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ELEMENTS FOR TRANSFORMATION
by Jim Loftus |
 WILL RETURN NEXT MONTH |
Here is a selection of new recordings for you to enjoy. As always, if you have any trouble finding this music at your local record store, feel free to contact the record company for details.
Gerald Jay Markoe
ZEN MEDITATIONS
(Astromusic 787/254-4327)
One of the most popular composers of relaxation music in the world, Markoe returns with his first album of new music in almost three years. Featuring Asian harps and flutes, sacred Tibetan crystal bowls, temple bells and gongs, synthesizers and nature sounds, this beautiful album offers timeless music for stress release, healing, meditation and dreams. As a composer, his innate empathy for both celestial and organic sounds draws comparisons to new age/spacemusic pioneers like Steve Roach, Jonn Serrie, Richard Burmer, Iasos, David Parsons and, even, Kitaro. But ZEN MEDITATIONS transcends comparison because it carries visions within its notes; each track opens, encourages and creates aural transparency. There is room to disappear inside the music, inside your own imagination. The drones heard help establish a sacred space, and the ethnic instruments give a sense of orientation but never dictate your own inner journey. Tracks like "Realization," "Matter and Emptiness" and "In the Silence Between Thoughts" evoke the music of the spheres that people have speculated about since ancient times. It is music based upon set mathematical ratios, the essence of sacred geometry that led architects to design the pyramids and explorers to navigate by the stars. Markoe has integrated these celestial patterns into twelve open yet melodic selections suitable for self-attunement. The result is an interactive, harmonic and emotionally compelling listening experience that strikes the perfect balance between attitude and emptiness. Allow yourself to melt into the music, and embrace the unprecedented adventure of the psyche that awaits within.
Robin Nolan Trio
MEDITERRANEAN BLUES
(Refined Records 415/831-0315)
Not since Django Reinhardt and Stephané Grappelli combined le jazz hot with flamenco in post-war Paris has such sensational "singing" been heard from a steel-strung guitar. MEDITERRANEAN BLUES finds the Robin Nolan Trio giving great groove; based in Amsterdam but earning a reputation as hard-touring road warriors, they're praised by no less than ex-Beatle George Harrison: "In these days of cacophony, it's good to hear some proper music!" Following their inclusion on the sensational GYPSY SWING compilation album (credited with re-igniting the demand for the titular musical genre), the Robin Nolan Trio performs original Latin-fused acoustic jazz instrumentals on guitars, stand-up bass, tabla, palmas and percussion. You won't believe how the players demonstrate their smooth fluidity, blending improvised acoustic solos, tight swing rhythms and the passion of flamenco into a truly thrilling listening experience. The frenetic pace of the title track -- replete with hand claps and occasional vocal punctuation -- is a dizzy delight guaranteed to leave you breathless, while the velvet elegance of "Friar Park" is a gentler, sunny strut down memory lane. The dark, spare sound of "Luna Tango" conjures the quirky but sometimes dangerous environs of back alley Paris in the '40s; in counterpoint is the conversational tones of "Bolero Blue," a dynamic instrumental dialog that embodies the unspoken music between a pair of dancers. From coffeehouses to smoky jazz clubs, the sizzling sound of gypsy guitar music is creating an atmosphere of sassy sophistication round the world, and the Robin Nolan Trio are the epitome of the genre today.
Kristi Stassinopoulou
ECHOTROPIA
(Tinder Records 415/491-0733)
Greek diva Stassinopoulou and friends make hypnotic ethno-trance tunes featuring folk instruments from the Grecian Isles and Asia Minor mixed with psychedelic and Balkan polyrhythms. Her haunting vocal lines (inspired by Byzantine psalmody) are cut into Eurobeat mixes for contemporary world music that is "sound, turned around." In fact, the unusual title of this recording is actually derived from two Greek words: "echos," meaning "sound," and "tropia," (from "trepos") meaning "turned around." A spontaneous game between words and music, ECHOTROPIA manages to be both atmospheric and driving, textured and starkly dramatic, through innovative arrangements for ethnic instruments such as zournas (pipes), tsoumbous (stringed lute) and accordion plus electric guitar, sax and electronics. Sonic accents from acoustic guitars, sax, violin, clarinet and traditional percussion help Stassinopoulou and company weave mesmerizing music that sounds both familiar and otherworldly; music that one can listen to again and again, yet still gain something fresh, new and exciting with each hearing.
Llewellyn and Kevin Kendle
PURE PEACE
(New World Music 800/936-7321)
This album is based on a two-part concept by Kevin Kendle and Llewellyn: to present the most restful and uplifting arrangements of Pachelbel's Canon in D ever made. Divided into two extended-tracks perfectly timed for meditation and massage, selection one is "Source to Sea" by Kevin Kendle, a journey that follows the first trickle of a stream down through lush woodland valleys and greenwood. As the river's journey slows and melds with the sea, Llewellyn's inspiration takes over to capture the romance and stillness of a stroll "By the Shore." Both instrumentals feature the timelessly soothing sounds of flutes, piano, acoustic guitars and gentle strings. Tori Donovan guests on violins and cello, recorders, and the beautiful soft vocal harmonies of Juliana add a deep sense of tranquility. The Pachelbel Canon is considered by many as being the first New Age composition ever written. The way in which the repeated layers overlap and develop into an ever-deepening emotional state is pure genius; the repetition of the main theme actually evolves like a mantra, taking us to a higher, calmer state. The key in which it is performed is also magical; there is something about the key of D that instantly connects with us when we hear it. It's warm, welcoming, soothing. While the Canon remains a timeless favorite recorded by dozens of musicians, PURE PEACE brings something new and fresh to the piece while remaining true to its original melody and spirit.
Trilok Gurtu
THE BEAT OF LOVE
(Blue Thumb/Verve Music Group 212/331-2009)
From Bhangra electronica to juju soul, Afro-Asian funk to raga raves, percussion maestro Gurtu declares his global musical vision on THE BEAT OF LOVE, a sizzling fusion of eleven tracks recorded in India, Africa and Britain. Joining Gurtu for this aural odyssey are his AFRICAN FANTASY collaborators Zap Mama vocalist Sabine Kabongo, Benin-born songstress Angelique Kidjo and sitar master Ravi Chary. New guests include the great Wasis Diop of Senegal, legendary Malian griot Salif Keita, and Jabu Khanyile of South Africa; over a dozen additional singers and musicians are featured, contributing indigenous tunes and ethnic instrumental performances. But where AFRICAN FANTASY scratched the surface of the common musical ground shared by Indian and African cultures, THE BEAT OF LOVE goes deeper, serving as a forward-thinking fusion that seamlessly integrates disparate elements into a series of creamy smooth grooves, intricately layered and beautifully arranged. One listen to the slick coolness of Kidjo's larky lead vocal on "A Friend," or the perky youthfulness of Nandini Sirkar's sinuous singing juxtaposed with Diop's earthy mutterings on "Ola Bombay," and it's clear that Gurtu is redrawing the contemporary world music map in clear, bold and exciting lines. In addition to showcasing his own phenomenal percussive skills, Gurtu melds innovative new rhythms, street songs and inspired performances by his fellow musical adventurers into an irresistible mix of profoundly emotive tracks. Produced by renowned Franco-Beninese mixmaster Wally Badarou (who has worked with everyone from James Brown to Fela Kuti, and is a co-founder of Brit popsters Level 42), THE BEAT OF LOVE is a quantum leap forward into the future of global fusion, and the future sounds great!
Submissions for review consideration may be sent to: PJ Birosik, MUSIK INTERNATIONAL CORP., 154 Betasso Road, Boulder, CO 80302-9606. Since 1977, Birosik has been a music industry consultant specializing in marketing, promotion, publicity and A&R/foreign licensing; she is a member of NARAS, NARM, NAIRD, CMC, IMA, and a past member of the Board of Directors of Los Angeles Women In Music who has been profiled in 11 international editions of Who's Who. Calls may be placed to her at 303/444-9575 between 9:30am - 5pm MST regarding review criteria, consulting services for signed & unsigned musicians, and data list rentals.
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