A lot of musicians dabble in Indian music, but not Dan Blanchard. A student of Indian classical music and santoor for nearly a decade, as well as a certified yoga teacher and therapist and soon-to-be ayurvedic practitioner, Blanchard takes his art seriously. The result is an album of Indian classical music as authentic as if it were done by one of the Indian masters themselves.
Blanchard designed the music on this CD as an accompaniment for morning meditation and spiritual practice, and it sounds as if it is ideally suited for that purpose. This is due to the authentic nature of the music itself. Blanchard plays classical Indian instruments such as the santoor, harmonium, tanpura, and swarmandal. He is also backed by Nisha Narsai on vocals, Sheela Bringi on bansuri flute, Sangeet Mishra on sarangi, Gabe Marihugh on udu and djembe, and Brian Campbell on tabla.
Due to the serious, disciplined classical nature of the music, its appeal beyond yoga and spiritual applications will most likely be geared towards more discerning and open-minded listeners. This is not popular Bollywood music. However, the last two tracks, “Transformation” and “Integration,” which feature Narsai’s beautiful voice, have an East-meets-West sensibility that will be of interest to those familiar with the Indian music explorations of George Harrison, Andy Summers, and 2002.
Blanchard has poured his heart and soul into creating a masterful, high-quality recording that, because of his sincerity, passion, dedication, and talent, takes its rightful place among the classics of artistic and spiritual Indian music.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
CD Review – In the Wake, by Ann Sweeten
Ann Sweeten returns refreshed and renewed with a collection of tranquil piano tunes that seek to move beyond the pressures of the past and look ahead to the future with determination.
Once again, Sweeten turns to producer Will Ackerman and his Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont to provide a crisp, state-of-the-art recording that brings out the nuanced subtleties of Sweeten’s masterful keyboard skills. This gives the CD the sense of an up-close-and-personal performance at an intimate venue.
Sweeten is joined on this outing by Ackerman on guitar, Trisha Craig on flute, Akane Setiawan on English horn and oboe, Andrew Eng on viola and violin, and Liz Ehrman on cello. These musicians are as masterful in their restraint as they are in their technique, perfectly accentuating the piano-based focus of the music and providing just a hint of embellishment in keeping with the overall quietude of the album.
As usual, Sweeten’s compositions are striking and beautiful, complemented by Sweeten’s gorgeous performances. Some of her playing is simple and understated, and some of it is very complex and involved. But it is all effortlessly and expertly controlled, evidence of a true maestro at work. The result is a perfect mental getaway and a fine listening experience.
--Raj Manoharan
Once again, Sweeten turns to producer Will Ackerman and his Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont to provide a crisp, state-of-the-art recording that brings out the nuanced subtleties of Sweeten’s masterful keyboard skills. This gives the CD the sense of an up-close-and-personal performance at an intimate venue.
Sweeten is joined on this outing by Ackerman on guitar, Trisha Craig on flute, Akane Setiawan on English horn and oboe, Andrew Eng on viola and violin, and Liz Ehrman on cello. These musicians are as masterful in their restraint as they are in their technique, perfectly accentuating the piano-based focus of the music and providing just a hint of embellishment in keeping with the overall quietude of the album.
As usual, Sweeten’s compositions are striking and beautiful, complemented by Sweeten’s gorgeous performances. Some of her playing is simple and understated, and some of it is very complex and involved. But it is all effortlessly and expertly controlled, evidence of a true maestro at work. The result is a perfect mental getaway and a fine listening experience.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, February 26, 2012
CD Review – Solitary Treasures, by Darlene Koldenhoven
Darlene Koldenhoven’s latest album not only serves as a wonderful showcase for the Grammy Award-winning singer’s impressive five-octave vocal range, but also provides a great mix of classical and pop standards and tunes that will appeal to most musical tastes.
The CD offers Koldenhoven’s interpretations of everything from “Nessun Dorma” and “Lo Specchio” to “Kiss from a Rose” and a suite from the Twilight movies. The result is an absorbing and exhilarating listening experience that never lets up from beginning to end.
Koldenhoven, who has lent her vocal talents to albums by several superstars and performed as a featured soloist on Yanni’s globally popular PBS Acropolis special, has an incredible voice that charms, enraptures, and takes the breath away. Rarely have I been so captivated by a singer throughout an entire album.
A great deal of the CD’s effectiveness owes to the rich, lush orchestration and instrumentation of the music. Koldenhoven also produces and sequences many of the tracks in addition to masterfully playing piano and is backed by both a solid rock rhythm section and a symphony. This gives the album the feel of classic records from the 1950s and 1960s, but with a modern sensibility.
Song highlights include “Kiss from a Rose,” which is fairly faithful to Seal’s original hit single but features a trippy version of the bridge with both a children’s and an adult choir; a Twilight medley that is creepily romantic (although it has no lyrics, Koldenhoven’s vocal affectations are appropriately haunting); “Ay Carino” (I don’t understand a word of it, but Koldenhoven’s sultry Spanish vocalization thoroughly entices me); the piano-based instrumental “Lucid See”; and “The Prayer” from The Quest for Camelot.
Favorites notwithstanding, every song on this CD is a stunner, thanks to Koldenhoven’s golden voice, the impeccable musicianship, the high technical quality of the recordings, and the pedigree of many of the tunes. No matter your musical taste, this is really a winner.
--Raj Manoharan
The CD offers Koldenhoven’s interpretations of everything from “Nessun Dorma” and “Lo Specchio” to “Kiss from a Rose” and a suite from the Twilight movies. The result is an absorbing and exhilarating listening experience that never lets up from beginning to end.
Koldenhoven, who has lent her vocal talents to albums by several superstars and performed as a featured soloist on Yanni’s globally popular PBS Acropolis special, has an incredible voice that charms, enraptures, and takes the breath away. Rarely have I been so captivated by a singer throughout an entire album.
A great deal of the CD’s effectiveness owes to the rich, lush orchestration and instrumentation of the music. Koldenhoven also produces and sequences many of the tracks in addition to masterfully playing piano and is backed by both a solid rock rhythm section and a symphony. This gives the album the feel of classic records from the 1950s and 1960s, but with a modern sensibility.
Song highlights include “Kiss from a Rose,” which is fairly faithful to Seal’s original hit single but features a trippy version of the bridge with both a children’s and an adult choir; a Twilight medley that is creepily romantic (although it has no lyrics, Koldenhoven’s vocal affectations are appropriately haunting); “Ay Carino” (I don’t understand a word of it, but Koldenhoven’s sultry Spanish vocalization thoroughly entices me); the piano-based instrumental “Lucid See”; and “The Prayer” from The Quest for Camelot.
Favorites notwithstanding, every song on this CD is a stunner, thanks to Koldenhoven’s golden voice, the impeccable musicianship, the high technical quality of the recordings, and the pedigree of many of the tunes. No matter your musical taste, this is really a winner.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, February 19, 2012
CD Review – Peaceful Journey: Music for Relaxation and Wellbeing, by Tron Syversen
Nordic composer and musician Tron Syversen sets the soul at ease with this soothing collection of music that, as the subtitle says, provides relaxation and wellbeing.
Syversen creates beautiful melodies and sonic textures with his piano and synthesizers, augmented by other musicians on acoustic guitar, English horn, violin, and cello. Singer Elin Lokken adds a touch of heaven with her angelic and reassuring wordless vocals. The result is musical paradise.
Although Syversen hails from and is based in Scandinavia and sometimes records in Italy, this album has a Greek/Mediterranean feel, giving it a sense of romantic escapism and making it the perfect mental getaway.
Fans of Vangelis and Yanni will enjoy this equally worthy recording.
--Raj Manoharan
Syversen creates beautiful melodies and sonic textures with his piano and synthesizers, augmented by other musicians on acoustic guitar, English horn, violin, and cello. Singer Elin Lokken adds a touch of heaven with her angelic and reassuring wordless vocals. The result is musical paradise.
Although Syversen hails from and is based in Scandinavia and sometimes records in Italy, this album has a Greek/Mediterranean feel, giving it a sense of romantic escapism and making it the perfect mental getaway.
Fans of Vangelis and Yanni will enjoy this equally worthy recording.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, February 12, 2012
CD Review – Time Rider, by Uwe Gronau
German composer and musician Uwe Gronau’s latest album is a jazz/new age/art rock tour de force with a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks that sound like a cross between Jan Hammer and Genesis.
Gronau uses his keyboards and synthesizers to create mesmerizing melodies and textures, stinging guitar lines, and dynamic bass rhythms, and he and his co-producer Clemens Paskert keep time with standard and syncopated backbeats through the use of propulsive and kinetic drum programs, in addition to percussion by Andy Kohlmann.
American musician Martin Brom adds crazy-awesome guitar to “Far in the East,” and “Interlude” is driven by German guitarist Wolfgang Demming’s powerful fusion crunch. By the way, these two six-string slingers need to release their own solo albums. They’re that good.
Gronau’s vocals sound somewhat like a combination of Men in Hats, Modern English, Pet Shop Boys, and Andy Summers (from his XYZ days) – not what typically passes for popular singing, but perfectly suited to the quirkiness of the songs. The vocal tracks are not really about singing, but about story, character, and atmosphere, and Gronau’s subliminal, psychedelic vocalization brings out those elements in the music and lyrics, the latter of which were penned by Michael Hoeing and Ursula Goldstein. Gronau does add zest to the songs by recruiting the soulful accompanying and backing vocals of Angelique Damschen.
As the title (and the artwork, which inexplicably features the Enterprise E from the Star Trek: The Next Generation movies) suggests, the album is quite the trip through time and space, and it’s a trip well worth taking.
--Raj Manoharan
Gronau uses his keyboards and synthesizers to create mesmerizing melodies and textures, stinging guitar lines, and dynamic bass rhythms, and he and his co-producer Clemens Paskert keep time with standard and syncopated backbeats through the use of propulsive and kinetic drum programs, in addition to percussion by Andy Kohlmann.
American musician Martin Brom adds crazy-awesome guitar to “Far in the East,” and “Interlude” is driven by German guitarist Wolfgang Demming’s powerful fusion crunch. By the way, these two six-string slingers need to release their own solo albums. They’re that good.
Gronau’s vocals sound somewhat like a combination of Men in Hats, Modern English, Pet Shop Boys, and Andy Summers (from his XYZ days) – not what typically passes for popular singing, but perfectly suited to the quirkiness of the songs. The vocal tracks are not really about singing, but about story, character, and atmosphere, and Gronau’s subliminal, psychedelic vocalization brings out those elements in the music and lyrics, the latter of which were penned by Michael Hoeing and Ursula Goldstein. Gronau does add zest to the songs by recruiting the soulful accompanying and backing vocals of Angelique Damschen.
As the title (and the artwork, which inexplicably features the Enterprise E from the Star Trek: The Next Generation movies) suggests, the album is quite the trip through time and space, and it’s a trip well worth taking.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, February 5, 2012
CD Review – A New Horizon, by Jose Luis Serrano Esteban
Jose Luis Serrano Esteban shares his last name with another well-known and accomplished guitarist, but that’s where the similarity ends. Jose’s second album reveals him to be an amazing and soulful fusion guitarist of solid technical prowess and melodic brilliance.
The CD is a stunning showcase of beautiful compositions and impeccable musicianship, layered richly with Jose’s nylon-, steel-, and 12-string acoustic guitars, electric guitars, basses, keyboards, and percussion, as well as contributions from others on clarinet, flute, violin, 12-string acoustic guitar, and bass.
Jose has the killer tone and technique of Eric Johnson and the creativity and progressive edge of Andy Summers while still forging his own unique voice, putting him squarely in the echelon of those two heralded fusion guitarists as well as other similar six-stringers.
The pop and rock acts that have emerged in the last couple of decades (with the exception of John Mayer, who is legitimately talented on the instrument) sorely lack the level of guitar mastery displayed on this CD. I honestly thought that Eric Johnson was one of the last true guitar heroes. I have been proven wrong. We need more guitarists like Jose Luis Serrano Esteban.
--Raj Manoharan
The CD is a stunning showcase of beautiful compositions and impeccable musicianship, layered richly with Jose’s nylon-, steel-, and 12-string acoustic guitars, electric guitars, basses, keyboards, and percussion, as well as contributions from others on clarinet, flute, violin, 12-string acoustic guitar, and bass.
Jose has the killer tone and technique of Eric Johnson and the creativity and progressive edge of Andy Summers while still forging his own unique voice, putting him squarely in the echelon of those two heralded fusion guitarists as well as other similar six-stringers.
The pop and rock acts that have emerged in the last couple of decades (with the exception of John Mayer, who is legitimately talented on the instrument) sorely lack the level of guitar mastery displayed on this CD. I honestly thought that Eric Johnson was one of the last true guitar heroes. I have been proven wrong. We need more guitarists like Jose Luis Serrano Esteban.
--Raj Manoharan
Saturday, February 4, 2012
CD Review – Bindu, by Michael Brant DeMaria
On his latest album, Ph.D. psychologist and musical therapist Michael Brant DeMaria sets out on a sonic exploration of the inner depths of human consciousness and existence.
He explains in the liner notes that the title of the CD is a Sanskrit word that can refer to a moment of creation or awakening, and the musical motif he has constructed is certainly in keeping with that theme.
DeMaria builds layers of sound including flutes, keyboards, and synthesizers, creating a somber, almost ominous mood that fosters deep inner reflection. These serious, intricate textures gradually build to a crescendo, resulting in moments that seem to be the musical equivalent of liberating self-realization. This gives the music the feel of the dark before the dawn.
The album’s moody lyricism engenders a foreboding sense of anticipation that finds cathartic release in the CD’s bright moments, making it ideal for meditation, reflection, and introspection.
--Raj Manoharan
He explains in the liner notes that the title of the CD is a Sanskrit word that can refer to a moment of creation or awakening, and the musical motif he has constructed is certainly in keeping with that theme.
DeMaria builds layers of sound including flutes, keyboards, and synthesizers, creating a somber, almost ominous mood that fosters deep inner reflection. These serious, intricate textures gradually build to a crescendo, resulting in moments that seem to be the musical equivalent of liberating self-realization. This gives the music the feel of the dark before the dawn.
The album’s moody lyricism engenders a foreboding sense of anticipation that finds cathartic release in the CD’s bright moments, making it ideal for meditation, reflection, and introspection.
--Raj Manoharan
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