NAF flutes used, along with keyboards / synthesizers, classical
and acoustic guitar, chimes, sleigh bells, drum, and pow wow drum.
The rhythms have a fairly traditional sound to them, although I would
have to classify the work as a new age work. There are traditional
techniques used for mimicking birds, the sound of the pow wow drum is
traditional, and the bells are used in a rattle type rhythm.
There are 13 tracks, varying in length from about 1.5 mins. to about 5
mins., and I found all of them pleasing to me, including those using
the ocarinas, which sound very much like high key flutes. The flute
play is beautifully done, with a good deal of spiritual appeal, and
with duet flutes or flute / ocarina duets, while the accompaniment is
nicely handled, allowing the flutes to take the front stage except in
track 9, where the guitars take front stage, although the flutes are
still a nice part of the mix. Total time was a little short, at about
42 mins.
I can share that I found the flutes used, intriguing enough to seek
out the flute maker, of the flutes on this work, just for their sound.
This was one of those "take a gamble" acquisitions, that turned out
really well, since I had never heard of the artist before.
The guitar work on this CD, is also very pleasing, and I admit to
being picky about guitar.
All in all, a solid recommendation for you, of a lesser known
flautist. There is also a lullabye flute CD.
Find it here, but I was unable to find any sound bytes for you, on any
of my regular resources:
