Instrumental Jazz-New Age-Ambient Review: UMA-Wishing Well

Release Date: July 16, 2021

Label:  ‎ myndstream

Website: https://www.alekseisaks.com/uma/ 

http://robertjyrjendal.com

UMA are the project of two Estonian musician’s guitarist Robert Jürjendal and trumpet/corno da caccia player Aleksei Saks.

The duo came together at the beginning of 2007. The name UMA comes from the South Estonian Seto dialect and it means ‘own.’

The cover of Wishing Well, their latest release, gives a potential listener a soft and pleasing image before the music starts. Imagery is everything, particularly with instrumental music. Even though most listeners will see their own pictures in their mind’s eye, the soft blue color and singularity of the tree on a hill and its shadow on the ground brings you instant solace. The gentle guitar and horn are all these two gentlemen need to create a delectable array of sounds.

Now the idea from this point is to offer a selection of tracks to take that one image to the next step in the process. This is exactly what Robert and Aleksei do with the offering of 10 beautifully done tracks. The music has many elements that intersect including jazz, smooth jazz, new age, ambient, and all of them blended into each individual track. The combination is very effective and quite pleasant.

As you move from track to track the horn and guitar lead the way as well as the unique corno da caccia which is a piccolo horn. If you have any interest or particularly enjoy any of the genres that are part of this music, you will most definitely appreciate what you hear on Wishing Well.

This is duo is very skilled and precise in their presentation and the flow, overall sound, and engineering values of this recording are superb. Sometimes when you put on certain music, it is exactly what you need to hear. In this case that applied 100% for me on this listen. In fact, I would listen any time of day or evening because this is the kind of music I can appreciate. It is warm, inviting, and most of all, the enjoyment you can obtain from beginning to end is notable.

You can have your own private Wishing Well with a click or the push of a button. As all the wonders of modern technology merge with exceptional musicians, the chances of creating something special are always possible. In this case, it became a reality and I am glad I had the opportunity to discover and enjoy all the amazing music on this recording.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder
July 19, 2021

Tracks:
01. Wishing Well
02. Old Diaries
03. Pilgrim’s Path
04. Lightness of the Soul 3
05. Petite Ouverture à Danser
06. Lost A Dream
07. Longing
08. My Days
09. Deep Sea
10. Beyond Skylin

THE FINAL ON VINYL PODCAST: Interview With Todd Mosby - New Age, Jazz, Instrumental Artist

Contemporary/New Age/ Instrumental-Jazz Review: Shambhu-Soothe

Release Date: February 1, 2017

Label: Acoustic Shine

Website

Shambhu has a new recording arriving on the first day of 2017 titled Soothe.  For this listener, I think it is a great way to kick off the beginning of another day of life that quickly turns into another in the books.

Soothe most certainly lives up to the title. Shambhu takes parts of jazz, new age and contemporary music and stirs the pot until it is simmering with the most wonderful aroma. He creates a mood of calm that is initiated then sustained throughout the recording.

Soothe features many instruments including electric and acoustic guitars, acoustic primarily, percussion, English horn and soprano sax, keyboards, the incredibly talented Michael Manring on bass and a host of other very talented contributors that make this album everything it could possibly be.

The more I listen to a fully realized recording like this it makes me think that mentioning some key tracks is the wrong road to take. Looking at this album as one continuous thought flow and creative process is the best way to enjoy it. If you are writing a review or just kicking back for a listen, I feel it needs to be processed as such (but as I do most of the time will mention a few “key” tracks).

The acoustic guitar is the focus on Soothe then everything else that joins in just lifts that instrument to new levels and that includes some lovely vocals provided by Kristin Hoffmann.  “Gaia Sweet Divine” is a blend of new age or spiritually oriented music wrapped as a special gift for those who are centered and connected with some higher power other than themselves. If you want to hear something that aligns your soul (or chakras which is one in the same in my world) with the heavens above this track would be it. 

The title track brings the recording to an apex of satisfaction with more positive energy that flows like a river through your ears to your inner being with ease and purpose. The entire recording felt that way to me. 

The jazz elements are very important to the fabric that weaves the cloth of this album together. It is like the quiet storm meets its spiritual brother and they merge and explode into a burst of light and energy and take you away. It is the ideal way to let music consume you and Soothe you.

5/5 Angels for the Holidays and Your New Year!

Key Tracks: Gaia Sweet Divine, Soothe

Tracks: 
1. Knowingness
2. Time Travel   
3. Days Like Falling Stars
4. Devotion Tears
5. Prelude 2   
6. Through New Eyes
7. Gaia Sweet Divine 05:08   
8. Soothe   
9. Walking Through a Dream
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

December 11, 2016

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MuzikMan Productions

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New Age Instrumental Review: Karen Olson- A Hero’s Journey

Release Date: August 28, 2016

Label: Innerview Records

Website

Karen Olson has released a new album titled A Hero’s Journey. Most recently I featured a select track on my Rate The Tracks site. “Inner Wanderings” was the stream provided. And that served as a taste of what was available on the full recording. The track suggests the human condition and what we find when we look inside for the truth. 

The main instrument is the viola throughout this extraordinary recording. Admittedly, featuring a stringed instrument as the lead would be and is most difficult. Ms. Olson accomplishes this with a distinctness and quality that is exemplary. High praise goes to her collaborator Crispin Barrymore as well for helping to make this project what it evolved into.

I particularly enjoyed the use of the layers of keyboards to accentuate and put an exclamation point on her musicianship.

My three favorite tracks came in succession “Life Force,” “Inner Wanderings,” and "Heaven’s Gate.” They seemed intrinsically linked to each other and the titles certainly got my attention. This music serves the listener well as it is meant to. It is soothing, contemplative with a hint of sadness and then there is hope and a shining bright light at the end of the musical tunnel. Karen Olson has a multitude of talents that she brings to bear. It is all on display on 11 tracks that are presented here.

This can be your journey or A Hero’s Journey. Whatever the music can provide you at any time day or night, it has the power to do so. With such clarity and command Karen Olson brings her music to you with grace and the knowledge of an enlightened spirit willing to share her own glimpse of heaven.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Inner Wanderings, Heaven’s Gate, Life Force


Tracks:
 01. Horizon's Calling
02 Life's Persuasions
03. Promising Hope
04. Still Crying
05. Dream Quest
06. Facing Fear
07. Going Beyond
08. Life Force
09. Inner Wanderings
10. Heaven's Gates
11. Epilogue
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

November 23, 2016

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MuzikMan Productions

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Instrumental New Age/Ambient Review: Tom Eaton-Abendromen

Release Date: February 8, 2016

Label: Riverwide Records

Website

Abendromen is Tom Eaton’s latest release. The title comes from the Dutch. It is actually two words combined, "Abend" is evening and "Dromen" is dreams. Tom is a very busy producer collaborating constantly with Will Ackerman in his Imaginary Road Studios to help New Age artists find their sound. Somehow he found the time in December 2015 and January 2016 to get this recording completed.

This is an album about dreaming and the different forms it can take on a daily basis. Some sweep you away from reality and some become reality. Listen to the music and create your dreams.

Tom composed, mixed, mastered, engineered and produced the recording using textural electric guitars, fretted and fretless basses, synthesizers and piano miniatures. All the piano, keyboards, guitars, basses and percussion where played by the artist making this a true “solo” work.

The ever important opening track draws the curtain back and sets the tone for any recording. And Tom introduces his style of music perfectly by easing you into his world with “Sunday-Slow Rotations.” It is atmospheric and features ambient textures with keyboards floating on top, promoting the traditional day of rest. It is the face of magnificence and elegance found in music all packaged in one track. The elements of new age and classical are injected with some ambient chill to make for delectable treat for the senses. 

Oddly enough “Monday-Midwinter” is exactly where we are at in the northeast. Usually every year we have those nightmare days with the weather but it has been a winter only imagined by those hoping for warming temperatures and a lot less snow and ice. That dream came true. 

“Tuesday-The Compass” is one of my preferred tracks. It reminded me of some of my favorite artists over the years like Tangerine Dream (Le Parc). The dreamy floating on cloud effect is there except the pace picks up a bit more right at the start. There is lovely melody weaved into the fabric of this track. It has inspired me to start listening to some of my favorite music again that I have not heard in so long. Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre and Mike Oldfield come to mind right away. The compass showed me the way.

I think the one track I could relate to most was “Friday-Patience.” The saying T.G.I.F. comes to mind and how you need to be patient and work your way through the day looking forward to the weekend to do what you really desire. It does require patience to make it through to Friday each week, some weeks require more than others. That is how the title hit me and the music felt right as well. The pace is even and peaceful while carrying the hope of a new day right around the corner.

I knew Tom Eaton was an incredibly talented producer and now I know for certain that the music is in every molecule of his being. With Abendromen his gives proof positive that his fingers hold the key to capturing the imagination of an audience in desperate need of unwinding and appreciating a relaxing atmosphere to decompress. It worked for me. 

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Monday-Slow Rotations, Friday-Patience, Tuesday-The Compass

Tracks:
01. Sunday: Slow Rotations
02. Monday: Midwinter
03. Tuesday: The Compass
04. Wednesday: In Stillness
05. Thursday: For Orion
06. Friday: Patience
07. Saturday: Long Lonely Light

Bonus Tracks:
08. Wednesday Night
09. The Eighth Day
10. Saturday Night
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder

February 27, 2016

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Instrumental/New Age/Classical Review: Tim Neumark-Galaxy-Solo Piano, Op.6

Release Date: May 1, 2015

Label: Indie

Website

Tim Neumark’s sixth release Galaxy-Solo Piano, Op.6 came out this May. The solo piano works of this talented musician are starting to stack up and it is most impressive. This is the second album I have had the pleasure to enjoy since the 2014 recording Storm.

Most recently we featured the beautiful track “Starlight” on Rate The Tracks. This would serve as an excellent introduction to this album and a fine way to pull you into the entire project.

  

This is very straight forward solo piano music that consist of parts new age and classical while doubling as a meditation guide or relaxation tool. Everyone needs to retreat from a hard day of work and let all of the stress and worrying role off your back and melt away. I wish I could just carry this calm and assuring feeling with me everywhere I went and with everything I do. When I hear music like this it provides a course to take and then I have the hope that I can attain that state of being.

The idea here is clear, one look at the cover of the CD and you get. Neumark calls this an Opus and indeed it is. The more I listen to each track as they flow into each other like a river with a purpose; you can understand why he calls it an Opus. “Orbit” illustrates this in the most profound way as it takes the listener from baby steps into the vastness of space to take a trip around the globe. In a musical sense that is exactly what it conveys and becomes. The progressions of his playing are nearly 5 minutes. Its beauty and pureness transcends anything that gets in the way whether it be a busy mind or unhealthy thoughts, the music prevails.

“The Inner Light” is another tapestry of delicate sounds and movement…like the stars, planets and vast galaxies in the universe. Your inner light will come shining through and you will be taking the voyage with Neumark through his fingers to the piano and directly to your soul, like a musical umbilical cord it connects you and feeds you as you grow in the womb of the music. 

I always connect the stars and the endless universe with birth and life itself - stardust we are indeed. I once had an experience on a birthday the year after my mother died that solidified this belief. I woke up and heard my mom say my entire name then I fell half asleep and felt a silver umbilical cord connecting me to the universe beyond. I know this sounds a little far-fetched for some folks but this really did happen to me and I will never forget it. 

The music on Galaxy-Solo Piano, Op.6 allowed me to remember that spiritual experience that changed me forever. Thank you Tim Neumark for seeing the beauty beyond humanity and how intrinsically connected we are to the stars. Bringing it to us through your music is a beautiful thing.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Starlight, Orbit, The Inner Light

Tracks:
01. Preludio
02. Starlight
03. Orbit
04. Perspective
05. Vast
06. Traveling Music
07. The Inner Light
08. Tapestry
09. Sweet Little Evening Melody
10. Night
11. Time's Arrow
12. What You Leave Behind
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder

December 13, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age Instrumental/Classical Review: Angelo Râpan-Songs of Leaving

Release Date: August 2105

Label: Indie

Website

Angelo Râpan has created a beautifully composed album titled Songs of Leaving. My introduction to this finely crafted recording was the track “Remember” which was featured on our Rate The Tracks site.

I was moved by this music, it hit me square in the heart. I thought about the title of the album then the tone and atmosphere of every track. If you listen carefully, the pace of each song can relate to something or someone leaving. Whether it be walking at a brisk pace or slowly turning back with a tear in one’s eye, or just cruising down a highway with a view of the coast …There is a song for each mood and place in time.

Angelo transfers his heart and soul through his incredibly talented fingers then creates music with the piano that is simply amazing. For the most part it is just the piano however you will hear a few different instruments peppered here and there such as the violin which can be an excellent companion of the piano. You will hear new age instrumental and classical influences coming through at every turn, and it is a wonderful mixture of sound and textures.

Once again I find myself at a loss to single out any one track that stands out above the rest as the entire album is superb from start to finish. The reason I say this is because each track seamlessly flows into the next. What this artist accomplishes within 8 tracks is like a moving musical storybook. Even though each one is different it ties into the next like a patchwork quilt with many colors and distinct purpose.

If you are in the mood for some soothing instrumental music to take the edge off and have the ability to really take stock of your inner most feelings and thoughts, Songs of Leaving will be the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps what it all means is that you can leave whatever it is that is preoccupying you behind and totally immerse yourself in this music. Whatever meaning you find in this music will certainly take you in a positive direction. It is worth several listens and I would be willing to bet will become one of your favorite instrumental albums to relax to this year.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

September 26, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age Instrumental Feature: Ryan Stewart-Under The Willow

With Ryan Stewart's new album One Journey there are many others wrapped up inside. Upon closer inspection of the word One you find so much more. The many things that are important to us and make life worth living.

"Under The Willow" is but one chapter in that book of life. The beautiful music formulated with piano and the addition of simply angelic vocals will bring you peace and instant contentment.

The visuals in the video are a good depiction of what the music is trying to say.

Sit back and listen to this slice of heaven now! 

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck 5/5

More About Ryan Stewart

http://www.ryanstewartmusic.com

Ryan Stewart’s passion is music. He has come a long way from the child who was expected to practice the piano before playing with friends, or the teenager who spent his lunch hour playing the piano on the stage at his local high school. Stewart has now fulfilled a third album release “One Journey”, a collection of 13 original compositions ranging from piano solos to fully painted orchestral works.

Raised in Salt Lake City, Stewart says his mother is his inspiration. A classically trained pianist herself, she wanted to share her love of music with her children. Sadly, she passed away from breast cancer when he was just 13. Stewart says this was a poignant moment in his life and he realized the gift she had given to him. He said, “As a teenager I missed her and I would sit at the piano and play and think about her.” His father encouraged him to continue to pursuing his talent.

After graduating from high school, Stewart was awarded a full-ride scholarship in music to the University of Utah. He perfected his piano skills as he studied, played and taught piano lessons. He especially enjoyed teaching students with an affinity for composition and song writing. Although Stewart eventually left the music department and pursued a career in computers, he never lost his desire to compose and play the instrument he loves. Today, his spare time is spent with music, and his passion has become something his wife, Cindy, and their two daughters cherish when spending time together..

Ryan’s greatest ambition is to combine his love of computers with music to create compositions for the entertainment industry, particularly in film. He has a gift for orchestrating just about anything, beginning with a concerto he wrote at the age of 17. He has composed and arranged music for film documentaries, Cellist Stephen S. Nelson (The Piano Guys), Paul Cardall, Facebook, several dance studios, and several others.

New Age Instrumental Review: Lawrence Blatt-Emergence

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Label: Independent

Website

Produced by Will Ackerman of the incomparable Imaginary Road Studios and written by Lawrence Blatt, Emergence is an album that will keep you company for many long hours. It is an album filled with images of the natural world in all of its wonder. Patterns. Diverse and seemingly simple, they can create masterpieces of form and function. Such is the case with Emergence. Artists involved in this project are: Lawrence Blatt (guitar, accordion, mandolin), Charlie Bisharat (violin), Lila Skylar (viola, violin), Eugene Friesen (cello), Sam Bevan (double bass), Jill Haley (English horn) and Richard “Gus” Sebring (French horn).

“Emergence” is the title track to the album. It features violin and guitar movements that evoke images of a new seedling bursting forth from the cocoon of mother earth. The trembling growth of a frail tulip as it stands straighter each day and turns its face to the light. One day at a time it grows stronger until it stands tall away from the green stems and leaves, bursting into burgeoning crimson glory. Violin and guitar dance as the repeating majesty of life and finally death and renewal comes again and again. Beauty. Grace. Life.

“Gar Du Nord” is the third piece on the album and it struck me utterly when first I heard it. Double bass, cello, viola, violin and guitar twist and undulate in chord progression and scale theory to craft a spiral of thought provoking effervescence. 

“Poloyne” is a pulse pounding dance that could be the background to a well-crafted romantic drama. Eyes meet across the room. Hands join as two flames connect on the ball room floor. Sweeping movements bent on seduction win the increasingly rapid beating heart as the tempo increases. Violin and guitar create passion with flamenco influences. A powerful piece filled with evocative imagery.

“Green Corn” is the last piece on the album and has a combination of French horn, guitar and violin. Truly artful, this is a tale that unwinds into wide open spaces and the freedom of land and prosperity. Jaunty and full of life, this track is as regal as it is masterful. The American Dream of land, independence and prosperity. This is our land. Green corn and fields of plenty…

Lawrence Blatt has succeeded in comforting the savage beasts in my household. Even as the thunderstorm rages outside, the soothing tones of Emergence have brought the canine residents of my abode into happy slumber. (Thank goodness for small miracles!) The exploration of patterns and progression of chords has truly crafted each work into a snowflake like accomplishment. I find it amazing that no written music was given to individual performers, letting them rely on music theory and the talents that come from deep within. This is a project all the participants should be very proud of and is one that will be in my collection for a very long time to come. 

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Emergence, Gar Du Nord, Poloyne, Green Corn

Tracks:
01. A Promise in the Woods
02. Emergence
03. Gar Du Nord
04. Walking Among Tulips
05. Passing Up Bridges
06. Entering the East Gate
07. The Place Where Monarchs Go
08. Poloyne
09. Where the Pines Once Stood
10. Say Hello Again
11. Illuminations
12. Green Corn

DanaWright, Sr. Staff Writer

December 19, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews