Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Sedona

  • Asilomar

    Asilomar

    There is a strong similarity between the beauty of music created in Sedona, a place of great natural beauty and spirituality, and music inspired by the oceans of the world, both containing mystery, magic, a rare and often changing beauty and immense haling.

    Michael Martinez has captured this sense of healing and beauty in his gentle and reflective album Asilomar, from the Spanish Asilo al mar which means refuge by the sea, a place he found refuge, peace and inspiration, of which was later recorded in Sedona. A perfect combination of nature and melody.

    My Guru begins the work, perhaps written in homage to the ever changing, always grounding abilities of the ocean which provided the inspiration required for this delicate album.

    One of the two very personal pieces Asilomar, forms as slightly hesitant, almost tentative, before becoming more confident, stronger, more definite in the knowledge that shapes and forms are being created; that there is joy in the moment, joy in the creation and joy in the completion of the beautiful sequence of notes that make up a very special moment in time.

    Soft and gentle Sedona Whisper quietly evolves, filling the ether with the very essence of the mystique and majesty that is Sedona; a quiet reflection, a moment to relax, to consider and to enjoy.

    Tender Love creates a perfect moment of quietude, of stillness and calm in a maddening world, a calm that heals and refreshes as well as draws to a close, a beautiful period of time where the imagination can drift freely, to walking along a desolate beach in perfect harmony with the elements, the deep endless secrets of the ancient desert, the perfection there to be capture for a single minute in time.

    Magical, relaxing and full of serenity, Asilomar is the perfect album to play when there is a need to step back, to take a minute and simply just be.

     

  • Time Not Forgotten

    Time Not Forgotten

    Dancing across the keyboards the delicately constructed song Dancing Through My Memories introduces the latest Album from solo pianist Rhonda Mackert, Time Not Forgotten; the name in itself a gentle hint to the delightful journey to be undertaken.

    A gentle light feeling follows on with Walking Among Giants, a piece in which it is very easy to imagine walking through tall timbers, lost in the moment, in awe of nature and the perfection created in the seeming disarray of nature. A gloriously peaceful song to simply be enjoyed.

    With Time Not Forgotten the work changes tempo to be a more definitive composition, slightly sharper, deeper, perhaps a little more poignant in the emotion imbedded in the creation.

    A very real change of pace is Monsoon introduced with sharp, single notes before building to a crescendo, strong bass notes clearly painting a picture of these majestically destructive storms as they begin with a small breeze, building to raging tempests before calming, moving on as once again a gentle breeze; a metaphor for so many aspects of life.

    Chasing Fireflies is a happy, effervescent song, dancing across the keyboard bringing with it joy and happiness, perfectly depicting the fun to be had when wildly chasing the uncatchable fireflies; such fun to be had.

    Sedona, that magical land of wide-open spaces, incredibly immense scenery and a special form of magic, is paid homage too in Dreaming of Sedona, a lovely, melodic, peaceful composition, with shades of light and dark, peace and relaxation woven throughout.

    Drawing an enchanting album to a close is the softly entrancing piece Floating Free, which is evocative of so many perfect moments in time, that first glimpse of a new dawn, the delight of floating on the breezes, the soft glory of a perfect sunset, or just allowing the mind to float free of the everyday, to simply be in the moment.

    Rhonda Mackerts’ work is captivating, enjoyable, relaxing; painting a picture in the mind of times remembered, and the very real beauty to be found in the moment with nature and life itself.

  • Healing Music, Vol. 2

    Healing Music, Vol. 2

    Sedona reached out invitingly to Valerie Romanoff some years ago, weaving its potent magic, offering a glimpse of the deep spirituality to be found there and then allowing some of that magic to be woven into music that heals. Romanoff has gone on to honour that perspective in several volumes of healing music of the most intricate kind.

    On her latest Healing Music recording the work is intricate, mellow, deeply spiritual and contains, in song after song, the energy and sacred wisdom to be found in the most incredible of places, in this instance Sedona.

    The two CD’s that make up Volume 2 offer a world of peace, relaxation and transformation that is subtle, enjoyable and transformational. Such is the capacity of this artist that the music captivates without conscious choice, simply by being there, not demanding to be heard, observed but simply there, offering solace to the subconscious mind, healing and transforming in its intricate simplicity and beauty.

    Seventeen tracks plus one bonus have been structured for relaxation and light movement, as in yoga or meditation, with a delicious range of tempos orchestrated to enhance various states of emotion and transformative vibrations.

    Known for her ability with the guitar she has incorporated range of instruments such as the sitar, kora and synthesiser, along with piano to create a full spectrum of healing melodies, reminiscent on a number of tracks, of wide-open spaces, deep quite caverns and endless, timeless landscapes which will awaken the inner knowing to be found within everyone.

    Disc 1 is composed of original creations with each song presented as a full suite, following the Still, Chill philosophy behind Romanoff’s music. Six tracks take 1 hour 23 seconds to absorb, making this the ideal medium for some serious meditation. Disc 2 is a pared down ‘radio’ edits, making the body of the work a slightly shorter 43:48-minute selection. Concluding a journey of transformation is the bonus track Pink Skies (full suite) of 17:30 minutes duration, which is a stand-alone piece of great beauty.

    As to favourite pieces, that will and should be a very personal preference on a collection of this magnitude, as each disc could be considered as one perfect blending of the ‘full spectrum’ encompassing a healing vibration to enrich the body, soul and mind.

     

  • Serenity

    Serenity

    Created in Sedona, Arizona, this remarkably beautiful album has the all elements of this geographically stunning state woven throughout, creating a tapestry of sound that is as delicate as it is robust.  From the vibe that is Sedona, to the majesty of the mountains and the still, timeless beauty of the plains, Kollwitz has deliberately or otherwise, used these elements in this latest album, an album which is once again, different to the music he has, over many years created.

    Inspired by Marshall Vian Summers book ‘Steps To Knowledge – The Book of Inner Knowing’ this virtuoso of the Chapman Stick or ‘Stick’, Michael Kollwitz has shown his undoubted skill, in this hour long collection of refreshingly intriguing pieces.

    Using ‘The Book of all Knowledge’ as a metaphor, each of the tracks is or could be a different day, a new chapter, a divergence in the flow of inspiration. The exotic influence of the ‘Stick’ creates a difference, an harmony which allows the mind to wander, to change down a notch or two, to drift across the soundscape to places new, yet unseen, unchallenged.

    Mellow and yet uplifting, each of the pieces takes you on a slightly different journey, perhaps significant to the landscape of the place in which he lives, as well as the 365 steps to be followed in ‘The Book’ as a spiritual learning is undertaken. As with all things each piece could be seen as one of the many steps along the way to a better, richer, more fulfilling, understanding of spirituality.

    The introductory piece Mountain Sanctuary paints the picture of a peaceful, special place far from the daily influences; a place to simply be still and enjoy the moment. Simple Pleasure has a slightly more measured application, with threads binding it into the previously gentle flow of the music.

    The simply delicious Quiet Full Moon encourages reminiscence of the many times spent watching the moon in its full glory; lighting up the night, washing the earth in its true, glorious, majesty. Higher Power dreamily follows, with a refreshing rhythm which allows the gentle nature of the music to remind one that there is a higher power, of which we should all be cognizant.

    In a fitting finale, No Hurry, No Worry, sends us on our way, revitalised for spending a moment in reflection, in Serenity, at peace.

    A unique and delicately beautiful album, guaranteed to refresh the body, mind and soul.

     

     Note: ‘The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords, or textures’ (i)

    (i)                  Ref: Wikipedia