New Age Music Reviews: Instrumental Reviews

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Instrumental Ambient Electronic Review and Interview: Hollan Holmes-Sacred Places

Release Date: January 12, 2023

Label: ‎ Spotted Peccary Music

Sacred Places, the third release by Hollan Holmes on Spotted Peccary Music, encompasses eleven geographic

illustrations, each inspired by Holmes's travels to different locales of deep personal significance. It should be an exciting journey with that kind of inspiration behind the music.

Using variable hardware and software, Hollan creates the soundscapes in his mind and then moves them to music.

"Order Out Of Chaos" starts this incredible journey of sound. Right from the start, the track builds into crescendos of electronic grace and power. I found that combination colorful and refreshing. Its pure energy, set to musical emotion and movements, engaged me from start to finish.

"Temples Of Stone" conjures many images before the music starts: the pyramids, Stonehenge, Machu Pichu, all of that comes to mind, and the absolute wonder and possibilities of it so many thousands of years ago. The music starts, and those images become more apparent as the music enhances your sensory perception. The music is anticipatory, imaginative, and filled with the power of the past. The layers of sound merge to transport you, and as you near the end, the sounds mellow and start to fade away like you are in a dream state.

"Bristlecone" is ambient and delightfully airy and light. Picture a perfect white cloud moving slowly across the sky, and you are lying on it along for the ride. As the sounds increase in intensity, so does your ride as you pass over mountain ranges, bodies of water, and lush fields of grass and vegetation. It is music to create your own story with, and you go with whatever comes to mind first and get lost in the music. Beauty and elegance are all wrapped up nicely in one track.

"Drawn To An Intangible Energy" is thought-provoking as you listen. Are you drawn to what the music and energy of the sounds created? Is it intangible, as the title suggests? Only you, the listener, can decide what is doing for you or where it just took you. The energy that is intangible to me is something esoteric or spiritual; you hear it, recognize it, acknowledge it, yet where does it come from? The music is so engaging that you cannot help but think about being prompted by the track's title and exploring your thoughts. Music with so many layers and colors splattered on the canvas of your mind serves a purpose.

All of those tracks are examples of the imagery and consciousness music can create for a listener willing to hear everything happening in the music. When you are on the fifth track, you wonder what will be different; you will find it is quite a change from the previous track. And this happens consistently throughout. Those first four tracks hit home for me and implanted me into the experience so that I could enjoy the following tracks. The initial impact is significant when listening to a recording, and to have to continue in such a profound way with four consecutive tracks is impressive.

Some folks find instrumental music for use with the background or just daydreaming. The opposite is true for recordings like this; they engage my brain and thought process. For my listening pleasure, this is prolific and meaningful. It excites and ignites my senses and has me thinking of what the track titles mean and what the artist is trying to project to me. In a sense, the artist's story becomes my own, which is an attractive transformation as far as I am concerned.

It would be easy to make an album with very similar formats and sounds with this genre of electronic and ambient styles and lose a listener rather quickly. That never happened on the eleven tracks offered on Sacred Places. As it turns out, they are as varied as all the places the artist visited, which was the stimulus for this recording.

Fans of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, etc.- yes, that is me- will love this recording. It is intimate, beautiful, diverse, and, most of all, so creative and ambitious. Sacred Places will be a regular listening experience for people who appreciate this music. On the other hand, for those who love it, you will be very pleased.

Hollan Holmes has created an electronic ambient classic with Sacred Places.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder

January 25, 2024

Tracks:

01. Order Out Of Chaos 6:06

02. Temples Of Stone 7:20

03. Bristlecone 5:19

04. Drawn To An Intangible Energy 6:37

05. An Elevated Life 5:53

06. Hallowed Ground 5:02

07. Walking Among Kings 7:11

08. The Divine Connection 6:39

09. Primal Instinct 7:56

10. A Light Unto The World 7:10

11. Sacred Places 6:06

Classical/World/ New Age Instrumental Review: Kim Angelis-Passages

Release Date: January 15, 2020

Label: Cantocielo Music

Website

Kim Angelis has recorded a lot of music over the years. Her most recent effort is Passages. As indicated in her bio on her website, her foundation in classical music is readily apparent. What comes after that foundation is amazing!

Passages has some incredible virtuoso violin playing. What you will witness is an aural explosion of colors and sound. This a woman taking that classical foundation to new heights of progressive improvisation and turning into a fascinating gypsy-inspired sound with all kinds of elements mixed in for an original sound.

The recording has nine tracks that come at you one after another, full speed ahead. If you have enjoyed other violin artists such as Jean Luc-Ponty and David Ragsdale etc., you will find great joy in this album. I know that great players go back to the days of Bach, so perhaps that is where this talented lady first received the gift of inspiration and creativity that brought her to this place she is in now.

The very first track just blew me away to be perfectly honest. “Lavender Farm” sounds like it should be a soft and gentle introduction to this music that unfolds before you. Well, do not read into that title, this track has plenty of high-level energy and cultural magnificence driving it along. The farm she dedicated the track to is a real place in IIwaco Washington, which is a garden of delights according to track notes included with the fold-out CD cover. I did add it to my New Age Music Reviews Spotify Playlist without a second thought. It is the second-longest track clocking in at 7:51. “The Promise,” another full-fledged classic instrumental track, finishes at 9:19.

How many instrumental violin tracks have you heard that had consistency and grabbed your attention for that long? There are not many that can do that, the previously mentioned Ponty, could do it for me, but then again, I am far from being a violin expert or one that listens to a lot of this type of music presented this way. I do believe I am missing out on an awful lot, and I am sure there is more out there that is similar but will it be this good?

“Lost and Found” illustrates that moving and danceable gypsy sound that I find alluring. It is more than just a casual listen. There are other players involved in all this music that help to heighten the lead violin sound. There is the quintessential percussion, bass, classical harp, flute, clarinet, and kalimba (which is a thumb piano) that populate the various textures and sounds in every track. It all comes together stunningly, like the magic of a gypsy spell, it sweeps you away like a warm wave of heat coming off a campfire blazing long into the night. The warmth permeates your senses, you feel it, smell it, and breathe it in, the music comes alive, and fills you up with all of its vibrations and sounds.

These Passages of time wrapped up in these nine fantastic tracks will convince you that the violin can indeed be a lead instrument if played with as much robustness and talent as one Kim Angelis.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
February 6, 2020

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

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Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks:
1. Lavender Farm
2. Sweet Botswana
3. Wait Until Summer
4. The Promise
5. Eagles
6. Lost and Found
7. Longing
8. Tango de Paco
9. Sequoias (Resurrected)

Contemporary Instrumental Review: Holland Phillips - Leaning Toward Home

Release Date: September 21, 2018

Label: Ageless Records

Website

My experience with the music of Holland Phillips is Circles of 8 and then I went on another journey with Under a Second Moon. Now another year has already passed and Leaning Toward Home will be arriving within a matter of days.

I get off easy calling Holland’s music contemporary instrumental. It is hard to define so that is the best tag to put on it. It is a fusion of sounds. You can call it whatever you want but I do highly recommend giving it all a good listen.

All the music was composed and performed by Holland. The man is a magician on the keyboards and he generates enough instrumentation to sound like an entire band on this recording.

I like being challenged with music, in a sense that it makes me think, it allows me my own space inside my head and in my soul. That is the complete circle for this listener. It takes a special kind of music to allow that to happen. Holland could not have said it better when he referred to this production as magic. To me, that is the beauty and perfection of music, more importantly, instrumental music that has the ability to sweep you away to an altered consciousness, a better state of mind, body, and spirit.

The title track said it all for me. It has that magical and mystical atmosphere that takes you right in and hangs on until the track fades away. There are so many sounds, consistencies, and bright colors to be discovered on “Leaning Toward Home.” In fact, the entire recording offers so much diversity in sound that each track brings another feeling and atmosphere to light, it is like watching an ever-changing colorful lava lamp except this is translated to sounds, vibrations, something that is more meaningful and spiritual.

I think what Holland Phillips wants more than anything is for you, the listener, to discover the magic that he did in the music. Your realizations that are found inside the music can be joyous, revealing and mind-expanding. It is what you make it, the choice is yours.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

September 11, 2018

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

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Review Provided By MuzikMan Music Reviews & News

Tracks:
01. Prelude to a Dance
02. Before the Epilogue
03. Roadside Brew
04. Time Travels
05. A Sip of Potion
06. Moving Forward
07. Leaning Toward Home
08. Full Circle
09. Surprising Turns
10. Along the Way
11. Bedtime Stories

New Age-Classical Review: Christine Brown-Ascend

Release Date: October 1, 2017

Label: Key Image Music

Website

It has been 4 years since I had the opportunity to enjoy writing about a Christine Brown recording. I covered Souvenirs in 2014. Looking back into the archives I see that I was ill at the time of my first listening experience and her music helped me get in a positive frame of mind and get well again.

Ascend was released in October of 2017, which now seems ions away with the warm weather upon us in May. As people find ascension in life it can come in many different forms, and it also can be disguised as something else that is happening. Even the definition of the word can take different forms such as to move upward, to slope upward, or to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain.

I think in this case those definitions can apply to all fourteen tracks offered on the recording. The beauty and simplicity of solo piano music is something special. I look at it as an uplifting and pure representation of an instrument. The ivory keys in the right hands can bring heaven to earth and peace to one’s soul. I realize that is a prolific statement to make about music however that is the way I truly feel.

Ascend had a positive effect on me. The nerve impulses to my brain engaged my thought process and released all of those good endorphins. I liked the way Christine explained the process of making the album. She stated in one passage in a sentence in the liner notes “Creating music is a beautiful and evolving process. Each piece develops through many stages, slowly transforming until each song is ready to be released, just like the life cycle of a butterfly, until it finally emerges from the chrysalis.”

That is a brilliant comparison to one of the miracles of nature. This is an accurate statement to make, in my opinion, about the birth of a track from start to finish. I have always looked at the creation of each track as a bit of a miracle, and those that are able to create on such a level are the blessed that walk this great planet of ours.

If you want to Ascend from daily life, relax, absorb, reflect and heal, music can get you there, just let it take you. Christine Brown will gently push you there if you cannot just fall into it and be swept away like some fortunate listeners. This is a journey and one that can be therapeutic in several ways. Ascending from self, sidestepping the ego of our humanity, and letting the music take over is the best choice you can make. Look what happened when Christine let the music flow through her fingers…

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

May 14, 2018

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

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Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks:
01. Ascend
02. Love’s Legacy
03. Magic Carpet
04. Gravity
05. Closer
06. Forest for the Trees
07. Ivory Wings
08. Lotus Breeze
09. Floating Colors
10. Soar
11. Cherish
12. The Departure
13. Amethyst Sky
14. Safe and Sound

Instrumental New Age Chill Review: 7and5-The Lost Voice

Release Date: March 30, 2018

Label: Independent

Website

The name 7and5 (John Nixon) came from the fact that all musical notes can be expressed within an octave on a piano as 7 white keys and 5 black keys. That is the explanation I received from John Nixon over 3 years ago when I covered his album Themes For A Grey Day.

So, you probably got the hint that 7and5 is a keyboard player. Well, now you know if you didn’t. So, one day after its release I am listening to The Lost Voice. Now I remember why I enjoyed his music so much.

I got one step “Closer to Heaven,” with the atmospheric and intriguing opening track. I think we all get closer to the heavens when we let the music do all the work. For 7and5 it has been a musical evolution since the beginning when his first release In A Moments Time came out in 2006.

7and5 is a clever composer and musician. It is not always the easiest thing taking highly technical music and giving it rhythm and purpose. That is exactly what he does on The Lost Voice. The cover is very interesting and thought-provoking, which is yet another aspect of artistry that I appreciate. Some artist will tell that there is no meaning to the cover on the CD and say “I thought it was a cool picture.” I do not think that is the case here.

What you see is a pure white phone on what appears to be on the white sand of a beach. The main message here is the cord connecting the phone has no end to it. There is a voice, it is connected but for now, it is just lost. Perhaps the music will elevate the voice’s purpose so it finds its way home? Are the cords end at the beginning of the water's edge or at the skyline? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe the answer is that we are all connected to Mother Nature and the significance of the cord leads back to the ocean from whence all life came from. Are we a lost human race looking for our way home?

Ok, that is a lot of thought about one picture, I know. That is positive proof that images can be powerful and when you combine images and sound you can find your way home. You find your “Presence” is necessary to receive the messages inside the music. That makes sense to me because I let the music envelop me, which allows relaxation and complete freedom of thought and expression. That is what the listening “experience” is for me. It is different for everyone.

I know one thing for sure, The Lost Voice is a very good album. Once again, this kind of music reminded of some of my favorite ambient and atmospheric bands like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. The elements of simplicity with the piano combined with the synths and computer-generated sounds is like the meeting of the best of both worlds. It takes vision and intelligence to stand alone and create music like this. It all flows together from one track to the next like our brain synapses growing with each thought. The more you use it the stronger and more useful it becomes.

4/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

March 31, 2018

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

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Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks:
01. Closer to Heaven
02. Life at Once
03. Father
04. Mi Deh Yah
05. Glistening
06. Blue Flame
07. Open Up
08. Presence
09. Winter Frost
10. Heart to Heart
11. Man Plans, God Laughs
12. Distant Memory
13. Wavecrest
14. Epilogue

New Age/Jazz Instrumental Review: Joseph L. Young-Every Moment

Release Date: March 29, 2018

Label: Independent

Website

It has been a few years since I covered Joseph L. Young’s Ethereum album. The focus on that album was the flute, now we have the arrival of Every Moment at the end of March. This time around there is a focus more on the saxophone, however, the flute is mixed in as well.

The many layers of instrumentation make the 12 tracks on this CD a delightful journey for the listener. I appreciated the mixture of all the instruments. The use of the synthesizer layered between the sax is brilliant. The atmospheres are a combination of new age and smooth jazz. I love that combination and most certainly would like to hear more. The variety is what draws me and keeps me interested.

When I looked at all of the influences of this artist it was a clarification of why I enjoy his music so much. Many of the artists mentioned, were some that provided an introduction to jazz and new age music for me as well.

Being pleased with a recording is acceptance. It is the first level of listening. I do not think you can go anywhere with the music unless you find commonality with it. For me, this was easy listening to Joseph’s offerings. The first thing is how you are stimulated by is the cover, which has many different meanings. It is placed before you to decide where you want it to take you. If Every Moment was precious to you and you felt grateful to be alive, don’t you think that your existence here on this earth would be more rewarding? So maybe this is what the artist is trying to say on the cover of the CD and in his music.

I think the cover is a work of art and the music that follows is as well. Elements of world, Native American, jazz, new age, and chill are all part of the package on Every Moment. This album was a nice change from what I normally hear when listening to new age. It is very original and inventive. I hesitate to say unique but it definitely is an eclectic mix that I enjoyed from beginning to end. That is a major accomplishment for any artist to achieve with a listener. When you hear so much music all the time it becomes harder to find originality and a step away from the norm. For my ears that is a fact.

A fine example of that kind of diversity I am referring to is the eleventh track (by no coincidence) titled “Eleventh Hour.” It starts off with a swirling synth emulating the wind then the track takes off and continues to evolve. With nearly 6 minutes of that sax mesmerizing you and the synth melting away your stress makes for a very interesting progressive composition that invites you to listen very carefully. It is more thought-provoking and energizing than meditative tracks, which many of the other tracks can be. This is what makes it all so intriguing, you never know what is coming next.

Joseph L. Young gives us another masterpiece of sound and color to listen to. Just remember one thing, savor Every Moment of this gift of music and spirituality and thank Joseph when you can.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

March 1, 2018

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

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Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks:
01. Prism
02. Falling Through Time
03. Every Moment
04. Twilight
05. Time Traveler (feat. Cornell Kinderknecht)
06. Once in a While
07. Vicariously Blue
08. Continuum
09. Chronos Dreams
10. Letting Go
11. Eleventh Hour
12. Evening Repose

New Age Instrumental Review: Matt Marshak – Year’s End

Review by Val Vaccaro for Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
http://www.newagemusicreviews.net/

Release Date: December 12, 2016
Independent Label: Nuance Music Group
Website

If you find yourself waxing sentimental and in self-reflection at the end of the year, and seek solace in the comfort of soothing music, you’re not the only one.

Matt Marshak’s Year’s End CD is a solo acoustic guitar New Age album with 14 new original songs inspired by his philosophical perspective on life and the change of seasons. Marshak’s Year’s End CD offers beautiful, relaxing, instrumental acoustic guitar melodies with the healing power to lift your spirits at any time of year - to provide refuge from a hectic holiday season, or simple solace from the busy demands and ordeals of everyday life.

As proof of the restorative nature of Marshak’s Year’s End music, it has recently been licensed to Healing Healthcare Systems’ C.A.R.E. music channel to hospitals across America for relaxation, healing, and recovery of patients and their families and to provide a pleasant atmosphere for hospital staff.   That is a good example of ‘music therapy’ for the mind, body and soul. Marshak’s Year’s End CD is also on the Top 100 Radio Airplay chart for Zonemusicreporter.com (formerly NewAgeReporter.com).

During a recent snowy winter evening in the New York, Marshak said (on his Facebook “Live” video to friends and fans from around world), “This time of year I get sentimental, more introspective. There’s something about the wintry weather and (playing) acoustic guitar that makes me more creative…the writing process often starts for me on the acoustic guitar.”

According to Marshak, “the introspective music on Year’s End is a big contrast from what I’ve done (before).” Marshak’s Year’s End CD can appeal to both New Age listeners, and to smooth jazz fans alike.   Since 2003, Matt Marshak has recorded 9 smooth jazz instrumental CDs, with his music topping Billboard and other jazz charts. Marshak performs at jazz venues and music festivals in the U.S. and around the world.

On the Year’s End album, Matt Marshak skillfully plays two acoustic guitars- a Larrivee Parlor P-05 guitar and a Taylor S12 grand concert guitar - sometimes sounding like an Indian sitar. Marshak draws upon numerous sources of inspiration for this CD. The pretty instrumental melodies on Marshak’sYear’s End CD are easy-to-listen-to tunes featuring an eclectic mix of influences from new age, pop, country, jazz, folk, medieval, and classical music, reminiscent (without the vocals) of the genre-bending music of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, acoustic guitar riffs from Led Zeppelin, the warm sounds of James Taylor, and a variety of movie soundtracks. Marshak recently said after playing his “Thanksgiving Day” song that: “I’ve always been a big fan of James Taylor… he was a big influence on me… his chords, his movements (on songs) like “Carolina on My Mind.”

The music on Matt Marshak’s Year’s End album also has some melodic elements similar to other New Age music such as Jim Brickman’s Sooth CDs, but without vocals, nature sounds, or a typical new age production. The acoustic guitar songs on Marshak’s Year’s End CD are self-sufficient – they are aural soundscapes which paint their own poetic pictures.

Listeners may also want to check out videos of songs from Year’s End on YouTube. For example, there is a video is of Matt Marshak’s “Baby’s First Snowfall” with some nice photos posted by The SmoothJazzLoft. Another video features Matt Marshak playing acoustic guitar on the song “Rest My Child” - Matt Marshak (Live).

Overall, Marshak’s Year’s End CD can gracefully bring the gift of calm, with its aural soundscapes to enhance your life for any time of year. Matt Marshak’s Year’s End CD is available on various websites including CDBaby.com.

5/5 Stars

CD Review by Val Vaccaro

December 17, 2017

Tracks:
01. Peace and Joy
02. Thanksgiving Day
03. Walk in the Forest
04. Great People
05. Winter's Day
06. The Light of Spring
07. Leave Your Worries
08. Deep Within
09. Rest My Child
10. This Old Barn
11. Echo
12. Harvest Song
14. Baby's First Snowfall

New Age Jazz Fusion Review: Christopher James-The Sad Waltz

Release Date: 2017

Label: Vai Gardena Music

Website

There is one word that can explain what you will hear on the new Christopher James release The Sad Waltz, diversity!

Listening to instrumental music is a wonderful thing and at times it becomes similar, then I crave for something fresh and different. Well I got just what the music doctor ordered with The Sad Waltz.

The list of contributors on this recording is quite impressive. This is the reason the 14 tracks sound so complex and different. There is brass, percussion, acoustic bass, different layers of keyboards and many other sounds that make for a symphony of sound. This beautiful work is a real journey for the artist. James wanted to explore harmonics and different approaches to every track. The result is a constant flow of change with perceptions and colors that only music such as this can provide.

The opening track is very exciting and it sets the tone for the entire album. “Consequence of Intention” has some excellent guitar lines provided by the guitar maestro David Torn. While listening I was sincerely appreciating the sound and particularly the guitar. I nodded my head in recognition of Mr. Torn, whose name I recognized instantly. He is well a respected musician in the world of jazz rock fusion.

Where the album goes from there is hard to explain but I can tell you it is very good! The changing sounds and textures in each track is like watching different scenes in a movie. The movie playing is the thought patterns and feelings the music will create for each individual listener. For my listening pleasure, this is what makes this recording so special. And speaking of soundtracks, the bonus track is an alternate take of “How Can I Change Your Mind?” And it is a fantastic way to close the curtains on this amazing listening experience.

I found nothing sad about this music as the title may indicate. Of course, this can be interpreted by some as the word sad in literal sense or it can mean different things dependent upon your own perception. The album title and track was inspired by Randy Newman’s “Ragtime Theme.” The simplicity of the main theme was the core of the track but fair warning, to expect simplicity consistently with this music is way off base. The title track invites you to listen some more. The balance is finite and focused and what you will discover is an inventive and refreshing sound throughout the entire listen.

This is pure creativity and energy coming together to form a super nova of sounds. The Sad Waltz just made it into my top 10 instrumental albums for 2017.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

August 3, 2017

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

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Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks:
01. Consequence of Intention
02. The Steppes of Mora
03. Ostinato Piano, Percussion, Strings and Electronics
04. I Can See It Now
05. Intremezzo Simpatcico
06. The Mighty Quinn (Martin)
07. Claude’s Clouds
08. The Sad Waltz
09. How Can I Change Your Mind?
10. Reverie
11. One Last Time
12. Close Your Eyes
13. Guardian Angel
Bonus Track:
14. How Can I Change Your Mind? (alternate take)

New Age-Jazz-World Instrumental Review: Todd Mosby-On Eagle Mountain

Release Date: April, 1, 2016

Label: Mosby Music Group
Website

Todd Mosby creates an intriguing combination of new age, jazz and world music on his new release On Eagle Mountain.

As an introduction to this artist I had the pleasure of focusing in on one track on our Rate The Tracks site. “Spirit Dancer” is a multicultural brew of new age with some infusion of smooth jazz topped off by hints of world to make it a distinct crossover flight.

As with many of the recordings at Will Ackerman’s Imaginary Road Studios, some familiar names are part of the equation. The incomparable Tony Levin and several others including Michael Manring, Jill Halley and Tom Eaton combined with the astute guidance of Ackerman make for an unbeatable team. They all draw out the very best from each other during a recording session.

“Eagle Mountain” in all its beauty and splendor pictured on the cover of this recording gets a proper introduction through the delicate and tasteful guitar playing of Mr. Mosby. The bass section is amazing as well and it all jells into auditory perfection.

The great outdoors can inspire and refresh when embraced and surely Todd is one such person. After listening to this music that one thought becomes reality. “Falling Light” dances and sings and turns into one of my favorites very quickly. It is nearly six minutes of musical enchantment. It builds and builds until you hear percussion, violin, guitar and bass all intersecting at the same point. I really enjoyed the way the track started with a simple foundation then built a towering monument of sound. As the sun rises over the mountain peak it falls onto the trees, animals, vegetation and people below. This is a beautiful thought process that becomes totally engaging once transferred to music.

I think the artist really gets in touch with his surroundings while recording this music and obviously could envision the places he held dear in his mind and heart. Instruments like the ewi, bells, singing bowls and English horn, cello and other elements make their presence known and are part of the final product.

Perhaps the deciding factor that made this entire listening experience coalesce for my ears and spirit was how Todd took his guitar and added all the other instruments to make On Eagle Mountain a delight to fall into, like your favorite comfy chair. This recording was like a culinary delight taking every ingredient and then measuring it properly to flesh out the sound for each individual track. Interesting enough the titles go very well with the music.

On Eagle Mountain took me down a road that made me feel alive and free just like the open sky and mountains ranges that adorn our land. Music that is that powerful needs recognition and validation. It was my pleasure to be one of the fortunate people to give all the credit to the creators of this superb release.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Spirit Dancer, Eagle Mountain, Falling Light

Tracks:

01. SPIRIT OF THE MOUNTAIN

02. SOARING

03. EAGLE MOUNTAIN

04. FALLING LIGHT

05. COLORADO, MISSOURI

06. JACK’S FORK

07. SPIRIT DANCER

08. ODE TO JOE

09. MOON SONG

10. MOUNTAIN LULLABY

11. STAR SONG

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck- New Age Music Reviews Founder

February 11, 2016

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Contemporary New Age Instrumental Review: Michael Dulin-My Beloved

Release Date: January 20, 2015

Label: Indie

Website

Michael Dulin has released several recordings over the years but never one as personal as My Beloved. It is his special ode to his wife.

Dulin’s style is flowing and purposeful and it always has been on all of his releases. He is an extremely talented pianist that is adept at translating his feelings through the ivory keys.

Each track focuses on an enduring love and the beauty and passion that it can bring in a couple’s life. Relationships are a work in progress and too many people run away at the onset of difficulties. This is a testament to his commitment to marriage and his wife.

“Beloved” is the most poignant and meaningful to the artist and as a listener I can understand why. Its sheer beauty and magnificence transcends all barriers and time becomes merely a concept to ponder.

“Devotion” has a title alone that supports the meaning of holy matrimony. It is the perfect follow up to “Beloved.” It goes hand in hand with the meaning and purpose of this recording.

The album closer “Rhapsody” exudes clarity and beauty with a definite accent on the different colors a musician such as Dulin can create within the music. The pace creates joy and peace but it maintains an energy and buoyancy that closes out the album with strength and definition.

Michael Dulin has produced a brilliant palette of tasteful instrumentals that brings one instrument to the forefront without a single distraction. The only focus is the piano and I found it very enjoyable and quite amazing how one remarkable instrument can convey so many emotions and a lifetime of love and devotion.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Beloved, Devotion, Rhapsody

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

December 14, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

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