October 2008 Music Reviews
Live!; New Horizons; The Lost Dream
Live!
Multi-instrumentalist David Arkenstone, flutist Nicholas Gunn, Latin-style acoustic guitarist Johannes Linstead, and pianist Loren Gold, each a legend in his own right, team up live to take us on a musical journey across the far reaches of their individual instrumental landscapes. And on the last track they all team up together for a never-to-be-forgotten performance.
Recorded live in an intimate setting, this CD and DVD treat us not only to the brilliant musicianship of these four musical talents but also to their open-hearted verbal expression of what each piece means to them. Whereas I usually prefer music uninterrupted by words, in this case I found that their brief introductions served to open up my awareness, allowing me even greater enjoyment of the music.
Stunning. This music is ALIVE! Played from the heart, overflowing with genius — fifteen incredible tracks of exotic artistic innovation at its best, showcasing piano, keyboard, violin, flute, bass guitar, accordion, drum and percussion. Live! is one of the most amazing recordings I've ever heard.
—Chiwah
New Horizons
A variety of multi-instrumental pieces including guitar, mandolin and keyboards
By: Robin Miller; Millsong Music Publishing (ASCAP); 2007; $20.00 + S&H; www.robinmillermusic.com
New Horizons represents an exciting new direction for Robin Miller, widely known and loved for the angelic sounds that have emerged from his keyboards over the last twenty years and more.
Robin is a master at weaving his own spiritual awareness into his music, setting the stage for peaceful transcendence of earthbound concerns. On this recording, he ventures to offer us the gift of sounds created on mandolin and guitar as well, bringing the three types of stringed instruments together in a celebration of light and lift-off that is both timeless and transfixing.
A multidimensional individual, Robin Miller also writes and paints and has been conducting past life regressions for over twenty years. He reports having had his first experience of radiant beings as a young lad, an experience in which he was told he had a mission to accomplish here in this lifetime. I have to assume that the healing music he continues to innovate must be a big part of that mission. Danion Brinkley, international best-selling author of Saved by the Light and At Peace with the Light , has said, “Robin's music is the closet thing to what I heard in my near-death experience.”
This music is beautifully suited to creating a soothing ambiance for relaxation and healing sessions of all types. Robin Miller fans will appreciate his venturing in a new and delightful direction.
—Chiwah
The Lost Dream
Gray skies, a cold and bitter wind… hopes dashed, love gone wrong… will the sun ever show its face again?
The title cut, in first position on the CD, captures the sad and lonely feeling that comes when hopes dearly held are dashed. The track opens like lips parted for a kiss, only to meet the cold stare of a surprisingly estranged lover. It's a piece that touches a chord deep within that space where grieving happens.
Jamie Craig has an undeniable knack for creating evocative music that summons up a wide range of emotional responses. The Lost Dream is a sweet and moody mix, with a tinge of saxy smoothness tempered by a taste of light and airy fluting. Each piece contributes its own poignant instrumental message as the album gathers steam, right up to the last song, “Take the High Road,” which seems to hold out a ray of hope.
I'm a happy person by nature, and tend to prefer a more upbeat tone, but even I find this CD tantalizing and supremely listenable. Its complex instrumental layering attests to Jamie's mastery. A self-taught musician who began his musical career playing bass guitar, Jamie enjoys playing a wide variety of guitars and is also an accomplished pianist. He has been playing and composing music for more than 30 years. He composed, arranged, and played all of the instruments for The Lost Dream, and did the recording, mixing and production himself.
Melody, listening one can visualize gray skies, as the cold bitter wind blows and the snow falls in New York City. The CD ends on a brighter more hopeful note with, “Take the High Road.” The closing song takes a moody guitar score and runs with it. The amazing organ work slowly dissolves into some sweet strings as the song and CD end, leaving the listener saying, and “I understand.”
The Lost Dream is available at www.cdbaby.com/jamiecraig. We encourage you to go there and purchase or download the CD.
—Chiwah
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