May 2009 Music Reviews
East Wind; Watching for Rain
East Wind
East Wind can be heard as “a poetic metaphor for the winds of change blowing from the Far East, bringing with them new sensibilities, an influx of trade and seismic global power shifts.” The artist reports that he chose this title for his second album to reflect the influence of the people, culture, art and scenery of the Far East and the ancient mystery and power of the Orient.
I find Cooper's musical creations a breath of fresh air. His other album, Light on the Water (see TLC November, 2008), inspired by the events of 9/11, was basically an exploration into the interplay between the light and the dark, and East Wind , though less somber, also brings out both the tiptoe-light and the deeper elements of life.
The interplay here is different, however. The thirty original compositions on this CD start out sparse and simple; from there, they progress into selections light and delicate as drops of fountain spray—light flirting haiku-like with life, in short, tender breaths. Listen further, and you find yourself caressed by a gentle breeze; even further, and the wind blows across the land with the gentle but profound emotional power of “the tragedies of ancient cultures, come and gone.”
“I want to help our global society become more peaceful and harmonious, and one way to do that is to release gentle and positive music into the world,” Cooper explains.
“I… wanted to infuse the sound of an Asian wind into my piano playing
– how that mercurial wind sounds blowing through bamboo forests at night, whispering across green seas at dawn, howling over the Great Wall in winter, tangling with the open fires of the Orient to make them burn brighter, and moaning with people's sorrow and pain.”
Each of Cooper's CDs presents a complete tableau of distinct and unique pieces that nonetheless fit together to express a fully textured experience. Whether you look at this CD as exploring the edges of a new and better reality or as relaxing background to soothe your weary soul, I think you will find it inspiring. I know I do.
—Chiwah
Watching for Rain
Watching for Rain , Anne Trenning's third album, showcases her enormous talent for bringing her own original music together with classics of a variety of genres to create a memorable acoustic instrumental feast built around the piano.
The title reflects a tone of optimistic expectancy. “As our world continues to face the challenges of economy, war and the environment,” she explains, “we find ourselves looking toward new opportunities, for rain to come and refresh the earth… for growth and positive change to occur… for our world to enter a period of healing… We want to be part of a cleansing transformation – which is why I chose the analogy of rain.”
I felt immediately at home with the first cut, “The Ash Grove,” Trenning's arrangement of an old Celtic folk tune. In addition to ten original compositions, the CD also features the traditional spiritual “I Want To Be Ready,” the modern gospel “H. I. A. T. W.,” the Don Schlitz-Paul Overstreet country classic “When You Say Nothing At All” and a 37-second benediction-like coda of Bob Dylan's “I Shall Be Released.” And if you enjoyed the Celtic-spirited “Eden Hall” from her first recording, you'll want to hear the new arrangement on this album.
The artist's material stretches from majestic and dignified to poignant and spiritual. Calling on her personal experience of emotions ranging from joy to grief, she imbues her music with qualities she hopes will strike a resonant chord in the listener. “My compositions are often melodic portraits of challenges I have faced in my own life,” she says.
Trenning offers melodic landscapes delivered with an organic quality that derives from her love of nature, family, and local tradition. This is an album to please the creative traditionalist in you, to rock you in the cradle of home and hearth. Watching for Rain feels as good as it sounds.
—Chiwah
BACK TO TOPHOME - 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
