Album Review: This Beautiful Chaos by Trevor Gordon Hall

Review by Abdul Yamani

A deep, resonant, and pensive guitar melody in “Chasing the Chills”, the first track, sends a chill down one’s spine and introduces us to Trevor Gordon Hall’s latest album This Beautiful Chaos.

“Life is crazy and chaotic, but it is beautiful. We all need to be reminded of that from time to time” expounds Trevor of the dual nature of his album’s title. Given current world events at the time of this writing, no truer words were ever spoken.

Trevor Gordon Hall is an acoustic instrumentalist, gifted guitarist, composer and performer from Philadelphia, USA who allows his guitar to articulate his innermost thoughts, ideas, and expressions. His style ranges from edgy driving rhythms to delicate melodic themes. The album This Beautiful Chaos is a product of Trevor’s life experiences and travels poured into the notes, chords, and rhythms of his music. Trevor’s album features 6 different guitars: Standard Acoustic, Baritone Acoustic, Nylon String, High Strung Guitar, Electric Guitar, and a Portuguese instrument named Viola Amarantina. The variety in sound and rhythm create a unique blend of styles which keep the listener engaged and eager for what follows.

Wonderful surprises please the ear in tracks like the bluesy, uplifting “Ontic Blues”, and the melancholic ambient guitar sounds of “At Peace With Struggle”, a gentle reminder to “let go” of whatever tensions encumber our journey in life.

Because of the multiplicity in the techniques and instruments he employs, Trevor Gordon Hall’s music can be called easy, subtle, profound, abstract, uplifting, melancholy, introspective, yet infused with an overriding sense of contentment and purpose. The ingenious song titles tell as many stories as the varied instrumentation and styles he so skillfully displays.

Trevor Gordon Hall is widely recognized for his invention of the “Kalimbatar” — a guitar that combines a customized African finger piano, called the Kalimba. Trevor has garnered the admiration of and received countless praises from a who’s who in the music industry. Whether it’s through his solo work, international touring, new collaborations or teaching students, he thrives on the discovery and harnesses life’s possibilities.

On top of a touring calendar that has taken him through 17 countries and counting, his growing discography has amassed millions of listens and views through streaming and social media, allowing his music to connect across borders and languages. This Beautiful Chaos is a stunning musical escapade which amazes, calms, and inspires from start to finish.

~Abdul Yamani for Aural Awakenings

For more information please visit Trevor Gordon Hall's website. This Beautiful Chaos is available at Amazon, Apple Music and more.

Album Review: Potential by Raphael Groten

Review by Abdul Yamani

Raphael Groten is a Vermont-based, accomplished guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, sound engineer, composer, and recording artist whose intuition led him to discover his purpose of being. A firm believer in the healing power of music, Raphael was compelled to create healing music years ago following an impactful life experience related to his young son. He also composes music for children and families.

Raphael has received critical acclaim for his acoustic recordings produced by Will Ackerman, founder of the Windham Hill Record label, and Imaginary Road Studios. Ackerman remarks that “Raphael paints pictures of peace and contemplation and creates musical worlds that one longs to visit.”

In Potential, Raphael’s first self-produced album, his musical styles encompass a variety of genres and persuasions, exploring the roots of the Americas, and the sounds of the African continent. Raphael calls it “world medicine groove.”

Keeping the listener engaged as an active participant in this rêverie are Raphael’s guitar, and a delightful assortment of instruments from around the world such as Ukulele, Bamboo Flute, Kalimba, Hand Pan, percussion, and gong, sprinkled with Raphael’s unique vocals and chants. Nature sounds woven throughout the album affirm his love of the natural world and his appreciation for the many creatures with whom we share this planet, which in their own way offer us healing and guidance.

The still sound of the Gong opens the album as a bamboo flute joins in followed by an ambient guitar gently nudging us to cross an imaginary threshold and “Wander” into worlds of fantastic sounds and rhythms. With deep drumming vibes, flute, handpan and a myriad of other percussion instruments, the title track “Potential” which follows, quickly thrusts us into a sort of tribal trance making it easy to imagine ourselves the guest to a festive celebration somewhere in the African expanse.

The third track features Raphael singing a chant-like prayer to the “Great Spirit” in a deep raspy voice; you’ll feel the emotion engulf your soul in this firepower of spiritual intensity.

“Within” will whisk you away with its sounds of ocean waves, bells, bamboo flute and deep vibrations to an imaginary faraway island where you can connect in solitude with your whole being and find that calm space within.

A wonderful meshing of flute, ukulele and kalimba carry the main melody in “Care” while in “Melt” we’re entranced once again by Raphael’s voice in indigenous chant. “River’s Edge” features flowing water sounds, guitar, bells, percussion, flute and soft rhythms. Rainforest bird sounds in “Pause” tug at our wandering spirit as a variety of instruments join in to create a hypnotic state of oneirism. Kalimba and percussion perk us up in “Percolate” as Raphael’s voice highlights in tribal chants. “Call” features handpan, jungle bird sounds, vibrating instruments, drenched in soft deep tones.

“Aft” is my favorite in the album and features Raphael’s fantastically brilliant guitar licks in a backdrop of gong and other world instruments. “Bear Cave” is a nice musical groove and sound environment exploration. “Release” features guitar, flute, rattle, deep breath vocals and lyrics which invite the listener to release all fear and breathe in freedom without trepidation. And lastly, in “Twin Eagle” the powerful flute seems to call in repetitive melody to our winged friends on high; tell us stories of ages past, that we may be truly liberated from nature’s regrets, learn the lessons, and live in a more conscious, purposeful, and peaceful way.

All of the music was composed, performed, produced and engineered by Raphael Groten in his Vermont studio. Potential is a unique sensory and spiritual excursion which takes the listener on a melodic imaginary adventure to remote places, wildlife, music, rhythms, cultures, and traditions, relaxing the mind and nourishing the soul.

~Abdul Yamani for Aural Awakenings

For more information please visit Raphael Groten's website. Potential is available at Amazon, Apple Music and more.

Album Review: Songs Without Words by Gerhard Daum

Gerhard Daum is an acclaimed guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and award-winning film composer whose most recent album, Songs Without Words, deftly defies strict genre categorization. Incorporating stylistic hallmarks of blues, jazz, classical, ambient, progressive rock and soundtrack music, these elements are seamlessly melded together, while his innovative compositions showcase expressive electric guitar melodies accompanied both by electronic and orchestral arrangements.

Featuring twelve songs spanning approximately 41 minutes, Daum keeps his compositions to under the 4-minute mark, as the musical narrative moves through a dynamic range of atmospheres and emotions like the exhilarating score to a TV action or drama series unfolding.

The opening piece, “Berlin Song”, is a moody number that delivers some bluesy guitar, cinematic strings and lush ambient pads set to a downtempo pulse. The sensuously subtle “Talking Softly” soon follows with a mysterious ‘noir lounge’ vibe, which seemingly paints black-and-white images of an old city street thinly veiled in a nighttime fog.

A few tracks later, “Gold Rush” heats up the audio space with a soaring guitar lead, symphonic strings and odd-time signature beats. Once again reverting to Daum’s softer side, “Timeless” ensues with a sultrily sleek arrangement that would render this piece nicely on an eclectic smooth jazz playlist.

Further down the line-up is another personal favorite called “Walking on Clouds”, a piece that slightly recalls Brian Eno’s iconic “Deep Blue Day” with its bluesy ambient soundscape. And finally, “My Foolish Heart” beautifully wraps things up with a winding guitar riff, cinematic strings and moderately paced drums that all bring it to a reminiscing yet celebratory conclusion.

An innovative offering of enjoyably eclectic instrumental music, Songs Without Words is an album without categorization that will appeal to listeners who possess a diverse range of musical taste! ~Candice Michelle

For more information, please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon, iTunes and other retail and streaming platforms.

An Interview with Don Latarski at the Heart Dance Records Summit in Phoenix, AZ

Here’s an interview with guitarist Don Latarski, which was conducted earlier this year at the Heart Dance Records Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. In this segment, we highlight his melodically soothing recent album titled River as well as learn more about the freeform soundscapes he's been creating with “wind" and "water" guitar.

Music from the album River can be heard throughout this interview.

Spotlight: From the Darker Seasons by Jeff Pearce

From the Darker Seasons continues in the signature ethereal-ambient, electric guitar style of music that Jeff Pearce triumphantly re-embraced in 2014 with his album With Evening Above, which was subsequently followed up by his 2016 album Follow the River the Home. The last album in this style that Jeff recorded before taking a hiatus for over a decade was his landmark 2002 release, Bleed, which preceded some lovely albums recorded on Chapman Stick followed by one piano album. As the album’s title and captivating artwork suggest, the eight compositions spanning nearly an hour that make up From the Darker Seasons was inspired by autumn and winter, which Jeff states are his favorite times of the year (and mine too!). As with his previous two ambient guitar recordings, as well as those of his from the 1990’s and early 2000’s (of which this album was similarly created in the image), From the Darker Seasons mostly exudes a nocturnal essence comprised of drifting ambient melodies and enveloping atmospheres, which possess melancholic underpinnings.

“A Walk Through the Leaves” opens the album with a haze of billowing chords comprised of a gentle melody set against a backdrop of encircling, layered guitar loops. As if drifting along in slow motion, the piece effectively illustrates that of autumnal scenery at dusk or dawn as changing leaves lightly flutter about in the cool breeze. This mood continues with “Sun on Frost”, which seemingly guides us into a deeper state of wistful contemplation. Slipping into a more spacey mode is “Constellations”, a beautifully magical composition defined by suspended layers of guitar notes that float and weave about like gossamer streams of color and starlight. Equally gorgeous, “The River in Late Autumn” bears some resemblance to both the title tracks from Jeff’s albums Follow the River Home and With Evening Above. Moving at a languid pace, its somewhat forlorn melody is softly sustained in the lower registers like that of a gently flowing river, as the sparsely-placed higher notes seemingly mimic that of moonlight reflecting upon the water. The ensuing “Downdrift” could be likened to a sequel of sorts to “Downstream” from Jeff’s previous release. Employing similarly processed effects, the piece seemingly embodies the very essence of a cold wind blowing, with its swirling sound patterns of icy metallic textures. “Midnight Snow” follows next with gurgling timbres and hazy distortion gently bouncing outwards, effectively bringing-to-mind that of trekking across a frozen landscape beneath the dim light of a shrouded moon. At 17:45 minutes, “A Long Winter’s Sleep” is a deeply atmospheric, ambient-space piece in the long-form style of Steve Roach, although still unmistakably Jeff. A beautifully dreamlike piece that evokes the darkest phase of winter, I’m able to imagine the mysterious aurora borealis shimmering above a vast northern landscape, as its tonal colors encircle and phase in-and-out of the listening space. Easily mistakable for synthesizers in its entirety, Jeff is simply unparalleled in his ability to craft such dimensionally-layered soundscapes using just electric guitar with processed effects. Concluding the album is “Cold Comfort”, a subtly melodic piece that conveys a sense of solitary serenity; its title aptly illustrating Jeff’s ability to create pieces that somehow feel paradoxically emotive and evasive.

Another impeccably gorgeous album from Jeff Pearce, it not only debuted in the top ten on Billboard’s New Age Chart soon after its release, but I was subsequently delighted to see Jeff perform live at The Gatherings Concert Series in Philadelphia, PA – a spectacular event produced and coordinated by Star’s End Radio host, Chuck Van Zyl. Perfectly capturing the enchanting beauty and mystery of the darker, colder months of the year, From the Darker Seasons is yet another ambient-guitar masterpiece full of haunting aesthetic emotion and wistful reflection! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album can also be purchased at Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby and Google Play.

This review was originally published on Journeyscapes Radio on 10/12/17.

Spotlight: In the Company of Clouds by Erik Scott

Erik Scott debuted with his first album in 1969, later working with a number of pop and rock artists, including having toured and recorded with Alice Cooper in the 1980’s. He has since co-written for and collaborated with a number of other recording artists, as well as embarked on an instrumental solo career. On his latest album, In the Company of Clouds, the intriguing and hypnotic lure of melodic fretless bass is Erik’s key instrument, accompanied throughout by keyboards, percussion and mandolin, as well as other innovative sound effects. Comprised of nine tracks total, In the Company of Clouds additionally features an amazing lineup of guest musicians and vocalists, including John Pirruccello who lends steel guitar to all of the compositions.

“Nine Lives” immediately lifts the spirits with its beautiful sound collage of melodic bass, tribal percussion and soulful wordless vocals. They collectively lend the piece a notable African flavor, effectively bringing to mind that of sailing down the Congo River on a breezy sunny day. The equally mesmerizing “Seven Veils” continues in this mode, as it’s similarly guided along by exotic percussion, dreamy synthesizers and sitar scattered throughout. Soulful wordless vocals intoning soothing “ooohs” return for “Women of Avalon”, another lovely piece that features Steve Hunter on guitar, as John Mader lends congas and cymbals. Warm and enveloping throughout, this piece seems to convey a celebration of the distant past. Another notable highlight, “Breathing Room”, features Jeff Pearce on ambient electric guitar. Here, Erik perfectly injects plenty of ‘breathing space’ between the notes, as Jeff’s guitars ethereally float across a seemingly liquid and nocturnal soundscape. “Victory”, featuring Kevin Haynes on drums, is perhaps the brightest piece on the album and characterized by a comforting, peaceful elation. It’s followed by “Open Door”, which likewise welcomes all of the now familiar instrumental elements – sans the percussion – along with a touch of piano courtesy of Chris Cameron. Closing out the album is the notably warm and leisurely “The Long View”, which additionally features Rick Barnes on acoustic guitar.

Seemingly taking its listener on a magical sailing journey, notes and chords often bend and sway in suspension throughout these melodically structured yet often liquid-like compositions. Exuding an overall mood and atmosphere that reminds me at times of works by Mike Oldfield, Pink Floyd and James Hood’s Moodswings project, In the Company of Clouds is an enthusiastically recommended album of impeccably beautiful ambient instrumental fusion! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby.

This review was originally published on Journeyscapes Radio on 11/16/16.

Album Review: Follow the River Home by Jeff Pearce

Follow the River Home is the highly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning album With Evening Above by Indiana-based ambient guitarist, Jeff Pearce. Mastered by Tom Eaton for Imaginary Road studios, the album is comprised entirely of electric guitars that often resemble a surround-sound of both guitars and synthesizers resonating throughout a cathedral.

“Under Summer Stars” opens the album with an enveloping soundscape of gently melodic guitar amidst layers of tenebrous chords. Conveying a pensive mood with a touch of melancholy, this atmosphere is conveyed throughout most of the album. Carrying us into the next piece, “Downstream I” is a classic ambient-space composition, characterized by low drones, high timbres and mid-range tones, as the collective guitar washes mimic a choir of voices. “Outpost” soon emerges from the shadows, where misty chords morph and swell around a looped guitar melody at its center point. “Snowfall” follows afterwards, a composition I was especially delighted to see included on here. A live recording of this song originally aired on the syndicated radio program Echoes, and while I’ve long known that Jeff could seriously rock, this is the first time he’s included a noticeably rock-influenced composition on one of his albums. The piece begins with cascading guitar loops that are soon followed by a soaring, sensual electric guitar riff, creating an exquisite fusion of ambient-space and classic rock music. On “Downstream II” Jeff once again delivers a composition that deviates somewhat from anything he’s recorded in the past. Ethereal guitar chords open this piece, followed by spinning layers of guitar loops that eventually dissipate into a pool of billowing atmospheric tones, reminding me somewhat of both Steve Reich and Tangerine Dream. The album’s lengthiest track, “Gathering Stars”, is quite possibly one of the most beautiful pieces of ambient-space music I’ve heard in years! Bathed in obscurity, this metamorphic composition emerges with spacious chords that gently rise and fall, and expand and contract, until scattering like particles of light upon the darkness. Closing out the album is the title track, “Follow the River Home”, a comfortingly warm piece that feels intimately connected to hearth and home. Led by a gentle, down-to-earth guitar melody with spacey timbres hovering in the background, it serves as a tender reminder that ultimately, home is indeed where the heart is.

Follow the River Home just might be Jeff’s crowning achievement, even among his other seemingly unsurpassable albums, including With Evening Above (2014), Bleed (2002), and To the Shores of Heaven (2000). As someone with a particular affinity for both ambient music and the electric guitar, I’ve been an avid fan of Jeff’s music for many years. It feels observant of nature and the cosmos; often alluding to natural landscapes and the skies above, all while exuding an ever-present yet concealed intense emotion. Gorgeous, haunting, and simply incomparable, Follow the River Home is already a top contender among this year’s best recordings! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Bandcamp, CD Baby, Amazon and iTunes.

Review originally published on Journeyscapes Radio on 06/03/16.

Album Review: With Evening Above by Jeff Pearce

With Evening Above is Jeff Pearce's first ambient guitar album since 2002's Bleed, having since released a few Chapman Stick albums – including 2008's Rainshadow Sky – and a beautiful piano album in 2012 titled In the Season of Fading Light. Although Pearce has released a string of remarkable recordings since the mid-1990's, two of them in particular – Bleed and 2000's To the Shores of Heaven - have long stood-out as my personal favorites. With Evening Above is highly reminiscent of those two albums in both musical style and atmosphere, having fused the strongest elements of each while at the same time presenting a fresh and innovate sound.

With Evening Above is a landmark ambient/space recording composed entirely of processed and layered electric guitars that are warm, enveloping and in many parts could easily be mistaken for synthesizers. Essentially, it is electronic music that also feels organic, evoking images and sensations of being outside in open spaces under clear, starlit skies. There's also an underlying yet ever-present emotionally-stirring quality about the music that subtly tugs at the heart as it transports the mind.

The album opens with the title track, "With Evening Above", a warm, melodic piece conveyed by Pearce's signature guitar-scapes which gently cascade about and engulf the listening space. About half of the album's tracks are imbued with more melodic structure such as this one, and gently alternate with more expansive atmospheric pieces, as exemplified on the closing track "No Matter How Far", a drifting long-form piece over twenty minutes long that is sure to send the listener into dreamland. At its darkest, the music is still tender and elegant - at its brightest, still melancholy and mysterious.

One particular highlight is the track "After Dark", a deeply hypnotic and nocturnal-sounding piece that feels beautifully esoteric, making it my personal favorite. This one should definitely be listened to on headphones in order to experience its full immersion, as there is a whole lot going on beneath the surface of this track that might not be immediately evident with casual listens.

In a way, With Evening Above seems to have come out of nowhere, proving itself to be a stunning return to form and quite possibly Pearce's most impressive album to date. Timeless, ageless, and destined to become a classic, all eight tracks are magnificent from beginning to end, making it one of the absolute best recordings to bless my senses in a very long time. This one is a definite must-have! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby.

Review originally published on Journeyscapes Radio on 01/05/15.