Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Piano

  • Swim To America, Vol. 1 (une rétrospective Stephan Eicher au piano)

    Swim To America, Vol. 1 (une rétrospective Stephan Eicher au piano)

    Covid has been responsible for much fascinating music evolving over the long, often lonely days of isolation and frustration. Swim to America Volumes 1-3, is one such project that was created by pianist Doug Hammer and his love of the music created by Swizz pop-rocker Stephan Eicher.

    In 2019 Eicher put out one sheet of his music, encouraged pianists to play it and post the end results. This simple request eventually led to Hammer and Eicher coming together in a collaboration that has created some wonderful, vibrant and absolutely enjoyable music that now fills three volumes.

    Along the three-year journey to the release of Swim to America in late April of this year, the beauty of the music of Eicher has reached a new audience, as has the rich beauty of Hammers piano creations through the videos of selected songs.

    Each of the pieces on Volume 1 range far and wide, beginning with the delightfully bright and breezy Ce pue d’amour offering a just a little bit of love. Stripped bare the melody of this song is simply beautiful.

    Tucked away amongst the more robust songs is the delicate, utterly romantic, Fur Immer, a piece that perfectly acknowledges forever; to love forever in perfect harmony.

    Swim to America is a far more sombre song than previous tracks which allows many connotations to be drawn with the slow and yet tantalising deeper melody, that maybe one day America will be a place that can be reached: is it a dream, a reality or an almost forlorn hope.

    The quirky Si tu veux (Que je chante) or roughly translated ‘I’ll sing if you want me to sing’, is interesting when you consider the song was written for pop rock; full of sound and husky vocalisation, but when played on the piano is absolutely captivating.

     Djain’s Waltz is a slightly up tempo, dainty piece where the mind is immediately enticed to the vision of swirling, twirling dancers as they swoop and dip across a darkened dance floor, involved with each other, lost in their own special time and place, entwined in the delicate moves of the eternally romantic waltz.

    Concluding Volume 1 is the reflective Nocturne also performed by Eicher on piano with vocals, which make the two versions vastly interesting as both Hammer and Eicher have retained the same emotion, one with several elements to the score, the other with only the purity of piano.  Absolute perfection and the perfect piece to draw a wonderful collection of songs to a soft and gentle farewell, until next time.

    The music of Stephen Eicher, a man who is known to sing in several languages, often using several in one song, makes wonderful, easy listening when transferred to piano, which allows an entire genre of music to be enjoyed by a fresh audience.

    Hammer and Eicher – two men from vastly different music backgrounds coming together in the desire to share the music in a time when music was for many, the lifeline that bought joy and relaxation into their lives.

  • Earthbeat

    Earthbeat

    Earthbeat is an appealing, easy listening collection of pieces, seven of which have been previously released as singles, from the talented duo, pianist Joseph Akins and flautist Sherry Finzer with what could be considered as the feature track Who Am I? a new song amongst to the familiar pieces.

    Whether it be design or intent each of the piece’s forms a musical voyage to unexpected places commencing with the reflective and thoughtful Shanti Moon, creating a perfect feeling of peace, heralded in by the full beauty of the moon as it lights the earth in darkened hours.

    Haunting, primal and resonating, the native American Indian flute calls in the almost hesitant notes of the piano in Earthbeat, forming a piece full of drama, with an almost deep sadness permeating the haunting notes of the flute.

    Upbeat and catchy Café Spa, a cheerful piece changes the tempo of the collection with an subtle jazz ambience; the darkened corners of a café at night, romance in the air, the gentle sounds of flute and piano combine to lull the listener into a sense of timelessness; a night when time almost, but not quite, stands still.

    The captivating, Who Am I? is the new single from Akins and Finzer, which showcase their impressive ability to move across genres with ease. There is a little help from their friends on ‘cello and percussion which adds a lovely depth of feeling to the song.

    Continuing on with the journey, the eerily beautiful Two Wolves brings in the vast open spaces of the prairie; two wolves moving across the landscape, the primitive sound of Indian drumming and flute adding to the mystery of the night.

    Concluding with the delicate Angel Moon, the addition of vocal harmonies allows a sense of dreaming to descend, as a timeless journey once again concludes with a gentle and relaxing flourish.

  • We Three Kings

    We Three Kings

    The notes of solo piano charm the soul, with this delightfully modern rendition of the much loved and beloved carol We Three Kings from Eddy Ruyter. Originally written in 1857 by John Henry Hopkins jr, for the New York City Christmas pageant, it became the first American Christmas carol to become widely popular.

    Its history still lives on as it is a carol that always, no matter which country, is widely sung by one and all throughout the Christmas season. To hear the music, immediately reminds one of the words and the sense of nostalgia that accompanies the memories of children singing, Carollers doing their rounds bringing joy and happiness and church congregations enjoying the beauty of the words and music,

    Eddy Ruyter has loved this carol since childhood and now offers his version of this wonderful, nostalgic carol ‘to wish one and all the happiest of Christmas holidays’.

  • Playing Under the Piano

    Playing Under the Piano

    Although widely known as the aristocratic Robert Crawley, Earl of Granthan of Downton Abbey, in the British historical television series set in the early 20th century, Hugh Bonneville’s career also encompasses the stage and big screen.

    In his winning and becomingly modest memoir ‘Playing Under The Piano’, this much loved British actor, not only gives the reader an insight into his successful life but he also pulls back the curtains and allows them a view of what happens behind the scene.  

    As his beloved aging father’s mental capacities diminished, Hugh Bonneville, at the age of 58, makes the decision to record his memories before he too is unable to recall aspects of his life.  By using entertaining little anecdotes, the author gives the reader an interesting and fascinating insight into his personal and professional life.

     Despite working with some of the best known in the profession, which included Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, Maggie Smith, he remained immensely grateful and humbled by his opportunities; he comes across as having a self-depreciating sense of humour and not one to take himself seriously.

    ‘Playing Under The Piano’ is filled not only with tantalizing tidbits of memorable moments throughout the author’s long and illustrious career but also with the little secrets and backstage gossip from the theatre and the works in which this accomplished actor was involved.

  • Touch and Sound

    Touch and Sound

    Sound, emotion and feeling are all wrapped up in this delectable album from pianist and composer Juan Sanchez Touch and Sound, the perfect collection of exquisite cameo pieces each wrapped in beautiful melody.

    As the work is lengthy, seventeen tracks in total, it makes the perfect element to encourage time spent in reflection, allowing a sense of space where time is endless, drifting and soothingly enhanced by the delicately crafted music.

    Commencing with the daintily created Sands of Time the scene is set for a delightful journey into the world of contemporary classical music, melded with a touch of synth and wordless vocals softly wafting through several of the tracks.

    The very beautiful song Lullaby for a Frantic World is one such piece that lulls the senses into a calm space, perfectly balanced with piano and violin capturing the very essence of a lullaby – a gentle melody or song to sooth someone to sleep.

    An interesting concept is presented in Human Rights, introduced with a strong piano chord, before flowing into a cello based melody with the piano appearing to float over the deeper drone of the strings. Melancholic emotions are entwined with this piece, which ask to be further examined.

    Haunting lyrics grace the gentle piece Le Grand Bleu once again a seamless blending of instruments using the voice to connect the various elements to create feeling of pure bliss.

    For those who do not read the track listings, there are two versions of Astral Voices, the first is piano infused with angelic voices and delicate synth offering a dreamy soundscape, the second, pure piano, reflective of a man at one with his music, deeply immersed in the creative process. Both equally as beautiful.

    The final piece Touch and Sound simply bounces into creation, offering a catchy and yet gentle return from a world of sensuous pleasure, of sound of rich emotion to softly land in the world of now.

    Touch and Sound as a collection is absolutely beautiful, reflective and rich, with a subtle sense of emotion and is as good as it gets within the neo-classical genre. It is definitely going to be one album that will be gracing the Awards nights in the months to come.

  • Sketches

    Sketches

    Improv piano is always delightful to enjoy as the music has that certain something, that unexpected element of surprise, as if to say to the creator, let us see what happens when you simply let the melody develop without specific control, expectation or reason.

    Sketches from Michele McLaughlin is an album of improv pieces which when put together create a light, fresh, breezy work that lifts the spirit, gladdens the heart and creates a real dose of that wonderful ’feel good’ feeling.

    A jaunty little piece is the Traveler, depicting an element of the unexpected as a journey is undertaken, a destination in mind the various aspect of the voyage yet to be seen, enjoyed and discovered. A magical little piece full of light and fun.

    The Long Night begins as slightly hesitant piece, reminiscent of those nights when sleep seems so far away, the endless dark allowing those disenchanted elements to enter, to be reviewed, let go into that some other place, where errant thoughts wander, before a fresh morning arrives.

    Somewhere we have all been is Lost: whether emotionally, physically or on a journey where arriving at the destination is via a route which at the beginning of the journey was unplanned. Such can be said of life’s journey as the pathway is always other than what is expected or even foreseen. This lovely solo piano piece captivates perfectly offering the elements of unexpected within the composition.

    Rounding out a lovely collection is the rich, enjoyable Unshakeable which perfectly draws to conclusion a varied, light and very entertaining collection of Sketches.

  • Twelvemonth

    Twelvemonth

    Song cycles are something that is not all that common in the world of today’s music and yet, by its very nature, so much of the music created in a neoclassical, spiritual/new age style is exactly that; a song cycle. Composer and pianist Pam Asberry has created a fresh, enjoyable tribute to Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel who composed a beautiful song cycle Daas Jahr in 184, along with many other pieces, during a time when music was not considered as a suitable or respectable career for a woman.

    Twelvemonth begins in January a time of Snow with a dainty collection of notes delicately falling as the snowflakes do, gentle, soft, delicate and perfectly formed. The year moves along with Romance arriving in February with a gentle considered tempo that is deliciously soft, warm and cuddly, all the elements that make up a good old fashioned romance.

    As the year unfolds the melodies formed are jaunty, reflective and exciting. Before long a Processional is held, perhaps in response to the early romance in February. Carefully spaced the notes form an image of the Bride slowly walking down the aisle to begin her life with the man of her heart. Rich and lovely, Processional is full of dreams of happy tomorrows filled with love.

    Fireworks, skies lit up with magical, fleeting colour, sparklers waving, leaving a mystical trail of vapour only to disappear in the blink of an eye, is captured in the vibrant piece Sparklers, a celebration of Independence Day held in July in the United States.

    As the lively days of summer draw to a close how easy it is to Lament the passing of the seasons, which has been captured in the up-tempo melody laced together with a strong, deep thread portraying the slow but persistent change arriving in the chill of the days, as summer is on the wane.

    Ghosts arrive in October, their Shades all around, particularly as the sun sets ushering in the darkness. The quirky little piece Shadows pays tribute to the month of ghosts, mystique and Celtic festivals.

    Christmas is a time of hope, family and joy which is celebrated in the hymn like Hope set to be a favourite come Christmas time in December this year. Hope is also the perfect ending to a beautiful song cycle which commenced with the delicate and dainty Snow, to gently segue through the emotions to conclude with the wonderfully meaningful, immensely touching piece Hope.

  • Other Weather

    Other Weather

    Billed as ambient classic Other Weather from Jeff Grienke is subtly different to his previous recordings in that piano is the predominant instrument , with others joining in as Grienke so chooses, creating as he feels and hears the sound ranges within the changing element of weather.

     Long fascinated with the elements that create weather, his more recent music reflects his expanding fascination which has been structured, thanks to clever the use of electronic blending, to seek out and form an enchanting album of sound with subliminal appeal.

    Beautifully subjective of the sky when it is so full of rain that  it appears to falling to the earth, Falling Sky is gentle, peaceful and evocative, whereas  Rising Cumulus brings about the heavy emotions of storms brewing, emotions rising, majesty forming before it crashes into a major symphony of light and sound, both stark in contrast, both elemental.

    With the title Clouds like Flying Saucers, how could this not evoke the image of time spent simply observing the clouds as they float past, driven by an unseen wind to pass onto destinations unknown. So many images created to dissolve, to move into another form, shapeshifting before one’s eyes. Such magical moments have been captured with a gentle melody offering time out from the mundane.

    Somewhat whimsical in nature the complete work comes with a lovely built in subtlety which, for those who do take time to take time, to watch the many aspect of the weather unfold, will totally understand. Weather forms the most beauteous of artworks momentarily created on a never ending basis to enchant and renew, as does the intangible nature of music.

    Magical and soothing melodies abound throughout Other Weather that capture the quieter moments, such as a riotous sunset or gloriously gentle sunrise, the freshness after the rain, the immense feeling of storm clouds forming, creating within their very element an innate feeling of awe, of wonder, the overwhelming beauty of Snow Across a Windswept Plain, the eerie majesty perfectly captured.

    In summation Other Weather is not at all what may be expected; it is delicate, introspective, reflective using a wide range of harmonies to build a delicate individual landscape to be enjoyed.

  • Holly Jones: a series of singles

    Holly Jones: a series of singles

    Holly Jones created a series of telling songs during the course of 2020, individual, emotional and delicate performed on her piano. All are reflective of so much felt and endured by so many over the past year.

    By day Holly Jones is a physical therapist using the magic of music as one of her healing modalities, after hours she is an accomplished, pianist composer who believes that through the medium of music peace and healing can be found.

    Sink into the sumptuous solo piano single I Remember (2020) from Holly Jones as she leads gently into the stillness from which to flow effortlessly across the spectrum of emotions, creating a gentle space in time that is to be treasured, enjoyed, supped from with delight, revelled in, allowed to settle and sooth as a balm for the very troubled souls we have all become over the past year

    Fortitude (2020) is short, charming, and delicate; it speaks to the very heart of people everywhere who have needed great fortitude to ride out the storm that was 2020, a year that was filled with with a sense of  deep sadness, change and devastation not easily forgotten.

    I Wonder as I Wander is another in a series of singles created in 2020 that describe the emotion of the moment, an emotion felt by all, as whenever possible we wandered, whether in our minds from our solitude in lockdown, or in person to the real pleasure of the great outdoors, wondering what the future held, how much longer or worse could things become, how much more the spirit could tolerate, when there would be an end to the sadness.

    Cloud Drift (2020) is just that: imagine lying on the ground watching the clouds drift by on their journey to some other stratosphere, seemingly without a care or worry in their universe; a blue sky filled with white fluff, gentle and yet full of hidden shapes offering mindless captivation. A delicate, light single perfect for the moment in time when stepping out of daily toil is required.

    Heart To Heart (2021) is a reflective piece that is very easy to be able to relate too, as it is full of the many thoughts and feelings we all have to face and accept as we take stock, relax and understand that such is life;  as in the beginning so to in the end. A slight hint of sadness threads through the piece as each of the notes slowly shape a letting go, an acceptance, a completion.

    Learning to Fly (2021) is a refreshing, solo piano piece filled with happiness and hope, as the very elements of stretching out to embrace the new day are perfectly captured as Holly Jones sits at her piano allowing the music to emerge, to bring forth almost a yearning to be able to learn to fly once again in a fresher, clearer, more beautiful future.

    Each of the pieces were written and recorded at various times over 2020 reflecting the emotions of a year truly like no other in modern times. The two pieces released in 2021, just two months in, are reflective of acceptance, letting go and fresh new beginning; a time of hope in the future with an eventual return to a more settled, peaceful world.

    Each of the tracks is perfect to add as a single to a playlist or gather together to make a gorgeous, mellow and soothing palate to be enjoyed.

  • A Gift of Moments

    A Gift of Moments

    Poignant and powerful A Gift of Moments from award winning Louis Anthony deLise transports the emotions to a place of great sensitivity, with a varied and much hued palate of gloriously rich pieces, all written during the time of the COVID lockdown of 2020.

    Along with many others deLise was in lockdown, presented with the time to reflect, think and compose into sound the many emotions he was feeling, creating an album that comes straight from the heart of the composer, melded with the help of strings and guitar into a work that is both reflective and joyful.

    The passing of a dear friends husband was described to deLise as life being a ‘gift of moments’ which transposed into the lead track and album name A Gift of Moment’s, a reflective, gentle and moving song touched with a little melancholy through the subtle underpinning ‘cello work from Natasha Jeffe.

    In Before the Times (February2020) is an interesting, slowly measured piece, reflecting back to very different times, as if looking down the vast timeline to history, history formed merely weeks before. Sad and yet in the sadness, great beauty has been captured, stark and clear as the solo piano speaks the thoughts and feelings so many underwent during the time of great uncertainty, a time when change was necessary, frightening and yet unavoidable.

    Then along comes a very happy little piece in My Gentle Heart which is light, delightfully capturing a refreshing joyful moment. Richly constructed Ripples on The Pond captures some of the magic Hollywood filmmakers of the 1950’s have somehow always managed to build into movie soundtracks. Teasing and cinematic, this is one piece to simply allow the mind and soul to embrace, as a journey to someplace full of fresh summer breezes gently ruffling the enticing, captivating and refreshing water. A particular favourite in a collection of ten favourites!

    A Gift of Moments is an all embracing collection that requires the play button to be pushed over and over again, to allow a beautiful journey to continue along life’s many and strange pathways, which all come to a perfect conclusion with the gentle and yet vibrant, once again cinematic song, At The End Of The Tunnel, which almost one year on, appears to be almost here.