Spaces

Amazon.com
Projects led by drummers frequently are a little heavy on drums, but Doug Hammond, a pioneer of the M-Base project in New York City in the early 1980s, manages to write for the band, not just the kit. Steve Coleman, here, in 1982, well on the way to developing his tearing but wholly tuneful approach to the alto sax, is most impressive. He is not yet near his most dazzling, but he creates meandering, dizzying lines that delve into Hammond's compositions. Altoist Byard Lancaster plays less nimbly and more tartly than Coleman, yet is still effective. He occasionally adds pleasant, fluttering, liquid flute. Pianist Kirk Lightsey's ideas outstrip his technique--not the worst failing, to be sure. The music at times bogs down, but Muneer Abdul Fataah's rich cello often saves the day. A spoken-word piece by Hammond doesn't really work. The disc, though a document of a moment in time, occasionally flies. If at times Hammond's group sound recalls that of bassist Dave Holland, it's for good reason. Holland's recorded several Hammond pieces, especially on The Razor's Edge and Seeds of Time. --Peter Monaghan

Spaces,Doug Hammond,Diw Records,Avant-Garde,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: One of the best debuts every Love it! I love this album!! a bigger flip flop than Kerry gift

Wide Open Spaces Dixie Chicks Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fly Taking The Long Way Home Top of the World Tour An Evening with the Dixie Chicks ASIN: B000002BZ0 Release Date: 1998-01-27

Tracks:

1. I Can Love You Better
2. Wide Open Spaces
3. Loving Arms
4. There's Your Trouble
5. You Were Mine
6. Never Say Die
7. Tonight The Heartache's On Me
8. Let 'Er Rip
9. Once You've Loved Somebody
10. I'll Take Care Of You
11. Am I The Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)
12. Give It Up Or Let Me Go

Amazon.com essential recording

The major-label debut from this Texas trio proves their instrumental abilities, blending more traditional twang with slow melodic blues, foot-tapping rockabilly, and bluegrass-inspired pop harmonies. From the opener, "I Can Love You Better," the Chicks let their love of music and genuine joy shine through while the energy on this album reminds one of Carlene Carter. Solid musicianship, topnotch vocal performances, and infectious pop hooks make this a stellar project. --Paula Ghergia

Customer Reviews:

One of the best debuts every.......2007-06-19

This debut album by the Dixie Chicks is truly great. It is true country music [with fiddles and all!] but is very accessible and enjoyable for people who like other genres. I was gonna give a list of the better songs, but they're most all good tunes. This is before the Chicks got jammed up in Iraq War politics [not all their own fault]; back when they were renowned as good musicians, which they undoubtedly are, as a listen to this CD proves.

Love it!.......2007-06-13

This is definitely one of my favorite CDs. The Dixie Chicks manage to mix incredible vocal and instrumental talent with meaningful lyrics and catchy melodies. Here's a guide, song-by-song:



1. I Can Love You Better -- an easy to relate to song that'll make you want to sing along with its catchy beat.

2. Wide Open Spaces -- Something everybody can relate to, especially teenagers. The melody is nice, but it's the lyrics that really make this song special.

3. Loving Arms -- this song is different from some of the other ballads on the CD, because of the fact that while it is a classic country ballad, it is not drawn out to all eternity. Beautiful lyrics and a lovely melody make it one of my favorites.

4. There's Your Trouble -- definitely my favorite song on the disc. Pure fun, and very catchy. You'll find yourself playing it again and again.

5. You Were Mine -- in my opinion, the worst song on this CD. While the words ARE meaningful, they are depressing and drawn out forever and ever. Every word seems to be held out for ages, and the lyrics are sad to the point of being corny. Perhaps the only song that I wasn't impressed with.

6. Never Say Die -- a sweet, romantic song.

7. Tonight The Heartache's On Me -- if you're not into hard-core country, than skip over this track, which celebrates classic country music. I personally love it for it's traditional melody.

8. Let 'Er Rip -- a ton of fun, with lots of attitude and spunk.

9. Once You've Loved Somebody -- a beautiful melody with meaningful lyrics.

10. I'll Take Care of You -- the second worst song on the album, while the words are nice I had little patience to listen to the almost four minutes of this drawn out ballad.

11. Am I The Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way) -- a very relatable song with a great guitar melody.

12. Give It Up Or Let Me Go -- a ton of fun, very enjoyable.



You should definitely give this CD a try!

I love this album!!.......2007-05-07

This is my favoite album to play in the car. I listen to it over and over. I love the political overtones, but the music is great, too!! I am not a Country Music fan, but I love this album.

a bigger flip flop than Kerry.......2007-03-24

The country music crowd built the Chicks up, then they went to England and showed their true side. As a result country music lovers, true to their country, turned on the Chicks; so now the Chicks say that their music isn't country. I say that their music isn't music but it just noise.

gift.......2007-01-19

My daughter was happy to receive this CD. She had been unable to find it in the local music stores. I received it in just a few days of placing the order.

Average customer rating: flavour of the really weak! Great album More than excellent Doesn't anyone notice the boring and trite percussion? Semantic Spaces an above-average CD

Semantic Spaces Delerium Manufacturer: Nettwerk Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt Industrial | Industrial | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Dance | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Karma Poem Nuages du Monde Chimera Odyssey-The Remix Collection ASIN: B000005DBS Release Date: 1994-08-23

Tracks:

1. Flowers Become Screens
2. Metaphor
3. Resurrection
4. Incantation
5. Consensual Worlds
6. Metamorphasis
7. Flatlands
8. Sensorium
9. Gateway

Amazon.com

Front Line Assembly enlists Kirsty Thirsk of the Rose Chronicles for a heavenly ambient house project. Trance that bounces with beauty and energy. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

flavour of the really weak! .......2007-05-08

It's listenable, but far too much of the album is directly cribbed from Enigma's MCMXC a.D.

Great album.......2007-01-10

I'm a huge Delerium fan and this CD is among their greatest. It really shows off Kristy Thirsk's beautiful vocal talents. This album is well worth the money!

More than excellent.......2006-12-13

The best music created. If you want to enjoy music and life at the same time listen to it. Strongly recommended.

Doesn't anyone notice the boring and trite percussion?.......2006-10-24

All the nice things said in the other reviews are reasonably true, but sheesh! Electronica offers infinite options for percussion - it does not HAVE to be trite, incredibly monotonous, and synthetic sounding. This is the bane of so much electronica, it's a joke. Nothing with a petty-swingin' rhythm can be good. I would give this album four or five stars if I could just erase the silly percussion tracks - almost identical in half the songs. Get the Karma album instead.

Semantic Spaces an above-average CD.......2006-08-08

This CD is pretty good. It is definitely above average. I was not disappointed. For $13.98 it is an excellent value. However, the $2.98 for shipping was a little too high and it destroyed the original value that came with paying $13.98 for a CD. I would have liked to pay $2.00 or less for shipping. Other than that, the music is above average. I would have given my purchase 5 stars instead of 4 if it had not been for the expensive shipping costs.

Average customer rating: I don't like New Age Music Breathing Spaces Music that touches your soul In Love Jiang The Exquisite Heart of Stillness

Breathing Spaces Jiang Xiao-Qing Manufacturer: Pacific Moon [Alleg] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Jia Peng Fang Best Orchid Orchid, Vol. 2 Graces of Asia Road to Oasis ASIN: B000063WYG Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

1. Nocturne
2. Moonlight
3. Winter Sky
4. Lullaby From Home
5. Leaves Of Autumn
6. Morning Dew
7. Water's Edge
8. Tears Of The Moon
9. Mist
10. Cosmos
11. Theme From The Last Emperor

Album Description

Even in the deepest quiet, there is a resonance within the stillness. The exquisite and graceful timbres of the Gu Zheng (Chinese zither) transport you to an interlude of serenity.

Jiang Xiao-Qing is a member of the famous Li Hua ensemble ("Asian Blossoms," "road to OASIS"), and Pacific Moon is now proud to present "Breathing Spaces," her first solo album for the label.

To enhance your enjoyment of the music, removable incense sticks are included in the spine of the CD jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

I don't like New Age Music.......2006-03-26

But this is good music. I got this to do Tai Chi to and it works great . I've bought Cd's that are supposedly for Tai Chi and the flow required just isn't there. This cd is not only smooth and flowing enough for Tai Chi, but also 'quiet' and soft enough for meditation, and at the same time just nice enough to put on at home or in the car and just LISTEN to. It never sounds repetitive or too minimal , and yet it doesn't change so drastically in tempo or tone that Tai Chi or meditation is adversely affected. I love it and very highly recommend it.

Breathing Spaces.......2006-03-09

Hypnotic ~ this is the utmost best albulm. Her music is breath-taking. It mentally catures you, takes you away to a magical place, then leaves you with a tingeling sense gladness. I listen to it all the time. I wish Jiang Xiao-Qing had more CD's ... I'd buy them all.

Music that touches your soul.......2005-06-17

Absolutely brilliant and peaceful.
If you can combine "calming, touching, heartwarming, soothing" into one word, let me know so I can describe just how good this CD is!

Jim

In Love Jiang.......2005-04-20

I have found a new and personal friend in Jiang Xiao-Qing. A very personal serenade for those quiet moments in the evenings of life.

The Exquisite Heart of Stillness.......2004-10-01

From the very first listening I was encaptivated by these beautiful gentle melodies. Easy on Western ears but with wonderful oriental instrumentation and tonal scales. The music has an undercurrrent of spirituality, you can tangibly feel Jiang Xiao-Qing's committment to her playing and the emotion she has poured into her performances. Just one track from this album is enough to make me feel relaxed - I play it in the car, I play it when I get home from work and I play it before I go to bed. It is calming, restful and uplifting; the exquisite heart of stillness.

Average customer rating: byrdman classic There are no words ... Had to have it! Not Your Imagination - This is Real!! This belongs in the Hall of Fame

Places and Spaces Donald Byrd Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Jazz Funk | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stepping into Tomorrow Black Byrd Blacks and Blues Street Lady Satin Doll ASIN: B000005H7S Release Date: 1997-02-11

Tracks:

1. Change (Makes You Want To Hustle)
2. Wind Parade
3. (Fallin' Like) Dominoes
4. Places & Spaces
5. You & The Music
6. Night Whistler
7. Just My Imagination

Customer Reviews:

byrdman classic.......2007-06-23

This is the bomb!!!! jazz/funk that still stands the test of time,every track of this stellar recording, reminds of when i was a young man,sitting on the stoop listening to this and many other great artist of this era,a must for any who can appreciate early jazz/funk/fusion.

There are no words ..........2006-12-21

What amazes me about music as I research and study it as I do, is the fact that I can still be surprised and how fluid an album can be 20 plus years after it's inital release. Being of the hip-hop/turntablism era, with all the sampling we do, all that I can say is that this album is responsible for a lot of what we know today. From Black Moon/Smif-N-Wessun, to Pete Rock, to Tupac, this album has been generously sampled (like a LOT of the Blue Note catalog) for good reason. Driving bass accompanying lush grooves make this a great listen and a must have for any music lover. True instrumentalism is of the order here. Flutes, violins, and rolling keybords abound and for 1976 this was a forward thinking album. It's a shame that the stubborn dinosaurs that traditional jazz fans can be turned their nose up at and turned their backs on Donald Byrd, accusing him of 'selling out', yet this is no different from what Miles Davis was trying to do with his fusion; and what Herbie Hancock and Ramsey Lewis have done throughout most of their careers. What a tragedy for this is some of the best jazz fusion to be had from anyone, anywhere.

Had to have it!.......2006-07-06

Donald Byrd is a classic artist. This album has some mellow music that relaxes the sole. I have it on vinyl, and have been searching for it on cd. So glad to have found it!

Not Your Imagination - This is Real!!.......2006-03-22

Many jazz aficionados would say in general that Donald Byrd "sold out" by exploring more of a commercial/contemporary music sound as opposed to staying with traditional jazz and exploring moreso in that genre. On this album, Donald Byrd, really took a back seat to superior producers Larry and Fonze Mizell. The key to songs like Dominoes and Places and Spaces is the catchy melody/harmony these guys came up with. Then top it off with a phenomenal breakdown as you transition from the melody. Yes DB, with his talent, could have done more traditional jazz. Yet Donald Byrd showed that you can explore new rhythms with the combination of acoustic and electronic instruments. Gotta have this in your collection. Keep swingin.

This belongs in the Hall of Fame.......2006-03-11

Don't believe the hype checkit but if your a fellow souljah just get it!

Average customer rating: Amazing sounds! A harkening back to Quiet Music Diamond of Eternity A masterpiece. Really good.

Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces (part 1) Steve Roach Manufacturer: Projekt Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Space Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Minimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Structures from Silence Space And Time Midnight Moon Well of Souls Spirit Dome ASIN: B00009L1T8 Release Date: 2003-06-03

Tracks:

1. Palace Of Nectar
2. Oracle
3. Within The Mystic
4. Presence
5. Vortex Ring

Tracks:

1. Wren And Raven
2. The Otherworld
3. Wonderworld
4. Threshold
5. Dream Body
6. Slowly Dissolve
7. Womb Of Night
8. Soulwave
9. Wordless
10. Nameless

Amazon.com

After dark descents into the abyss on The Magnificent Void and Midnight Moon, Steve Roach lightens up the textures a bit on the double CD Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces. The mood harkens back to his influential 1984 release, Structures From Silence, but the atmospheres are more textured and layered while melody is virtually non-existent. And while Structures had a slow motion pulse, Mystic Chords hangs rhythm free. It floats in a space of richly detailed, but minutely shifting sound constructs that owe more to Gyorgy Ligeti and Mark Rothko than early Roach touchstones like Klaus Schulze and Salvador Dali. Roach is creating a free fall through space, less rooted in the pulsing techno-tribal sound of his 1990s music, and more ecstatic in its evocations of something beyond. He carries you to groaning turgid depths, then lifts you as electric guitar glides and synthesizers gurgle, shudder, and swell in an Aurora Borealis of sound. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Amazing sounds!.......2007-05-26

I bought this CD to use for a shamanic journey that I was hoping to go on. The two CDs are very soothing and very suitable for meditations or for just relaxing. The sounds are amazing.

A harkening back to Quiet Music.......2006-03-19

Steve Roach has so many roots that to say he is harkening back to any one of them requires additional explanation. In this case he is reaching deeply into his more meditative sounds, akin to but by no means a repeat of "Structures from Silence" and "Quiet Music."
The first time I played this double album I had some guests over discussing a novel one of them had written. Just hearing it once lead to another sale to someone who was completely unfamiliar with Steve's music. Very melodious beautiful sounds.

Diamond of Eternity.......2005-10-12

So, that's much more than music. This album is a treasure!!!
I could rate it even with infinity of stars if I could!!!
It is STAR itself.

Synths and pads, which come under your skin and you feel part of this sensation. When I listen to it - I close my eyes and find myself drifting through the Universe. It is exactly what I always wish to hear when I think of Time and Space, about eternity. Real MASTERPIECE!!! So, this album is destinied to have it in collection for those, who wants to go loose in order to forget anything uncomfortable and boring.
Happy flight to the STARS!!!

Oleg

A masterpiece........2005-06-12

This is easily one of Steve Roach's finest hours - well, 5 hours to be more precise, if you get the complete set (it is available in either a 2-CD or 4-CD version). Disc 1 of 4, Mystic Chords, is what I would call the "classic" organic ambient style of Steve Roach; Labyrinth is his dark ambient style; Recent Future is a tasty variety sampler platter; and Piece of Infinity is one of Steve's trademark minimal long-form works, perhaps the subtlest and softest he has ever done. My favorite is the first disc, 5 tracks running from nearly 12 to just over 20 minutes each. There are great highs and lows, wonderful deep drones and high shimmering tones, all richly layered in an organic primordial soup that touches a vibrant nerve for a thoroughly soothing listening experience. Reaching deeper still is Labyrinth, 10 tracks that plunge deep into "The Otherworld," a track which is representative of the intense darkness found at several moments on disc two. Though undeniably Roach, I'm also reminded here of old haunting Schulze numbers from the early 1970s. Disc 3, Recent Future, is still a little dark, but not as much as Labyrinth. Not a beat is heard, but the variety on these 13 tracks while retaining a cohesive quality is remarkable. Light, dark, simple, complex, visceral, elegant - all are apt adjectives to describe the music. Sample to your heart's delight, or better yet, play it through from beginning to end and hear the flow as Steve intended. Consider it time very well spent.

Really good........2005-03-28

Massive sounds. Evokes impressions of large gaseous clouds in space as you float through them. A nearly rythemnless journey through time, space and the inner being. Can let your imagination run wild while calming you at the same time. Good for traffic, studying, creating and voyaging. This is deeply textured ambient and will take several listens to identify each unique sound.

Average customer rating: the sound of dry air and sand, and blue, blue skies...... Inspiring... wide open spaces wide open spaces Roach's first official collaboration

Western Spaces Steve Roach , Kevin Braheny , and Richard Burmer Manufacturer: Fortuna Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Space Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music General | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Desert Solitaire Midnight Moon Dust to Dust immersion : one Invention ASIN: B0000007TZ Release Date: 1992-01-23

Tracks:

1. The Breathing Stone
2. Desert Walkabout - Kevin Braheny
3. New Moon At Forbidden Mesa
4. Desert Prayer - Steve Roach, Kevin Braheny
5. In The Heat Of Venus
6. The Slow Turning
7. Western Spaces - Steve Roach, Kevin Braheny

Amazon.com

Combining Roach's ambiance with Braheny's lyrical passages on electronic woodwinds, Western Spaces was the first of two collaborations based on the landscapes of the American Southwest--in particular the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. The ambient "New Moon at Forbidden Mesa" contains hints of high winds, muted angelic voices, and echoing coyote howls, while "Desert Prayer," opening with a cathedralesque keyboard figure, introduces a synthesized vocal sound not unlike a violin or a Middle Eastern cantor. Where later Roach albums deal strictly in color and timbre, Spaces incorporates the idea of melodic text. The solo voices and arpeggiated figures become a narrative that knits together the streams of consciousness expressed through layers of drone and percussion--like a sidewinder leaving trails across the desert floor. --James Rotondi

Customer Reviews:

the sound of dry air and sand, and blue, blue skies.............2007-04-15

This CD represents the zenith in ambient musical imagination. Roach has actually captured sonically the expereince of gazing out over a summer desert landscape. Anyone who has been lucky enought to wander around the US desert southwest on foot, horseback or even in a car, chasing the endless horizon and feeling the heat waft over the skin, will recognize the emotions that this disc elicits. Minimal percussion throughout, although what is there enhances the deep, shimmering synth waves tremendously. Please play this on a high-end sound system and don't be timid with the volume control.
Highly recommended.

Inspiring..........2001-12-20

The awe and picturesque environs of the Southwest have long provided inspiration to writers and painters. What better way to bring out the desolation, expansiveness, and metaphor of the region than via state-of-the-art electronics? Roach, of course, was already investigating the means whereby organica becomes electronica on his classic DREAMTIME RETURN set. Together with fellow synthesist Braheny, Roach again uses his amazing conceptual acumen to bring out the desert's unrevealed secrets.
Listening to "In the Heat of Venus," you can also see the heat haze wafting sinuously through the air and circling the mountain's edges-a spell woven with kalimbas, woodblock percussion, and synthesizers whose sounds are burned amber-red. "Desert Walkabout" embraces a more elegiac, serene, and almost classical sensibility, shot through with Braheny's ghostly electronic wind-instrument caterwauls, mock-harp spicing, delicate percussives, and Roach's lonesome synth chords. Check your compass at the door, and melt into the horizon.

wide open spaces.......2000-12-04

This wonderfully sublime album comes from Roach's "atmospheric ambient" period of the late 1980s that produced 'Dreamtime Return' and 'Desert Solitaire,' among other works. There is a good deal of the Southwest outdoors that Roach loves on this work, and the pieces breathe with the same kind of expansiveness and natural harmony that made 'Dreamtime' such a success. The original release of 'Western Spaces' in 1987 included works by Richard Burmer; these are deleted in the 1990 Fortuna version. This is truly too bad, because one of those pieces is "Across the View," Burmer's signature work and one of the few ambient compositions yet produced that justly deserves the tag "masterpiece." Even without it, however, this one is well worth the listen.

wide open spaces.......2000-12-04

This wonderfully sublime album comes from Roach's "atmospheric ambient" period of the late 1980s that produced 'Dreamtime Return' and 'Desert Solitaire,' among other works. There is a good deal of the Southwest outdoors that Roach loves on this work, and the pieces breathe with the same kind of expansiveness and natural harmony that made 'Dreamtime' such a success. The original release of 'Western Spaces' in 1987 included works by Richard Burmer; these are deleted in the 1990 Fortuna version. This is truly too bad, because one of those pieces is "Across the View," Burmer's signature work and one of the few ambient compositions yet produced that justly deserves the tag "masterpiece." Even without it, however, this one is well worth the listen.

Roach's first official collaboration.......1999-02-04

Ambient/space music pioneer Steve Roach worked with other artists before Western Spaces, but this is his first official collaboration for strictly discographic purposes. Originally released on Innovative Communications (a label founded by Klaus Schulze, Roach's primary musical influence), the album contained contributions by Richard Burmer, who was cut out when the album was re-released on Fortuna Records in 1990. Western Spaces remains one of Roach's most beautiful releases--the solo track by Braheny and "Desert Prayer" are perhaps the best, but the Roach/ Thom Brennan piece "In the Heat of Venus" is astounding---I don't think Roach has recorded a more powerful piece of music since, quite honestly, though some could argue effectively against that I'm sure-- Dreamtime Return may be the only exception.

Average customer rating: From Solo Piano Publications

Craig Urquhart: Secret Spaces Craig Urquhart Manufacturer: Heart Earth Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000Q66H8M Release Date: 2007-05-29

Tracks:

1. Secret Spaces
2. Contemplation
3. Reunion
4. Cathedral Pines
5. Along the Seine
6. Romance
7. Embrace
8. Venetian Snowfall
9. Forgiveness
10. Meditation
11. Virginia Mountain Morning

Customer Reviews:

From Solo Piano Publications.......2007-05-30

"Secret Spaces" is pianist/composer Craig Urquhart's seventh album of original piano solos, and clearly demonstrates Urquhart's magic, velvet touch on the piano keys. Urquhart's belief in the healing power of music and nature is expanded on this album to the more personal emotional level. Reflective, contemplative, and extraordinarily intimate, the music is quietly soothing throughout the album. Classically-trained from an early age, and the late Leonard Bernstein's personal assistant in his final years, Urquhart brings a wealth of musical and emotional experience to his music, keeping it direct and uncluttered without being simplistic. Flash is completely unnecessary when the emotions conveyed are this clear. More meditative than melodic, the music is hypnotic and calming. And the sound of that piano - pure listening heaven!

"Secret Spaces" begins with the title track, gently setting the tone of the album. Warm, with a hint of mystery, it's an invitation to a musical exploration. "Contemplation" is very fluid and introspective - a stream of thought given the freedom to meander. "Cathedral Pines" suggests the sanctuary nature can offer our lives. Reverent and hymn-like, it also reflects on the majesty of these wondrous trees. "Romance" has a graceful, dreamy elegance tinged with bittersweetness - a beauty! "Venetian Snowfall" conveys the quiet peacefulness of falling snow and the sparkle of light dancing on the whiteness on the ground. "Forgiveness" is sad but hopeful, reaching out, and giving solace to both the giver and the recipient. As the pitch of the notes gradually rises, you can sense that both people are being uplifted and finding redemption - very moving and evocative. "Meditation" is a soothing balm for a tired or troubled mind. "Virginia Mountain Morning" is the most traditionally melodic piece on the album. Refreshed and renewed, it offers a new beginning and sense of optimism. It's a gorgeous piece and a wonderful conclusion to a standout album.

"Secret Spaces" is my favorite of Craig Urquhart's albums so far. Very highly recommended!

Average customer rating: hypnotic yet melodic The Spaces You Forgot to Listen In Henry Frayne gives us more luminescent guitarscapes

Highways Lanterna Manufacturer: Badman Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Desert Ocean Elm Street Sands Lanterna Blue Sky, Red Guitars ASIN: B0001GF2EC Release Date: 2004-03-02

Tracks:

1. Clear Blue
2. Brightness
3. Last Practice
4. Canyons
5. Seasons
6. Brooklyn
7. Adriatic
8. Half-Light
9. Highways

Customer Reviews:

hypnotic yet melodic.......2007-05-10

one song is reminiscent of an instrumental version of All I want is you by U2... Can become repetitive over time...

The Spaces You Forgot to Listen In.......2005-03-29

If you were dreaming and driving at night with someone you love, this album is what you would hear on the wind.

We've got access finally to a lot of independent, new music. This is a time to explore and if you're up for it, anything by Lanterna (Henry Frayne is the key individual) is worth the time and the money. Highways is the latest incarnation of this talented musician's sonic mind. I listen to Highways in the early morning and sometimes driving by myself at night. This is definitely music to listen to by yourself. It is music for the soul--jangly guitar, acoustic rhythms, textured drums, poetic vibrations, and ambient sounds...even an intentional few minutes of silence in there on the title track for those of us who pay attention--and a payoff afterwards...kind of an untitled new composition.

Word is that Lanterna's coming out with a new album sometime in the summer so pay attention. Highways is a great jumping point for the uninitiated though. Elm Street is still my favorite, but I'm really looking forward to the next edition. Stay tuned.

Henry Frayne gives us more luminescent guitarscapes.......2004-03-02

An hour with Henry Frayne, creator of music under the band name Lanterna, is a little like an hour of exploring the ocean depths or the vast reaches of space. He creates sonic pictures of the mind with his lingering, layered electric guitar chords and atmospheric melodies. The leadoff track, "Clear Blue," is just the latest fine example of Mr. Frayne's instrumental art. It shimmers with a kind of subliminal beauty, made by echoing sustained guitar tones that could be described as "ambient," but are best appreciated without concern for category. The CD is called Highways, and listening to its nine tracks is indeed something like a journey along the back roads, sometimes in contemplation and sometimes in sheer enjoyment. On this fourth Lanterna disc, the trend continues (begun on the Sands CD) of mixing in more of a rock feeling with some of the songs. This time it's on the Metheny-esque "Brooklyn" and especially on "Brightness," which features some David Gilmour-like choppy electric guitar chords.

As much of a huge Lanterna fan as I am, I'm a little sad to hear some signs of stagnation on Highways. A song such as "Canyons," a gentle acoustic-electric number that never really goes anywhere, makes me wonder if Henry has taken this particular "instrumental themes" thing about as far as it'll go. I hope not, because I'm still prepared to travel along with him for awhile longer.

Average customer rating:

Little Spaces American Princes Manufacturer: Yep Roc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Less and Less ASIN: B000A6QWZG Release Date: 2005-08-23

Tracks:

1. I Want To Be Good
2. Rock N Roll Singer
3. Man's Work
4. In The Dark
5. Little Spaces
6. Providence, R.I.
7. Eyeliner
8. The Sun Never Sets
9. What's This We've Found
10. 100 Eyes
11. Revolver

Album Description

Yep Roc Records is proud to introduce the next household name in indie rock--American Princes. Little Spaces, their debut full-length, delivers a bevy of terse, powerful, loud-as-hell rock amp; roll straight from Arkansas to your soon-to-be-shaken musical world. The rotating lead vocals of guitarists Collins Kilgore and David Slade and bassist John Beachboard create a push and pull of remarkably powerful shifts of mood while drummer Matt Quin mans the throttle. The Nashville Scene calls them "Shaggy modern rock traditionalists" who are "putting the 'rock' back in indie rock." And Punk Planet says, "Thank goodness Little Rock is represented by someone besides Amy Lee of Evanescence. Give them a chance, because you won't be disappointed."

Average customer rating: Jazz for the classical listener One word: Gorgeous A Clarinet concerto like NO other...

Rautavaara: Garden of Spaces; Clarinet Concerto; Cantus Arcticus Manufacturer: Ondine ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Rautavaara, Einojuhani | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Rautavaara: Violin Concerto; Angels and Visitations; Isle of Bliss Rautavaara: Angel of Light Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3 "Gift of Dreams", Autumn Gardens / Ashkenazy Rautavaara: On the Last Frontier Rautavaara: Symphony No. 6; Cello Concerto ASIN: B0007Y0DCY Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

1. Garden Of Spaces
2. I. Drammatico (Ma Flessibile)
3. II. Adagio Assai
4. III. Vivace
5. The Bog
6. Melancholy
7. Swans Migrating

Customer Reviews:

Jazz for the classical listener.......2006-11-17

Garden of Spaces is very nice. Well-written, solidly-performed.

Cantus Articus is fine. Although this performance is as good as any -- and far better than the other two I've heard -- I'm just not sophisticated enough (maybe) to listen to the bird noises. They bug me. Just a personal issue, I know, but I can't handle it.

But the Clarinet Concerto is out of this world. Truly. Personally, I feel this piece in a jazz sense. Don't get me wrong -- it doesn't swing or have cheesy blues riffs. Instead, if you've ever understood a really fine jazz performance, this recording will ring true. Stoltzman plays so fluidly and honestly he could be improvising. The orchestral structure is perfect -- complex, beautiful and exciting. Rautavaara manages to keep a tonal feel while stretching harmonies. Overall, it feels like the sophisticated version of Stan Getz's "Focus." If you are trying to convert a friend from jazz to classical, give them this work. Unreal.

One word: Gorgeous.......2006-08-12

This music is stunning and the playing is fantastic! The music of the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara (b. 1928) is becoming relatively well known thanks in part to the enterprising Ondine and BIS labels. For those unfamiliar with Rautavaara, this disc makes an excellent introduction to this composer.

This performance of the Cantus Arcticus - Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, Rautavaara's best known work, is the finest available. The orchestral playing is extremely clear and is perfectly balanced against the recorded birdsong, which itself is also very clear on the present recording. The birdsong accompaniment, consisting of the calls of larks, swans and other avian species, was recorded in Limuka, in northern Finland. In my opinion, the combination of recorded sounds with orchestral playing is seldom successful. This piece, however, might be the exception, as Rautavaara's writing is masterful and is never less than beautiful. In fact, this is probably the most beautiful piece of music composed in recent years. The soaring melodic lines and ethereal string texture perfectly compliment the birdsong. This is an amazing piece, which transports the listener to a different world, that is, unless the listener already happens to be sitting on the shores of a bog in northern Finland. The recording of this piece alone is worth the price of this disc.

The Clarinet Concerto (premiered in 2001) is a recent work, and is immediately identifiable as Rautavaara. Similar to orchestral pieces which contain recorded sounds, concertos for the clarinet are usually not my favorite pieces of music, yet Rautavaara manages to compose a very beautiful and compelling work. The clarinetist, Richard Stoltzman, for whom the concerto was written, does an amazing job with the difficult solo part, which requires some of the highest clarinet playing I have heard (listen for what I believe is the world record high note 6 minutes into the first movement). The piece begins in a modern and spiky fashion, but the entrance of a noble horn theme changes the mood completely. From that point onward, the music is lyrical and haunting, with the personal style of Rautavaara is quite identifiable, evidencing itself through broad lyricism and swirling accompaniment that is evocative of the Northern landscape. The middle movement is based upon a long lyrical clarinet line, and is also quite lovely. The finale is almost playful, but is terser than the previous two movements. Like many modern works, the concerto ends somewhat ambiguously, with the clarinet in its highest register over pounding drums.

The Garden of Spaces is very much within the same genre as the other two works. The orchestral writing is very atmospheric, yet dramatic and beautiful. As with the previous two pieces, the broad melodic lines over the wind-like swirling of the flutes and violins, is what identifies this music as being from the pen of Rautavaara. Although, this work is somewhat unique, as the different orchestral groups enter at the discretion of the conductor, with the order in which the different orchestral groups enter not specified. The result is that no one performance of this work will sound like another. Although, I was unable to pick up on this before reading the composer's notes, as the ending result sounds very purposeful.

In summary, this is gorgeous. This release is also important, as it continues to make the case for Rautavaara, as one of the greatest composers of the modern era. If you give this music a chance, I am sure you won't be disappointed, I certainly wasn't. Get it.

59:08

A Clarinet concerto like NO other..........2005-11-21

This is a Clarinet Concerto like NO other. A truly unique experience in music.Stoltzman (for whom it was written/with his input) is arguably the best Clarinetist on the Planet and in this concerto you WILL hear why. He coaxes both beautiful and other-worldly sounds from his instrument without ever really sounding atonal. this is, for the most part, a tonal piece of music and a GREAT one. Right on the edge as is rautavaara's style. And Stoltzman is ASTOUNDING. His various timbres and control are magnificent. I am a musician (a pretty good one too) and what he does here just simply makes my hair stand up and takes my breath away. Cantus Arcticus is here in the best version I have heard. The Helsinki Orchestra led by Rautavaara conductor extaordinaire, Leif Segerstam, give a Beautiful, graceful, virtuostic and definitive performance that just surrounds you and lifts you up to soar with the birds. As they also do during the entire CD. A main reason for this is the Sound...SPECTACULAR...Clean, clear,spacious with a wide dynamic range. Can't imagine recorded sound being much better than this. Reason alone to get this CD if you are a Rautavaara fan..

Jazz Music:

1. Spajazzy
2. Standards, Vol. 2
3. Suddenly
4. Sugar Blues
5. The Indispensable Fats Waller, Vols. 5-6: 1936-1938 [Import]
6. The Indispensable Fats Waller, Vols. 7-8: 1938-1940 [Import]
7. The Master
8. The One & Only
9. The Undiscovered Numbers & Colors
10. Tomas Ornberg's Blue Five

Jazz Music

jazz music