This Month's CD's
Perfect Hearts
Passion at the piano is one of the hallmarks of Vince Madison's performances. And the passion swirls through on every cut on Perfect Hearts, rising and falling, igniting its counterpart in us.
“Some new age pianists might choose to just sit there and play,” Madison says, “but I really put my heart and soul into everything. To... see people falling in love with my music is a wonderful feeling. I couldn't ask for more.”
These ultramodern piano compositions will stir your imagination. Madison composed every song on the album, with Marianna Madison collaborating on three of them and on the arrangement of the entire album.
The title cut, with Hannah Alkire accompanying on cello, celebrates the perfection of the heart of all mankind.
“In day-to-day life, people aren't perfect... but in their hearts they are,” Madison asserts.
A Colorado native, Madison is a graduate of the Lamont School of Music and studied under Julliard instructor Bertha Melnik. He has contributed to numerous R&B albums, created a special concert “Life Matters” to inspire young people, and created a number of compelling original works for solo piano and piano with instrumental background.
Carry My Love
Dedicated to the late Wallace Black Elk, Carry My Love is one CD that does justice to its name: with courage and candor, it steps up to carry the all-encompassing love of Iza (Elizabeth St. John), a woman of Native American descent, for life, for her people, for Great Spirit in all its many forms.
Iza's original lyrics are brilliant, and her vocal range and power are endless. This CD is purely her songs, her way. From the first note, the music exudes confidence and spirituality. Soaring and dipping, full and throaty to bright and lilting, her voice is one of the most fluid and versatile I've come across. Sophisticated and sexy one minute, angelic and innocent the next.
In this CD, Elizabeth brings together traditional Apache and Lakota prayers and songs with songs she has written with a more contemporary beat, instrumentation, and vocal characteristics.
“Our Prayer” is a prayer in Apache and English, written by medicine woman Maria Yraceburu and set to music by Iza. “Pedestals” tells a story many of us will recognize from our own lives. “In Our Name” protests lamentable actions taken by our government “in our name... and with our money.” “Changing Mother” (lyrics by Maria Yraceburu; Iza has gifted this cut to Puddha, the spiritual/psychic cat) celebrates the energies of nature.
Iza sings and writes songs the way she lives, confident in her talent but still searching, still striving to understand. She sings about what matters to her—how to live life in the 21st century and still hang on to your soul. She covers a lot of ground lyrically, in full command of blues, gospel, ballads, jazz, prayers, and even rap.
But most of all she is deeply, spiritually wise. —Chiwah, with input from Nancy Wiesinger
Harbor Nights
Anyone for a little off-season vacation to Africa and the Caribbean?
Harbor Nights evokes the many moods of an island seashore retreat, smoothly flowing melodies mingling with exotic rhythms that refresh like a tropical breeze.
Mbandi's first two albums, Fingerprints (2002) and A New Beginning (2003) both featured relaxing tunes from his signature Steinway Concert Grand Piano. On Harbor Nights, Mbandi stretches himself artistically by adding uplifting rhythms from his African homeland and debuting a vocal love song, “Could It Be.” The decidedly neon midnight feel to the dark moody ambience of “Let's Dance” brings to mind the music of Jan Hammer, Barry Cleveland, or Peter Baumann (with a unique African twist). The title track deepens this experience with its sharp, almost clipped piano delivery and sheer ambient textures. “Tribal Dance” is minimalist bass rhythm under shimmering textures that whisk you away to sunny shores and warm, deep blue waters. “Dear Mother” bridges classical with contemporary, conveying tender nostalgia and sweet yearning without becoming overly sentimental. The rich layers of strings of “The Forgotten Child” enhance a delicately sweet and emotionally deep piano melody.
Mbandi was born in a town called Limbe (formerly Victoria) on the west coast of Cameroon in West Africa, and grew up listening to Bob Marley, South African songstress Yvonne Chacka Chacka, Phil Collins, and Meiway (from the Ivory Coast). Although introduced to piano at an early age and offered classical music lessons, he gravitated to popular music and decided to forego formal training and teach himself how to play and compose original music. He composed his first song at age 15, the year he left for college in Pennsylvania, and has composed nearly a hundred songs since then.
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