Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: wind

  • Wild is the Wind

    Wild is the Wind

    Wind is something that is just a part of everyday life, except when it is not; when it became fierce, rough, tumbling its way across the earth, causing damage and harm to the small birds and creatures of the earth.

    Award winning Author Grahame Baker- Smith takes the journey of a small swift and follows its flight journey the healing hands of Cassie in Africa, as it gets ready to take flight with the rest of flock to the summer fields and pastures of the world.

    The swift waits, as do the others, for the perfect time to take to the sky to begin their journey. As the land warms, the seed pods burst and the wind begins to wake, the tiny bird joins the flock to follow the pathway across the skies, a pathway that goes far, far back in history.

    Not once do these tiny birds break their flight as they soar with wings outstretched on the currents of the wind, over desserts, oceans and mountains to finally, after three months come to a place far, far away from Cassie and her dessert country.

    Kun has been waiting for the arrival of the swifts as it means the summer is almost here once again. The swifts lay their eggs hidden away in their ancient nesting spots. The babies hatch, grow big and strong and when the wind begins to call, they are ready to follow the ancient flight pathway once again to summer.

    Deep, rich, sweeping illustrations combine with text that not only follows the flight to the swift, but tells much of the dessert country, the wild winds that form the majesty of the storms at sea and across the lands, and the changing warmth that tells of the seasons changing and the beginning once again, of a timeless journey for the swifts as they return to the summer in Cassie’s lands.

    Graham Baker Smith in Wild Is The Wind, gently offers a story wrapped up in a non-fiction basis that is both entertaining and educational as he has captured in word and picture the extraordinary flight of such tiny birds to reach their nesting place on the far side of the earth, only to return year after years following an ageless, timeless breading cycle

    Wild is the Wind could also make a worthy vehicle for the introduction and discussion of Climate Change and Environmental Management in a gentle and informative manner for younger children.

  • Fire in the Clouds

    Fire in the Clouds

    In this lovely, laid back collection from Eric Bikales, the many years of music he has engaged with is apparent as each of the pieces, while blending beautifully to create a whole, is as individual as emotion that inspired each of the compositions.

    Fire in the Clouds is a somewhat majestic title for an album which could be considered as comfortable, as the music reaches out with a lovely mellow ambience, but contains elements of Latino, jazz and totally enjoyable ‘old fashioned’ piano.

    Several of the pieces carry a reminder of the almost unforgettable song from the TV show Friends, ‘I’ll Be There For You’, which while slightly disconcerting, creates a feeling of being in amongst new friends, as each of the pieces unfold. This is not at all surprising considering Bikales background as a composer for many popular TV shows, among which are Good Wife, Hill Street Blues, LA Law and Grey’s Anatomy.

    The delightful Yellow Bird brings in the first of the captivating pieces with a light, uplifting tone which continues throughout the work, setting the tempo for a relaxing and enjoyable thirty minutes of delightful compositions.

    As the various tracks slowly drift out of the ether, the titles are intriguing. Fire in the Clouds is almost self-explanatory as it is both the title of the album, with a magnificent sunset gracing the cover, as well as a stand-alone, catchy little number full of fun, colour and atmosphere.

    Not often is a piece under a minute, but the intriguing little jazz ditty, Now This is one to look out for at 26 seconds in duration, making it very easy to overlook, and as such could be considered as a comma inserted between works of a similar emotional content. Khai written for his wife, is simple and yet elegant with a dash of improv included, as can be a life journey together.

    Rounding out a stylish and peaceful album are the final two tracks, both dedicated to wind: Reasoning With The Wind is once again a catchy little number which has a very different thread of strings added to create a certain calmness, something which a ‘lazy’ wind seldom offers, before Kansas Wind ushers in a slightly different, lazy jazz/blues style piece which is absolutely relaxing and a perfect piece to close a totally laid back collection.

  • The Flying Orchestra

    The Flying Orchestra

    The Flying Orchestra is a beautiful, whimsical and totally charming book which is out to impress from several different perspectives. Clare McFadden, not satisfied with creating a fantastical storyline, has capped it off with exquisite illustrations that simply capture the imagination and go straight to the heart of the story.

    ‘Some days are so windy that even the angels lose their balance from the top of City Hall’ begins a story in the round of listening to the varied, everyday sounds of our world as if The Flying Orchestra has arrived in town, to perform just for you.

    The mournful sound of the train leaving the station without you on it, a plane arriving at the airport, bringing travellers, noise, happiness, joy and sorrow, the deafening roar of touchdown and departure adding to the vibrant sounds.

    The wonderful sounds of the ocean at play, the beauty as the dawn breaks, the sound of the of the wind as it roars into town, ducking, diving, twisting and turning; the simple joy found by The Flying Orchestra as they simply stop, play and create wherever and whenever they arrive somewhere else, anywhere else.

    Couched amongst the magic is the very salient reminder to make time to stop and simply listen to the music there in the everyday ordinary, as we rush madly about the world we have created, without stopping for just a minute to appreciate that which is all around.

    Enchanting and immensely enjoyable, this book offers so much for readers of all ages, as it uses an orchestra to carry the message, the angels to attract attention and the wind, the very mischievous wind, that is sent to create disturbance and bring The Flying Orchestra into town, until it is once again time to leave and the sky is filed with peaceful magic once again.

    For music lovers there is a section at the end of the book titled Music to listen too which offers lovely classical piece to illustrate the many reasons why The Flying Orchestra comes to town as well as introducing children to the many and various aspects of classical music

  • Dancing on the Wind

    Dancing on the Wind

    Delicately a leaf blows across an open space, the soft morning mists lay on the ground before the day awakens, the gentle fall of a feather in the drifting breeze, are just some of the many images bought to the forefront of the emotions as you listen to the opening piece, When Leaves Dance, in this second solo album from the talented Shoshana Michel.

    Heather, Roses and Midnight moves into a deeper, richer use of the piano adding a dreamy, mellowness evocative of the heavy scent of roses after a hot day, the slowing down as the relaxation of evening is there to be enjoyed; savoured.

    Dancing on the Wind, the title track, is once again delicate and light, washing away the stresses and leaving in its place a sense of peacefulness; a sense of times past, of fresh new beginnings; of hope.

    In these first three tracks you immediately come to understand the power of solo piano played with a light touch, with an engaged sense of emotional creativity and the healing benefits which come from the absolute beauty of sound.

    As with most compositions much of the artists life experiences have combined to create each of the various melodies; some sad, some happy, many inspired by time and place, by the people met and the work undertaken. In Michel’s case, simply living life, following various pathways offered and finally, after more than 25 years away from composing material, sitting down at her piano allowing the ‘river of creativity’ flow.

    Shoshana Michel showed incredible talent as a young musician, who at the age of 17 years, began her professional career playing honky-tonk at a pizza parlour and then moving on to become the ragtime Pianist at the famous Knott’s Berry Farm; over the many years in between the pizza parlour and her first solo piano release, Soul Whispers, she has played all genres at a wide range of venues.

    She found composition a challenge as she felt she could not achieve what she required artistically and so sidelined this avenue, until she came across Chabad Nigunin (a collection of Jewish religious songs) which unlocked her incredible talent for composition and so this latest offering was born.

    Each of the track titles is evocative of the mood, each bringing to the listener a sense of place, a moment experienced, a personal though or feeling as special minute, when you simply listen to the beauty unfolding about you.

    This album has been created from original compositions, which shows a remarkable depth of understanding of the human psyche, which has entwined within each of the beautifully crafted and performed pieces.

    Simply beautiful.