This Month's CD's
Sparks and Embers
Sparks and Embers the William Eaton Ensemble's newest release, is a two-disc album containing over two hours of whimsically innovative music. The album features Claudia Tulip, Will Clipman, Allen Ames, Mary Redhouse, and the sounds of Eaton's wide variety of unique instruments from around the world.
The idea for this album originated with sound engineer Jack Miller. Jack has recorded almost every frequency and environment one could imagine, and remains a student of sound and the nuances of music in all its arrangements.
For this project the Ensemble took up residence in Jack's new studio at Canyon Records for several days to musically converse and improvise. Jack was seeking that indefinable “magic” that happens when musicians listen very carefully to each other, mindful of every sound and change, supporting each other, calling, answering, harmonizing and joining in the largely improvisational “dance.”
The music could be called Native American Jazz. Disc one ( Sparks ) is more energetic, its songs deliciously wild and rhythmically strong. “Falcon's Flight,” carries us soaring over desert canyon floors; “Dancing in the Wind” lifts us gently and turns us around in the most delightful way. The second disc (Embers) includes mellower and “world chamber” selections. “In the Garden” does a magnificent job of impersonating the interaction of a medley of colorful flowers, and “Wild Flower Waltz” makes me feel as if I were looking out over the desert in full bloom. Some cuts are unpredictable from one instant to the next, rich in innovation.
I honestly can't say which of the two discs I like best—they're different, and it depends what mood I'm in. Some tracks I like more than others, and that too seems to depend on whether I'm up for something more structured or ready to be taken who-knows where from one second to the next. One thing I can say for sure is that I've never heard music quite like this, and I'm astonished to be able to access two hours of such superb co-creative musical playfulness at this price.
—Chiwah
Tibet is a richly textured, highly moving musical sojourn that takes the listener to “the land above the clouds.” From the first note of this magnificent journey into its stunningly rugged, mystical landscapes, you are there, climbing its m o u n t a i n s , awestruck in its palaces, tasting the rich variety of its peoples and cultures, breathing its essence into the depths of your soul.
The creation of two San Diego women, multi-instrumentalist Deborah Martin and world class harpist Cheryl Gallagher, Tibet is a unique, technically superb listening experience featuring electronics, samples, Tibetan and Taos drums, Carnac electric harp, ceremonial conch shell, bells, cymbals, subtle ethnic hand percussion, and sound environs.
I often have the experience of reviewing music I really like. Tibet goes way beyond that. Heidi and I played the first cut over and over before we could bear to leave it and move on to the second, and remained awestruck throughout the entire album.
—Chiwah
HOME - FEATURES - NEWS - FROM THE PUBLISHER
LETTERS - COLUMNS - MUSIC REVIEWS - BOOK REVIEWS
PLANETARY CYCLES - CALENDAR - ABOUT TLC - CONTACT US
CLASSIFIEDS - RESOURCE DIRECTORY
ARCHIVES - SUBSCRIBE - ADVERTISE - SEARCH