Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: finger picking

  • Of Sea and Stars

    Of Sea and Stars

    When the latest offering from this talented duo arrives in the mail, the excitement is great indeed to discover just what they have created with their new album. As always the vibe, the rhythm and the very essence of what makes them what they are as people, as seekers and musicians is there, mixed to sublime perfection.

    Their lovely Latino world-fusion music reaches out with a delicacy that immediately makes your heart lift. Upbeat, fluid and melodic their powerful combination of strumming and finger style rhythms simply gets better and better as they move between the various styles, creating a lovely resonance and full bodied sound.

    Of Sea and Stars is based on the philosophy of exploration; Bruce Hecksel poses the theory that perhaps our biological make-up can be traced back to saltwater and stardust, which then leads on to the hypothesis that voyages by the earliest sailors, as they set out to discover what lay over the horizon, and then to modern times when space travellers set out once again, to discover what was out their amongst the stars, could perhaps be directly connected to this basic element in all humans!

    He then goes one step further when he suggests that perhaps we have yet to gain the knowledge, or allow the knowledge to be accepted, that may give the skills to be able to interpret messages from other places or universes.

    This powerful though process comes through in the music created, as both he and Julie Patchouli are always seeking, stretching and searching for that something special to add to their latest album, to create a connectedness, not just between the musicians and their fans, but also to the universe we all live within.

    As always there is a mix of styles ranging from Greek, Spanish and Morocco influences, moving into the Caribbean and as always Central and South America. An innovative addition to this album is the introduction of the Native American flute in the piece Night River. The temptation to record a cover version of Zorbas from the Greek film ‘Zorba the Greek’ has seen this much loved piece given a fresh ’world fusion’ feel which will appeal to many.

    In the words of Hecksel, ‘The music on Of Sea and Stars is meant to direct the listener to both contemplation and bliss”. You could also add, pleasure and enjoyment.

     Have they succeeded, Yes, I believe they have.

  • Eterna

    Eterna

    Finger picking is the term commonly used to describe a particular style of music, which when played by a master, a perfectionist, moves from finger picking to an altogether different place, that of intricacy, timelessness and  in many ways and surprisingly, grace.

    David Donner started playing the guitar at the age of 15, when he was given one as a gift by his grandmother. This gift, his Eterna guitar, is still in use today and has been used on seventy percent of the tracks on the album. While perhaps not as sophisticated as some of his other guitars, the Eterna has produced a tone which is slightly deeper and richer, honed by age, love and use.

    But moving on, each of tracks has come about from a collection of ‘scratch’ tracks created over many years of writing and creating music for a wide range of usages, from Indie, to television series a range of commercials and independent films. Donner came to the conclusion that while this earned him a living there was something missing; to this end he put his skill base into a single album that was his and his alone, created, written and played by him.

    Each of the tracks is very different in context and complexity and should almost be listened too as individual pieces, separated from the whole, as each piece takes on its own influence, rhythm and image.

    Sherry Finzer joins him on flute in Tribal Dance, which gives an underlying haunting, almost ethereal sense to what is essentially an earthy style of music. Shi Hu is a perky little piece and with the added depth of ‘cello to the guitar, a synergy is created with an essence of joy and happiness woven about the notes. Some delicately beautiful finger work from both Donner and Hope Easton on ‘cello adds an almost unexpected, despite the name, oriental influence to the journey.

    There is a genuine questioning to be felt in the rather wry essence of What’s the deal (with women) asked of course by the men! The music moves rather moodily and tentatively with a few little extras thrown in for good measure. One has to contemplate are they asking a question, or attempting to define just what makes up the essence of woman! An eternal puzzle, but as is fitting, the woman has the final word!

    Reflection is the underlying theme of the final piece Prelude to Avesah, as there appears to be a little of each of the previous tracks written into the synergy which produces a circle that underlines the emotion throughout; that of the concept of higher consciousness and transcendence which is something that occurs each and every time music becomes a part of the moment, a segment of the day, a commencement and completion from Avesah to Prelude –synonymous of the eternal circle of life.