Auralscapes: Episode 014

A refreshing 2-hour set of Celtic faerie new-age music for springtime.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM
0:00:00 / David Arkenstone / Voice of the Wood / The Fairy Garden
0:04:00 / 2002 / Twilight / The Wishing Well
0:07:10 / Enya / Anywhere Is / The Memory of Trees
0:11:02 / Ron Korb / Dream Of The King / Global Canvas
0:13:33 / Eamonn Karran / Peace / I’ll Be With You
0:17:20 / Afro Celt Sound System / I Think Of… / Volume 2: Release
0:21:50 / Loreena McKennitt / Brian Boru’s March / The Wind That Shakes The Barley
0:25:32 / Amethystium / Lost / Evermind
0:29:55 / Marie Bruce / Dryad Awakening (Spring) / Moon Chants
0:33:27 / Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning / The Bard and the Warrior / Coming, Going
0:38:05 / Emer Kenny / The Butterfly / Fades Into Day
0:41:48 / Doug Hammer / Celtique (Daybreak) / Celtique
0:47:15 / Secret Garden / Stepping Up / Songs In The Circle Of Time
0:51:17 / Mediaeval Baebes / The Lament / Mirabilis
0:54:40 / Lisa Lynne / Knight Ride / Daughters of the Celtic Moon
0:58:47 / Bridget McMahon / Spancil Hill / Celtic Woman
1:04:34 / Chris Conway / Entwined / Celtic Dreamer
1:12:50 / Moya Brennan / Children of War / Canvas
1:18:28 / Áine Minogue / The Sitting Pilgrimage / In the Name of Stillness
1:24:25 / Timothy Wenzel / River, Hills and Sky / Immerse
1:29:13 / Peter Sterling / Silver Lining / Heaven Sent
1:33:06 / Medwyn Goodall / The Maidens Ring / Clan 3: The Lands Beyond
1:37:48 / David Lindsay / Far Shore / With You
1:42:51 / Fiona Joy Hawkins / The Journey / 500 Years in a Moment
1:48:36 / Llewellyn / She Moved Through The Fair / Earth Angel
1:52:58 / Richard Dillon / Máthair Éireann (Mother Ireland) / Irish Mist

Auralscapes: Episode 013

A refreshing 2-hour set of Celtic new-age music inspired by the emerald isle.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM
0:00:00 / Ceredwen / Boudicca / The Golden Land
0:05:32 / Secret Garden / Irish Waltz / Songs In The Circle of Time
0:09:00 / Moya Brennan / Tara / Two Horizons
0:14:00 / Christina Tourin / Harbor Cove / From the Angelic Realm: The Best of Christina Tourin
0:18:48 / Afro Celt Sound System / Brid Bahn / Ova
0:24:13 / Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning / The Endless Knot / Coming, Going
0:29:52 / Adiemus & Karl Jenkins / Saint Declan’s Drone / Adiemus IV: The Eternal Knot
0:34:40 / Medwyn Goodall / The White Dragon / Clan 3: The Lands Beyond
0:38:20 / Enya / Deireadh An Tuath / The Celts
0:39:59 / Bridget McMahon / The Curragh of Kildare / Celtic Woman
0:44:30 / Loreena McKennitt / Standing Stones / Parallel Dreams
0:51:19 / Dagda / Home Again in Eireann / Hibernia: The Story of Ireland
0:56:35 / Clannad / Na Laethe Bhi / Banba
1:01:51 / Timothy Wenzel / My Siren / Immerse
1:07:04 / Eamonn Karran / Irish Skies / Celtic Skies
1:11:55 / Bill Leslie / Celtic Peace / Celtic Peace
1:15:10 / Aeone / Heartsong / Atmospheric
1:18:02 / Erwilian / Animaux (Live) / Cascadia
1:25:25 / 2002 / Lullaby / Celtic Fairy Dream
1:30:25 / David Darling / Other Worlds / Other Worlds
1:36:22 / Chris Conway / Silver Chains at the Lake / Celtic Dreamer
1:43:25 / Lisa Lynne / Maiden Dance / Daughters of the Celtic Moon
1:47:02 / Noirin Ni Rianin / Cucuin (The Cuckoo) / Celtic Soul
1:52:16 / Darlene Koldenhoven / Highand Mist / Traveling the Blissful Highway

Auralscapes: Episode 012

A refreshing 2-hour set of new-age, world fusion & contemporary classical music for winter.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP-SINGLE
0:00:00 / Kerani / Aurora Sky / Arctic Sunrise
0:08:00 / Monica Logani / Dreams of Zagyva / The Depths
0:11:00 / Afro Celt Sound System / Le Paix / Ova
0:17:53 / Kitaro / Requiem / Zen: Live In Katsuyama
0:24:28 / David Darling / The Pilgrimage / Other Worlds
0:31:12 / Gandalf / Al-Andalus / A Light from Afar
0:37:31 / Kristina Bennett / Dragonfly / Shakti
0:42:41 / Rick Sparks / Winter Dream / Winter Dream
0:48:06 / Timothy Wenzel / Ice / Immerse
0:53:07 / Peter Sterling / Golden Leaves of Fall / Heaven Sent
0:58:15 / Jill Haley / Splashes of Silver / Colors Collide
1:02:45 / Neil Tatar / Bella / Bella
1:07:17 / David Lindsay / So Far Away / With You
1:11:07 / Kori Linae Carothers / Joseph, Kind Joseph / On A Cold Frosty Morning
1:14:51 / Kevin Keller / Evensong 7 / Evensong
1:19:05 / Secret Garden / Cathedral / Songs In The Circle of Time
1:23:34 / Potlach / Memories / Memories
1:26:31 / Karavan Sarai / Unshakable Sarai (Palace) / Mystics, Masters, Madman, (Eastern Devotional Music, Vol. 1)
1:30:45 / Christina Tourin & Peter Sprague / Imaginings (Due Version) / Imaginings
1:35:25 / Fiona Joy Hawkins / Flight of the Snowbird / Music For Study And Relaxation
1:39:44 / Masako / Winter Tale / Lost there Found here
1:43:55 / Yuval Ron / Courage of a Leaf in the Wind / Global Piano
1:49:01 / Pangaea Projekt / Snow On Edson Hill / Winter Vol. X
1:53:43 / Michael Whalen / Winter Beach / Watercolor Sky

Auralscapes: Episode 011

A refreshing 2-hour set of new-age, world & contemporary classical music for autumn.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP-SINGLE
0:00:00 / Gandalf / A Light from Afar / A Light from Afar
0:05:20 / John Gregorius / Light / In Awe
0:09:08 / Erwillian / Fantasy & Dance (Live) / Cascadia
0:13:15 / Timothy Wenzel / The Gale / Immerse
0:18:25 / David Arkenstone / Eyes of Skata / Quest for the Runestone
0:23:05 / Secret Garden / Session / Songs in the Circle of Time
0:25:53 / Jill Haley / Sepia Dunes / Colors Collide
0:29:30 / Afro Celt Sound System / AM / OVA
0:34:20 / Kitaro / Silk Road / Zen: Live in Katsuyama
0:41:05 / Holland Phillips / Through the Rabbit Hole / A Sense of Distance
0:44:50 / I-One / Morning in Thailand / Morning in Thailand
0:48:30 / ENILSounds / Hush / Hush
0:52:26 / Igor Lisul / Evening Song / Evening Song
0:56:32 / Eguana / Bird Tearing Out of a Cage / Freedom
0:58:54 / Tommy Guerrero / Holding the Ocean / Amber of Memory
1:02:58 / Rebecca Harrold feat. Will Ackerman, Hannah Woods / He Shall Be Like a Tree / The Tree of Life
1:07:50 / Todd Mosby / Moonrise Samba / Land of Enchantment
1:12:42 / Masako / Walk Together / Lost there Found here
1:17:38 / Gregory Paul Mineeff / Moon Triptych / Restraint
1:20:51 / David Lindsay / In A Forest / Ever So
1:26:36 / Raphael Groten & Rebecca Kodis / Rainbow Tribe / Unity
1:32:09 / Michael Whalen / The Road Not Taken / Watercolor Sky
1:36:52 / Potlach / Beginning / The Moment
1:39:56 / Rick Sparks / Elysian Fields / Angeline
1:45:56 / Kevin Braheny Fortune / Spirit Love Notes / Dreamwalker Meditation Music, Vol. 5

Auralscapes: Episode 010

A refreshing 2-hour set of new-age, world & contemporary classical music for springtime.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP
0:00:00 / Age of Echoes / Spirit of Adventure / Beyond the Farthest Shore
0:06:49 / Guy Sweens / Japanese Ceremony / Universal Language
0:12:13 / Opium Moon with Wouter Kellerman / Of Kiss and Wing / Where We Are Gathered
0:16:36 / Medwyn Goodall / Amulet / Earth Goddess
0:26:05 / AO Music / Into the Trees / Kutumba
0:29:50 / Max Jeschek / Sparkle of Spring / The Awakening
0:35:34 / Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett / All Good Things / [Self-Titled]
0:39:15 / Timothy Wenzel / Awaken Me / Dusk to Diamonds
0:45:36 / Bridget McMahon / Child of the Moon / Avalon Moon
0:50:00 / Chris Conway / Airmid’s Herbal Clock / Celtic Gold
0:57:45 / Llewellyn / Star Angel / Earth Angel
1:02:56 / Peter Sterling / Night Wind / Mystic Voyager
1:07:27 / Paul Sills / Rainbows End / Awaken And Dreaming
1:13:27 / Deep Forest / It’s All About Light / Burning
1:15:46 / Acoustic Ocean / Spirit Whispers / Divine Grace
1:18:55 / Jon Richards / Song of the Seasons / The Sacred Tree
1:27:27 / Lara Somogyi / Aviary II / ! (Expansion)
1:29:29 / Karl Maddison / Wishing Wheel / On The Road to Tibet
1:34:59 / Michael Borowski / Birds / Unlit Moon
1:38:23 / Tstewart / Elysian Opening / Elysian
1:41:31 / Kirsten Agresta-Copely / I Am Water / Aquamarine
1:56:01 / Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel / Necessity for the Mundane / To the Wind…
1:50:05 / Bill Leslie / Celtic Peace / Celtic Peace
1:53:21 / Josefine & Trine Opsahl / Lightly Dance into the Morning / The Infinite Between Us

Auralscapes: Episode 009

A refreshing 2-hour set of new-age, world & contemporary classical music for the winter season.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP-SINGLE
0:00:00 / Shunia / Ong Namo / Shunia
0:05:28 / Christopher Caouette / The Fae’s Gift / Tale Of The Oakenwish
0:09:30 / Jill Haley / Glacial Albedo / Alaskan Soundscapes
0:14:50 / Fränder / Rabatud / II
0:21:35 / Ashley Davis / Fuacht / Songs of the Celtic Winter
0:25:32 / David Arkenstone / Kisses from the Falling Snow / Winterlude
0:29:23 / Robin Meloy Goldsby / Echo in Winter / Dearest Things
0:32:10 / Opium Moon / Time and Tide / Where We Are Gathered
0:36:32 / Peter Sterling / The Long Cold Winter / Mystic Voyager
0:41:12 / Mediaeval Baebes / Hail Mary / Prayers of the Rosary
0:44:46 / Suzanne Teng & Gilbert Levy / Mother and Child / Shimmer
0:51:04 / Suzanne Herman / Dancing Lights / A Seaside View
0:54:07 / Paul Avgerinos / Angels We Have Heard On High / Shanti Noel
1:04:40 / Kevin Keller / Evensong 4 / Evensong
1:10:06 / East Forest / Flittering / Music for the Deck of the Titanic
1:13:26 / Amethystium / Automne / Isabliss
1:18:20 / Áine Minogue / Womb of the Word / In the Name of Stillness
1:22:53 / Niall / Angels Gather on High / Calling My Angels
1:32:26 / Larkenlyre / Angels Will Eventually Sing / You and I and Every Sky
1:37:10 / Aionigma / Ode an die Freude / Aionigma
1:42:12 / Pangaea Projekt / Winter Time / Winter Vol. IX
1:46:38 / Kori Linae Carothers / First Snow / On A Cold Frosty Morning
1:50:02 / Cantus / Fjellheim: Njoktji / Northern Lights
1:55:28 / Stephen Peppos / Celestial Joy / Celestial

Auralscapes: Episode 008

A refreshing 2-hour set of new-age, world & contemporary classical music.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP-SINGLE
0:00:00 / Opium Moon / Through the Ages / Where We Are Gathered
0:04:16 / Diane Wheeler Dunn / New Beginnings / Elfin Footfalls
0:07:54 / Amethystium / Satori / Evermind
0:12:14 / Peter Sterling / Across the Great Divide / Mystic Voyager
0:17:48 / Andrea Bacci / Magical Forest / Mystic
0:21:34 / Novalima / La Danza / La Danza, Pt. 1
0:25:30 / Acoustic Ocean / A Light In The Darkness / Divine Grace
0:29:27 / Sheila Chandra / Waiting / Moonsung: A Real World Retrospective
0:35:28 / Omar Akram / Promises / Moments of Beauty
0:39:14 / David Lyndon Huff / Rhythm of Life / Worldbeat Africa
0:45:25 / Bodhiheart / Migration / Out of Doors: Meditations for Piano and Nature
0:52:32 / Vicki Logan / Spirit Wolf / Born Out of Chaos
0:56:59 / Album Spotlight: Luminous by Michele McLaughlin
0:58:09 / Michele Mclaughlin / Lanterns in the Sky / Luminous
1:01:40 / Michael Whalen / Morning Bell (ft. Michael Brook, Karsh Kale, Michael Manring & Jeff Oster) / Our April Tigers
1:06:17 / Adiemus / Cantus Iteratus / Songs of Sanctuary
1:12:51 / Kirsten Agresta-Copely / Aquamarine / Aquamarine
1:17:33 / Peter Calandra / The Highlands / The Blue Light
1:22:46 / Vucekovich & Curtin / A Thin Place / A Thin Place [single]
1:25:35 / Stephen Peppos / The Sun Sphere / Celestial
1:31:18 / Jill Haley / Fantastical Formations / The Canyons and Mesas of Bandelier
1:35:23 / White Sun / Soñadora / En Busca
1:38:40 / Lesiëm / Spes / Auracle
1:42:26 / Carlos Dengler / Golden Dawn / Private Earth
1:49:35 / Ann Sweeten / Seirios / Love Walks Through Rain
1:53:38 / Larkenlyre / Follow On / You and I and Every Sky

Auralscapes: Episode 007

A refreshing 2-hour set of new-age, world & contemporary classical music.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP-SINGLE
0:00:00 / Robin Miller / Mystical Moon / Sedona Nights
0:05:50 / Kevin Wood / Strength in Numbers / Kindred
0:11:40 / Sherry Finzer & Mark Holland / Evening Star / Somewhere New
0:16:00 / Scott August / Empty Highways / Beyond Summer
0:21:37 / Kitaro / Mirage / Celestial Scenery: Silk Road, Vol. 1
0:25:50 / Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel / Celtic Contemplation (Duet) / To The Wind
0:32:15 / Kristin Amarie / Beloved (And I’ll Dream In Blue) / Notes from a Journey
0:38:18 / Ann Licater / Initiation (Awakening) / Whispers from Earth
0:41:13 / Ron Korb / Cordoba / World Café
0:45:00 / Album Spotlight: Luminous by Michele McLaughlin
0:46:09 / Michele McLaughlin / Moonlit Shadows / Luminous
0:49:05 / Ronan Hardiman / Ready for Life / Anthem
0:54:07 / Stephen Peppos / Fields of Stars / Celestial
0:58:43 / Acoustic Ocean / Blue Again Like Morning / Divine Grace
1:01:45 / Llewellyn / Merlyn and the Crossing / Mysts of Avalon
1:07:30 / Deborah Martin & Jill Haley / Hall of Whispers / Into the Quiet
1:13:00 / Max Jeschek / Arrived / The Awakening
1:17:27 / Tron Syversen / Surrender / A New Spring
1:22:53 / Robin Spielberg / Ukraine National Anthem / All the Best Returns, Pt. I
1:26:33 / Album Spotlight: Traveling the Blissful Highway by Darlene Koldenhoven
1:27:47 / Darlene Koldenhoven / Tropical Chill / Traveling the Blissful Highway
1:32:13 / Kenneth Hooper / Respite / As the Crow Flies
1:38:20 / Suzanne Teng & Gilbert Levy / Golden Temple / Shimmer
1:42:50 / Rose Moore / Blessed by the Angels / Spirit of Silence
1:46:14 / Michael Martinez / Time Dance / The Stillness Within
1:49:08 / Liquid Mind / Hymn for Peace / Liquid Mind XIV: Simplicity

Album Review: Whispers from Earth by Ann Licater

Review by Marilyn Torres 

With her sixth music album, Whispers from Earth: Flute Passages for Meditation and Inspiration, Ann Licater bestows her listeners with a serene collection of compositions perfectly suited for those who wish to enter into a state of peace and tranquility.

The CD opens with the title tune featuring a wood flute with deep notes to bid the listener a calm entrance. On the next track, “Echoes from a Glass Pond,” Licater’s flute duet demonstrates the echo in perfect harmony as the notes repeat and circle from beginning to end.

For “Peaceful Prayer,” the solo Native American flute calls out like a lone voice whispering into the sky.

We hear the piano first in “Luminous Morning”; Its twinkling keys flow like drops of early day dew. The flute joins in and together, they flutter and chirp as if dancing like birds and butterflies near a lush flowing spring. Licater has set a beautiful scene.

Tracks 5, 7 and 10, “Red Cedar Calling,” “Mirror Lake Reflection,” and “Forest Moon Rising,” respectively, all feature a solo flute throughout. These pieces can serve as grounding points for focusing and clearing the mind.

The synthesizer introduces “Star Stream Dreamer,” and the bass keeps steady tempo while the flute takes the lead in this fanciful piece.

Perhaps my love of trains influenced my perception and fondness of “Initiation (Awakening).” As one solo flute begins and the other follows, and then there is a brief silence, their sound mimics the whistle of a train. One could imagine letting go of something or the arrival of something else…

In the closing track, “Following the Call (Horizons),” the flute is solo for about one minute until the synthesizer enters and flows in and out of the piece in a peaceful partnership and fitting final note.

~Marilyn Torres for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Ann Licater's Website. Whispers from Earth is also available at Amazon, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and more.

Album Review: Liquid Mind XIV: Simplicity by Liquid Mind

Review by Candice Michelle 

Veteran musician and keyboardist Chuck Wild, formerly of the 80s-rock band Missing Persons who subsequently launched a solo career under the project name Liquid Mind, returns with another signature album of pacifying soundscapes titled Liquid Mind XIV: Simplicity.

In keeping with a consistent theme of relaxation and reverie charted by previous albums in the Liquid Mind series, Simplicity offers a 64-minutue mind soother with its seven synthesizer compositions of gently harmonious, slowly shifting, and softly layered major-key chord progressions.

Characterized by what I’d typically describe as ‘spa’ music more so than ‘space’ music, which is captured so descriptively on pieces like “The Child in Me,” “In the Moment,” and “A Gentle Rain in My Soul,” Simplicity seemingly evokes streams of white light pouring upon endless blue skies, billowy clouds, and placid waters, with each composition rolling along uninterrupted as if encapsulated by a translucent pearl of reflective and rounded edges.

An award-winning and chart-topping musical artist and mainstay in the spa, healing, and holistic therapy industries, Liquid Mind has facilitated peaceful and positive sound environments for many clients and practitioners alike for decades, while Simplicity is sure to take the listener into the next phase of blissful transcendence and tranquility!

~Candice Michelle for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Liquid Mind's Website. Simplicity is also available at Amazon, Apple Music, and more.

Album Review: Luminous by Michele McLaughlin

Review by Marilyn Torres 

Michele McLaughlin has gifted her fans and admirers another unique grouping of beautiful and thoughtful piano compositions with her latest work, Luminous.

The names of the pieces give us a preview of the general theme; that being, the interplay between darkness and light.

With titles such as "Droplets of Gray," "Shimmer," "Moonlit Shadows" and "Lanterns in the Sky," one can imagine the seasons of life and even the day to day ups and downs moving in and out of dark and light.

In the piece, "When You Hurt, I Hurt," McLaughlin maintains a slow and thoughtful tempo which demonstrates the beauty of being in the moment with a hurting one - no words needed.

"Shimmer" enters with a tip toe effect and soon the notes ascend faster into their climax to then begin cascading, rippling down to their tip toe finale. McLaughlin’s choice of major keys and uptempo infuse "The Golden Hour" with a relaxing vibe, without being sedate. The title piece, "Luminous," is a beautiful homage to the definition of light. A vivid description with effortless dance and fluidity. In "Adrift," McLaughlin departs from the light/dark theme as the piece goes towards a wandering state. But perhaps it could be a transition phase one could say, from light to dark and back again. "Lanterns in the Sky" possesses a soothing and transformative quality, with its careful entrance that takes you by the hand and shows you with increasing intensity the light all around you until you reach the reassuring end. McLaughlin writes her thoughts, dreams and passions using her piano keys and we are delighted to be invited into this personal journey.

~Marilyn Torres for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Michele McLaughlin's website. Luminous is also available at Amazon, Apple Music, Bandcamp and more.

Album Review: All the Best Returns, Pt. I by Robin Spielberg

Review by Marilyn Torres 

All The Best Returns Part I, is a brief but focused array of her talent as an accomplished piano performer who happens to be a theater actress, author, speaker, professor, and an advocate for the healing power of music.

The strong and powerful start to "In Search of the Forest Fairy," grounds the piece in a safe place before taking off in a venture that is light and delicate, as the piano keys seem to spin more and more before returning to the anchoring, firm notes. On "One Step Closer," Spielberg takes a slow pace with in-step keystrokes to direct the flow in a soothing and contemplative tune.

The next piece, which is the namesake of the album, has an old fashioned carousel feel about it that this listener thoroughly enjoyed! The artist and her vintage piano team up to take us along for a sweet ride into the past.

Perhaps keeping an eye in yesteryear, "The End of Summer" presents a melancholy (but not depressed) structure with soft and slow strokes.

Spielberg culminates her work with "Shche ne Vmerla Ukrainy (The Ukrainian National Anthem)," showing support by featuring her own rendition of the song. She performs it with tenderness and sensitivity while bestowing it with an air of flair that takes it to the strong and self assured finale.

This collection is sure to please Robin’s fans and garner new listeners looking for an inspiring grouping of calming and uplifting music.

~Marilyn Torres for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Robin Spielberg's website. All The Best Returns is also available at Amazon, Apple Music, Bandcamp and more.

Album Review: Wondering by Stephen Wallack

Review by Marilyn Torres 

For his latest album, titled Wondering, Stephen Wallack embarks on a journey of exploration of single themes and topics as a way of coming to terms with the many questions surrounding the events of the past several months.

The opening "Beyond" starts with a constant key which maintains its form like a frame to hold the fluttering and twinkling keys that follow. Similarly, in "Remember", a single key serves as an anchor for the surrounding notes. 

“Sorry” and “Bridges” give the sense of a conversation; the former, with depth and pauses, brings forth the increased tempo that contributes to the feel and urgency of someone pleading, perhaps apologizing? Meanwhile, the latter “Bridges”, takes soft careful steps like crossing over to meet the other side - reconciliation or new adventure?

“Games” and “Wolves” both embody a direct and determined character as if guided by a predestined goal. I could not help but think of galloping horses on a polo field when I listened to “Royals”. Perhaps the title led me that way but I did not mind; it was a very pleasant ride. 

Wallack concludes his exploration with the delicate and mellow “Goodbye”. It is not a long, drawn out farewell but more of a recognition and validation of the many changes and indeed questions brought up in recent history. Stephen Wallack delivers a sensitive and thoughtful musical collection for us to draw upon as we consider our own questions. 

~Marilyn Torres for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Stephen Wallack's website. Wondering is also available at Amazon, Apple Music and more.

Album Review: The London Sessions by Ed Bazel

Review by Marilyn Torres 

Pianist Ed Bazel delivers an inspirational and soothing collection of pieces curated to highlight the artist's mementos in life experiences. 

The London Sessions: Reflections from Studio 2 opens with “Morning Glory” which feels silky under Bazel’s expert command of the piano keys. It is a piece full of possibility and joyous expectation. In the following title, “Mountain Serenity” as well as the later piece, “Mountain Joy,” I felt a particular familiarity to the theme of stillness and awe these two pieces presented since I have the blessing of going to the mountains frequently to enjoy the scenery mother nature provides.

Bazel’s sensitive interpretation of the Beatles’ “In My Life” and “Yesterday,” is a nod to the germinating musical interests of his childhood, and a recognition of the impact the “Fab Four” had on his life. It is also fitting for him to take on these songs at the revered Studio 2 in Abbey Road Studios.

I found that “Old Friends” and “After the Rain” have a touch of the Barry Manilow style of reminiscing with a melancholy twist. 

Bazel’s confidence in his piano prowess is ever present in the category of quiet and soothing music especially in pieces like “Soaring” and “Daydream” (perfect background music for calming nerves).

Bazel’s involvement in the music sphere as well as his passion for adventure and discovery, permeates his work and bathes it with a sense of simple joy and gratitude. He is an artist whose style is not flashy or long-winded and yet captures the listener’s interest through the universal quality of affection for the joy of music.

~Marilyn Torres for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Ed Bazel's website. The London Sessions is also available at Amazon, Apple Music and more.

Auralscapes: Episode 006

A refreshing 2-hour set of new-age, world & contemporary classical music.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP-SINGLE
0:00:00 / Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning / Raven Dance / Coming, Going
0:02:42 / Christopher Caouette / Forest of Mist / Tale of the Oakenwish
0:06:22 / Kori Linae Carothers / Crystal Fields (Re-Imagined) / On A Cold Frosty Morning
0:11:27 / Yungchen Lhamo / Auspicious Days / Awakening
0:15:45 / Jonathan E. Blake / Autumn / Old Souls
0:22:28 / Peter Kater / My Land, My People, My Soul / Native America
0:27:07 / Peter Sterling / Along the Way / The Winding Way
0:31:45 / Album Spotlight: Traveling the Blissful Highway by Darlene Koldenhoven
0:32:59 / Darlene Koldenhoven / Native Star / Traveling the Blissful Highway
0:37:31 / White Sun / Anik Naad / White Sun III
0:41:49 / Robin Spielberg / One Step Closer / All the Best Return
0:45:30 / Ann Licater / Luminous Morning / Whispers from Earth
0:49:48 / Sharon Fendrich / Sea of Oaks / Sapphire Oak
0:55:18 / 2002 / Jasmine Rain / Hummingbird
0:59:22 / Stephen Wallack / Wolves / Wondering
1:03:50 / Raphael Groten / Invocation / Great Blue
1:05:35 / David Arkenstone / Fangorn Forest / Music Inspired by Middle Earth II
1:10:12 / Mediaeval Baebes / Memorare / Prayers of the Rosary
1:14:37 / Album Spotlight: Life Passage by Shambhu
1:15:59 / Shambhu / Mars Dawn / Life Passage
1:21:30 / Tom Moore & Tim Sadow / An Ancient Path / Life Passage
1:26:43 / Michele McLaughlin / Droplets of Gray / Luminous
1:31:45 / Will Ackerman / Passing Baldo’s Tower / Positano Songs
1:37:16 / Rusty Crutcher / Aegean Reflections / Oracle of Delphi
1:42:55 / Donna De Lory / Where I Find You / Gone Beyond
1:48:20 / Aureliaslight / Sparks of Light / A Mystic’s Autumn
1:51:46 / Liquid Mind / Simplicity / Liquid Mind XIV: Simplicity

Auralscapes: Episode 005

A refreshing 2-hour set of new-age, world, classical & contemporary instrumental music.
(Photo credit: Tim Kuret Photography.)

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP-SINGLE
0:00:00 / Peter Kater / Buffalo Song (feat. Kevin Locke) / Native America
0:04:31 / Joseph L. Young / Windswayed / Into the Unknown
0:10:06 / David Arkenstone / Shadowfax and the White Rider / Music Inspired by Middle Earth Vol. II
0:14:14 / Robin Spielberg / In Search of the Forest Fairy / All the Best Return
0:18:48 / Kerani / Divine Immersion / The Water of Life
0:23:54 / Elizabeth Naccarato / Shrine of the Stations of the Cross / A Southwest Story
0:27:18 / Aureliaslight / A Mystic’s Autumn / A Mystic’s Autumn
0:30:33 / Sharon Fendrich / Call of the Ruins / Sapphire Oak
0:35:44 / Album Spotlight: Traveling the Blissful Highway by Darlene Koldenhoven
0:36:56 / Darlene Koldenhoven / Jade Dreams / Traveling the Blissful Highway
0:41:47 / Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning / On Scatha’s Island / Coming, Going
0:44:53 / Maji / Believe / Flow
0:48:33 / Jill Haley / Bursts of Color / The Forests and Shores of Acadia
0:53:04 / Lynn Tredeau / Nomad / Reflection
0:56:44 / Sherry Finzer & VeeRonna Ragone / Mystic Breezes / Mystic Breezes
1:05:21 / Genevieve Walker / Saints / Home Songs
1:10:17 / Dan Chadburn / Uncertainty / Always
1:14:24 / Album Spotlight: Life Passage by Shambhu
1:15:46 / Shambhu / Shambhu / Life Passage
1:21:33 / Will Ackerman / The Tyrrhenian Sea / Positano Songs
1:27:24 / Brooks & Day / Oneness / Awakening
1:33:20 / Orchestra Indigo / Mysteries / Farewell to Memories
1:37:37 / Lis Addison / Rhythm of the Earth / Elements
1:43:28 / Suzanne Teng & Gilbert Levy / Shimmer / Shimmer
1:49:11 / Julie Hanney / Taking Flight / Taking Flight
1:52:14 / Paul Adams & Elizabeth Geyer / Forest Light / Sanctuary

Album Review: Always by Dan Chadburn

Review by Lissette Cascante 

A native of Oregon, professional musician and performer Dan Chadburn is a seasoned pianist, composer, arranger, and singer/songwriter with an extensive repertoire. Dan obtained a master’s degree in music in electro-acoustic composition at City University in London and has established himself as pianist extraordinaire, becoming a favourite in the new age/contemporary instrumental/solo piano genre. Additionally, his music and albums have received multiple awards and nominations. Past performance venues have included Carnegie Hall (New York), Symphony Hall (Boston) and The Kennedy Center (Washington, DC).

Dan’s latest album titled Always, released August 1, 2022 and recorded & mastered at Piano Haven Studio, is his ninth album so far in said genre and again he offers the listener a quiet and peaceful respite from the cares of a restless world. In Dan’s own words: “In recording ALWAYS, I wanted to create a collection of pieces for solo piano that celebrates the unfailing resilience of the human spirit, the steadfast courage of the human heart, the eternal existence and mystery of the human soul, and the remarkable, spiritual synchronicity of them all.”

Artistic, classy, and quiet, Dan’s music is infused with qualities of hope, reassurance, and mindful serenity. From the first song and title track “Always” to the last tune “Final Curtain” the album is like a soft pillow providing comfort and rest for a weary traveller, filling any empty spaces with warm tones and happy thoughts of everything that is beautiful in life. The arrangements are light and simple and the song titles thought-provoking and poignant. Dan gives us just enough to engage but not overwhelm; a loving, musical offering from a deep part of his soul. Dan composed all songs on the album except for “O Shenandoah”, which by the way he did an exquisite arrangement on this classic and beloved tune. It’s a favorite of mine and I love that he included it.

I enjoyed every tune on the album as I dimmed the lights, closed my eyes, and allowed the piano melodies to guide me into a meaningful and lovely listening experience.

Dan’s music has been deeply inspired by the people and events that shape our world. The profits generated by the sale of several tracks from Dan’s albums are donated to specific charitable organizations dear to his heart.

~Lissette Cascante for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Dan Chadburn's website. Always is also available at Amazon, Apple Music and more.

Album Review: Isle of Shadows by Christopher Boscole

Review by Candice Michelle 

Kauai, Hawaii resident, pianist and composer Christopher Boscole first came to my attention with his highly-praised 2016 album Skipping on Daisies, which was soon followed up by his equally outstanding album Soul Dreams in 2017 – both of which were comprised of original new age-style solo piano compositions. His 13th album, Isle of Shadows: A New Age of Classical Piano, revisits the style and theme of his 2014 release, A New Age of Classical Piano, consisting of classical-style solo piano renditions of both renowned and lesser-known pieces by several classical composers.

Comprised of twelve compositions spanning approximately 56 minutes – including eleven renditions and one original composition – the pieces rendered on Isle of Shadows were selected from among composers Gabriel Fauré, Frédéric Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Selim Palmgren, Claude Debussy, Johann Sebastian Bach, Scott Joplin, and Robert Schumann.

Opening with “Romance Sans Paroles in Ab major, Op. 17 No. 3” by French composer Fauré, the elegant piece creates a softly romantic mood that paints scenic images of rural cottages and pastel garden blossoms. Shifting into a more evening setting, Chopin’s delicate and airy “Nocturne in Eb Major, Op. 9 No. 2” follows with alternating waltzing and ballet-like twirls.

The fifth track, “Pavane Op. 50”, another piece by Fauré, is one of my personal favorites that will be familiar to many listeners. Lulling, mysterious and unquestionably timeless, it has enjoyed many stylistic reworks in modern times, spanning genres of trance, chillout, orchestral, and of course solo piano, as beautifully rendered here.

Equally enchanting is the seventh track, “Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight”: I. Adagio sostenuto” by Beethoven, or as it is more famously known: “Moonlight Sonata”, an unmistakably haunting, sensuous and somewhat somber piece.

Concluding the album is a Boscole original titled “Until We Meet Again”, which effortlessly bridges the classical with the contemporary for an expressively cascading and mellifluous performance!

~Candice Michelle for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Christopher Boscole's website. Isle of Shadows is also available at Amazon, Apple Music and more.

Auralscapes: Episode 004

A refreshing 2-hour episode of contemporary instrumental, world, classical & new age music from across the globe.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK TITLE / ALBUM-EP-SINGLE
0:00:00 / Lis Addison / Horizon Line / Elements
0:05:44 / Roman Nagel / Mireya / Late Bloomers
0:08:29 / Elizabeth Naccarato / Sacred Land / A Southwest Story
0:13:22 / David Arkenstone / Daughter of the River / Music Inspired by Middle Earth, Vol. II
0:17:51 / Kevin Keller / Shimmer / Shimmer
0:27:31 / Carl Lord / Heaven’s Shores / Tranquil Horizon
0:31:28 / Darlene Koldenhoven / Cheerful Mohana / Traveling the Blissful Highway
0:35:35 / Victor Towle / Days Gone By / Days Gone By
0:40:51 / Vicente Avella / Where Light and Shadow Meet / Physics of Light
0:44:32 / Trine Opsahl / Return of the Light / The Moon Stays Bright
0:47:52 / Randal Meek / Mo’ollo Place / Longings
0:53:08 / Dan Chadburn / Uncharted Waters / Always
0:56:17 / Peter Phippen, Rahbi Crawford & Ivar Lunde Jr. / Triangulum (radio edit) / Galaxies
01:01:34 / Jacquelyn G. Kleine / Vesica Piscis / Glass Timeline
01:05:55 / Chad Lawson / To Hold the Stars in the Palm of Your Hand / Breathe
01:09:48 / Tim Sadow & Mike Kopp / As the River Runs / Out of the Mist
01:13:38 / Brooks & Day / Transcendence / Awakening
01:17:26 / Shambhu / Because of You / Life Passage
01:23:44 / Christopher Boscole / Romance Sans Paroles Op. 17 No. 3 - Gabriel Faure / Isle of Shadows
01:26:59 / Jill Haley / Fog On Blueberry Hill / The Forests and Shores of Acadia
01:30:58 / Peter Kater / The Path is Clear / Soul Story
01:34:38 / David De Michele / Ripples in Time / Beyond
01:41:36 / Orchestra Indigo / Twilight Falls / Farewell to Memories
01:45:25 / Fiona Joy Hawkins / Falling (Twin Peaks Theme) / Falling (Twin Peaks Theme)
01:48:41 / Paul Adams & Elizabeth Geyer / Through the Tree Tops / Sanctuary

Album Review: Life Passage by Shambhu

Review by Abdul Yamani 

The music of acclaimed jazz guitarist and composer Shambhu seems to transport me to a quieter world, where perception and intuition seem clearer. The guitar in his hands always seems to turn into a soothing elixir. Shambhu’s latest EP titled Life Passage is no exception and in my opinion is one of the most inspiring albums that he has released to date.

Comprised of five songs all written, arranged, and produced by Shambhu, with exception of the last track “Shambhu,” co-written with his guru, Sri Chinmoy, the album offers expressive tunes of beauty, serenity and nature canvassed in new age, jazz/fusion and Indian styles. The compositions are accented by an impressive ensemble of accomplished new age, jazz, and world musicians such as bassist Michael Manring, pianist Frank Martin, flutist Premik Russell Tubbs, violinist Nathaniel Wolkstein, and percussionist Nelson Myers-Daly.

The songs on the album are a mélange of contemplation as in the first track “Because of You,” and the beautiful slow waltz “Gentle Flower” in which the guitar talks with the piano; melancholia as in the title track, “Life Passage” featuring Shambhu on acoustic guitar reflecting on the passing of the late jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea who Shambhu studied with online during the pandemic and who passed quite unexpectedly, as well as imaginative and mysterious with “Mars Dawn” taking the listener on a musical journey to the ever intriguing red planet in a backdrop of lush, orchestral strings set by Nathaniel Wolkstein, and a haunting French horn played by the multi-talented Premik Russell Tubbs.

The song titled “Shambhu” changes the pace a little and concludes the album. It is an Indian temple-beat fusion based on a melody by Sri Chinmoy. Shambhu masterfully merges the contemporary with the sacred and traditional in this joy-exuding and centering melody. He plays guitar, e-sitar and e-pads, accompanied by New Zealand world percussionist Nelson Myers-Daly, a member of the meditative music duo, Monk Party, as Premik Russell Tubbs contributes bansuri flute.

Life Passage is a blissful aural retreat you will want to return to time and time again.

Shambhu recorded Life Passage at his Hamptons Sanctuary Studios in Westhampton, NY. The EP was mixed and mastered by Todd Boston at Spatial Sound Studios in Portland, OR.

~Abdul Yamani for Auralscapes 

For more information, please visit Shambhu's website. Life Passage is also available at Amazon, Apple Music and more.