New Age Instrumental Review: Will Ackerman, Fiona Joy, Lawrence Blatt, Jeff Oster-FLOW

Release Date: October 6, 2017

Label: LMB Music

Website

Sit back and let the music FLOW. That statement could not be supported in a more creative way than on this recording. Four accomplished musicians got together to create something very special.

Will Ackerman, Fiona Joy, Lawrence Blatt and Jeff Oster, all well know names in the new age music industry, combined their skills and experience to produce 11 tracks of outstanding instrumental music. There are several other contributors as well to make this entire effort a reality.

I think what I enjoyed the most about listening to FLOW was how that title fit so well. This is eclectic and very tastefully done. Because of the blend of musicians contributing to this project you get a little bit of all of them, and the end result becomes greater than the sum of its parts. A team effort if you will, is what makes this music so different from track to track.

If it’s Will Ackerman or Tom Eaton’s guitar and the production values they bring to the table or Jeff Oster’s gorgeous trumpet or flugelhorn calling out for an answer, this music beckons you to partake in the experience.  And Tony Levin, the most incredible and diverse bass player on the planet, is on the recording. He has become the resident bass player at Imaginary Road Studios, and god knows how he does it with all his other projects and live appearances on his schedule. All of the people involved seem to be in an endless cycle of creativity that has blessed us all for several years now.

The beauty of FLOW is the fact that individuals that have perfected their own sound and created their own legacy and styles have compromised that individuality to become one unit.  This is a unit that has a spiritual connection and purpose that is undeniable.

If you listen, feel and absorb the FLOW, you will come to your own understanding of what was accomplished on this album. Let the river of sounds and textures take you away for a while, I can guarantee you will be back for a second trip down the stream.

Note: You can have the rare opportunity to see all of these artists together at Carnegie Hall on October 6^th! Tickets Here.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

September 12, 2017

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MuzikMan Productions

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Tracks: 
01. Arrival
02. Whisper Me This
03. Flow
04. Free Ascent
05. Waiting for Sunshine
06. Waters Gather
07. And the Sky Was
08. A Night In Nocelle
09. Tenth Life
10. Rest Now My Friend
11. For Rosita & Giovanni
 

New Age Instrumental Review: Fiona Joy - Into The Mist (Audiophile Edition-SACD)

Release Date: June 2, 2017

Label: Blue Coast Records

Website

Fiona Joy brings her magnificent solo piano work to the world once again. On her recent release and 10^th studio recording, Into The Mist, she reaffirms the status gained over the years. Fiona and her piano create some of the more prolific music an instrumental artist of her leanings could possible produce year after year.

This is a difference this time however, this is an SACD and special audiophile edition. It was recorded live to Direct Stream Digital 256 Quad DSD. Using the 1885 Steinway Piano, Fiona brings the listener closer to the live off the floor experience. It is referred to as a nearly holographic experience in the liner notes. I must agree with that assessment. It is a rarity to hear a new age instrumental album in this format and it certainly was an indulgence.

The thing about this recording is that the flow is seamless and seemingly effortless. Of course, anyone that truly appreciates how difficult it is to be a professional musician and create an album can look at the big picture. At least I have come to realize and appreciate that more with each passing year. One track invites the next and by the time it is done, and way too soon, it was like listening to one progressive composition.

So, with those thoughts in place it is not hard for me to garner great appreciation for solo artists such as Fiona Joy. What makes her art so pronounced and prolific is the fact that it is just her and the piano. It is like the merging of a soul with an inanimate object that suddenly comes to life. Her quintessential life force and spirituality shines brightly through the ivory keys. It becomes up close and personal in the SACD format, almost as if the artist is in the same room performing. These attributes make it so crystal clear in sound as well is the fact that it’s only the piano with no accompaniment or additional audio enhancements.

Into The Mist settles in and takes up all of your personal space in the most positive and enlightening way. This music is meant exactly for that - its vibrations, waves of colors and emotions that are interpreted through the fingers of one talented lady.

I cannot say too much more; this is a must have recording for anyone that appreciates new age instrumental music influenced by contemporary classical. It is a perfect 5/5 stars.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

June 24, 2017

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Tracks: 
01. A Walk in the Park
02. Moon over the Lotus Pond
03. Opus: Into the Mist, Pt. 1
04. Opus: Mist Rising, Pt. 2
05. Opus: Mist Before Dawn, Pt. 3
06. Through Cloud
07. Feeling Sunshine
08. Grey Sky Morning
09. Galloping
10. The Void
 

New Age Instrumental/Vocals Review: Fiona Joy-Signature-Synchronicity

Release Date: Mar 18, 2016

Label: Blue Coast Records

Website

Fiona Joy is an internationally renowned musician, known primarily for her angelic voice and ballet style performances. In her newest album, Signature Synchronicity, Joy blends modern day fairy tales into her wispy vocals and solo piano performances. The ten works on the album are all original pieces, some solo piano and others combined with vocals and hints of multi-instrumentation.

Contributing artists are: Borbala Bodonyi (vocal layers), Eugene Friesen (cello), James Englund (percussion), Jeff Haynes (percussion), Jeff Oster (flugelhorn), Marc Shulman (electric guitar), Nick Hawkins (beat-box), Noah Wilding (vocal layers), Paul Jarman (Irish whistle, tarogato), Premik Russell Tubbs (EWI), Rebecca Daniel (violin, soprano vocal layers), Tom Eaton (percussion, keyboard pads, NS bass, electric and bass guitars, Tony Levin (NS bass, electric bass) , Will Ackerman (acoustic guitar),  and of course Fiona Joy provided solo vocals, vocal layers, and her work on the James Englund Australian made Stuart & Sons piano. The album was produced by Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton (Tom also mixed the recording).

"Ceremony" is the first piece on the album, and it gasps to life with stunning piano sequences and breathy vocals. An easy beat floats along in the background, adding even more layers to this invigorating composition. Bold and electric, this is a song to give you courage as you stand before the masses, giving a presentation or even just finding the courage to deal with the challenges of the every day. Set to the backdrop of fairy tale splendor, this song is filled with grace and wonder.

"Grace" is done twice on the album, once with a straight out version and the other a chill version. The first bears more of a classical bearing, deliberate in its movements like a flower unfurling. The second is more electronic with a modern beat. They are both enthralling, but loving the flavor of the more classical pieces, I found myself falling for the first one. Hard. Vocals that whisper like angels sing of grace and it isn't difficult to imagine a scene with celestial beings with their faces turned to heaven, listening for the voice of God. Cello music slips in, giving the piece texture and resonance.

"Little Star" is the last song on the album. Tentative piano sequences play hide and seek like a night sky falling over the land, one small star flickering in the broad expanse of gathering dark. Tender spirals of sound drift up, the universe at play with the tiny being. Like a puppy learning to play, the star drifts along, finding its place in the vast, big world. Very simple and stark, this piece is thought provoking and elegant. 

Known in China as the Piano Angel, Fiona Joy is a force of nature. Will Ackerman founder of Windham Hill Records sees her as one of the top New Age performers of her time. She has her own studio, Little Hartley Music and a line of jewelry, which she wears while performing on stage. Signature-Synchronicity is a marvelous joint effort by a group of performers of the highest caliber, making this album one any classical or solo piano music lover should have in their collection. Fiona Joy is a musician to watch and she is very much on my list of must haves.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Ceremony, Grace, Little Star

Tracks: 
01.Ceremony
02.Grace
03.Fair Not   
04.Once Upon Impossible v
05.Calling Earth
06.Invisible Train   
07.Grace (Chill Version)
08.Signature
09.From the Mist 
10.Little Star
 

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

April 4, 2016

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Featured Track: Fiona Joy-Invisible Train

Fiona Joy has enjoyed tremendous success as a pianist and producer. She joins forces with renowned  producer/engineer Cookie Marenco for her first solo piano album, Signature – Solo, originally recorded in hi-resolution for the audiophile market and one track is presented here in MP3 format for the masses to enjoy.

"Invisible Train" is one of the tracks on the new release. The piano dances and swirls around you and it becomes easy to picture a sleek train rolling down the tracks of your mind. The key is that it's visible only to you, it is what the music can create for only you.

Fiona's fingers bring joy, wonder and the mystery of heaven all at the same time. One listen to "Invisible Train" and you know that she has once again created some magic!

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck Rating 5/5


More About Fiona Joy:

http://www.fionajoy.com

About the Album: Signature – Solo

With this new album, Fiona Joy explores the idea of maintaining magic in our lives, even when life itself gets in the way. Her wistful vocals and passionate piano sing to that small place in everyone’s heart, the place where fairytales linger, and where we find the strength to meet reality with grace. From the delicacy of “Little Star”, the complex rhythms of “'Ceremony”, the sophistication of the title track “Signature” to the deeply emotive solo version of “Grace”, Fiona's writing has been called a cross between George Winston's simple melodies and Ludovico Einaudi's musical sophistication. A solo piano album for the discerning listener, performed on an impeccably-refurbished Steinway from the 1800s and produced by Cookie Marenco for Tiny Island Music (a division of the Blue Coast Music Group).