Contemporary Classical Instrumental/New Age Review: Tim Neumark-24 Improvs

Release Date: June 24, 2022

Label: Independent

Website

(The cover photo for 24 Improvs is licensed by akg-images. The original photo is the property of the National Museum - Czech Museum of Music and can be seen on display at the Antonin Dvorak Museum in Prague.)

Tim Neumark is an exceptional musician and piano player. I have heard a lot of his music over the years. 24 Improvs is the sixth album in his comprehensive catalog that I enjoy listening to and covering for review. In essence a double album. If it were on vinyl, it would be at the very least 3 LPs. So, a lot of music!

To single out any track of this music is challenging for several reasons; it's all good, all instrumental, and most importantly, each one offers the variances of improvisations that showcase this artist's capabilities. If there were vocals on half the tracks, there would be a defining line. There is no separation between the type of music, but you must know this is all excellent and tremendous piano virtuosity.

Tim embodies solo piano performances with a solid classical base and a steady undercurrent of a new age to enhance it. The music sets you at ease, removes all barriers in the subconscious mind, and allows a listener to feel the flow of the music. Without the distraction of neurons firing away inside your head after a busy day, you get the opportunity to let it calm down and appreciate everything you are hearing.

About halfway through, you are surprised how quickly it all passed. You understand why it seems so fleeting if you absorb the music as I do. It all comes about due to an intense feeling of enjoyment, healing, and any range of emotions that flips that internal switch. The time factor is essentially meaningless as the music fills your soul. All good music accomplishes this. However, when you hear piano alone, you can listen to all the different parts of the composition differently, basically unencumbered by any other instruments or sounds that can populate a more complex new-age instrumental album. Not to take away from the other more involved projects I have covered and enjoyed. The main point here is that this is a clinic on how to present various improvisations on a piano. 

24 Improvs is precisely that and much more if you can listen to it all at face value. If you are looking for the brilliance of simplicity brought to you by the ivory keys, this will be your bliss.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

June 26, 2022

Tracks:

01. Improv in C Major (Gentle Stream)

02. Improv in C Minor

03. Improv in G Major

04. Improv in G Minor

05. Improv in D Major

06. Improv in D Minor

07. Improv in A Major

08. Improv in A Minor (An Interlude)

09. Improv in E Major

10. Improv in E Minor

11. Improv Over One Chord (Social Distancing in B Major)

12. Improv in B Minor

13. November Improv

14. Improv in F-Sharp Minor

15. Improv in D-Flat Major

16. Improv in C-Sharp Minor (Numb)

17. Improv in A-Flat Major (The End of the Road)

18. Improv in G-Sharp Minor (Isolation)

19. Improv in E-Flat Major (Stay Here With Me)

20. Improv in E-Flat Minor

21. Eternity (Improv in B-Flat Major)

22. Improv in B-Flat Minor

23. Improv in F Major (Sunday Evening)

24. Improv in F Minor

Contemporary/Classical Instrumental Review: Tim Neumark-Opus 8

Release Date: March 14, 2022

Label:  Independent

Website

Tim Neumark's Opus 8 album includes original compositions that Tim released as singles between 2018 and 2021, two additional solo piano tracks created just for this album, and his orchestral arrangement of Michele McLaughlin's "Hope" from her solo piano album Sketches.

While memories of the pandemic are lingering and affecting our lives in one way or another, we still have the music to shake us out of those doldrums. Opus 8 reflects the time when the pandemic was raging. When you look at this album cover, you will notice different pictures and wonder what it all means. They are intended to illustrate moments in life, the simple things that bring such joy. All those little things, and perhaps much of what we took for granted before the last few years, became more magnified. It was a wake-up call to be grateful that you are still here to enjoy those moments that bring a smile to your heart.

While Opus 8 is melancholy, the sheer beauty of Tim's playing is still good for the soul. It greets you with flowing rhythms with colorful bursts of energy. "Shining Through" is befitting the title, with some exciting playing from start to finish. At the halfway mark of the album, it was as if Tim wanted to say something that lifted your spirits. And with one listen, it most certainly accomplishes that. "The Ghost" was another favorite of mine. It all rang so genuinely and prolific when matching the music to the track title. That is a general idea, especially for any instrumental collection.

Tim Neumark's playing is a lot of things, including prolific ("Escape"), uplifting ("Shining Through"), reflective ("Lockdown"), and serving as a reminder ("The Ghost") of what was and finally to give us all something we need with the curtain closer "Hope." Perhaps, more importantly, the all-encompassing message of gratitude, joy, and all the things that make your life what it is.

The range of emotions you can feel on Opus 8 is truly remarkable. There is always something beyond the music that an artist attempts to project to the listeners. Tim Neumark accomplishes that with ease.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

June 13, 2022

Tracks:

01. Lockdown

02. February Moonlight

03. Bows in the Mirror

04. The Ghost

05. Non sequitur

06. Shining Through

07. My Love

08. Still

09. Conundrum

10. Yearning

11. Escape

12. Earth, Paused

13. Hope (An Arrangement for Orchestra)

Instrumental Piano/New Age Review: Tim Neumark-Moments-Solo Piano, Op. 7

Release Date: October 1, 2015

Label: Independent

Website

Moments is Tim Neumark’s seventh album release. A solo piano endeavor, this album looks at the small but important moments in our lives that can often go unnoticed. The conversations had between father and daughter or millions of tiny occurrences that we take for granted while they are happening, only to remember them fondly later when the moment has passed-in some cases, forever.

“Beauty” is the first track on the album and it immediately garnered my attention. The steady and heartfelt playing is an emotive experience that captures the love the artist has for his wife and daughter. Poignant and rife with appreciation for the women in his life, Neumark crafts an eloquent portrait of his loves, one keystroke at a time.

“And Then” is the second piece on the album and it struck me for the somber and thoughtful tone. It wasn’t until I read the inside notes on the cover that I realized why. It is the story of a woman who had talks with her father over the phone that always included “and then?” When her father died, she missed those dialogs. My father wasn’t a part of my life growing up. I treasured the moments when we reconnected and had those same kinds of phone conversations. I grew to know him again and when we finally got to reconnect for real it was amazing. To lose him so soon after that broke my heart. It was the talks that connected us and started it all. This song illustrates the stirring of emotions from bitter to sweet and all the echoes of emotions in between. It is truly the small moments that matter in very big ways.

“Eight-Paw Waltz” brings us to the food bowl. Oh yes. The fun moments where furry paws dance and twirl all for the love of kibbles and crunchy bits. This fun little song was written for the moments of doggie appreciation and canine food induced bliss. I have a pack of my own and to observe the delight and anticipation on my furry kids’ faces when they know it’s time for a cookie or their breakfast is one of the highlights of my day. Every keystroke is an ode to puppy-dom and the tromp of four legged feet and the joy they bring to us each and every day.

If you are searching for an album that reaches into the real moments of our lives then you have just found it. In between the big events there are the small ones. These are the ones that matter and the ones most easily taken for granted until they are gone. A conversation with a loved one, a goofy doggie smile, a few seconds of a dream before it is taken from you or even the consideration of memories that may have been. All of these things are part of our lives. The key to it is to appreciate what we have-and who we have- while they are still with us. Take a moment and listen to this amazing walk through the hidden corners of our lives…you might just find yourself hidden within the notes.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Beauty, And Then, Eight-Paw Waltz

Tracks: 
01.Beauty
02. And Then
03. Little Renée
04. Daughters
05. Waiting for Ella
06. Eight-Paw Waltz
07. 11 Seconds
08. Double in the Sun
09. What If
10  Meditation: Remembrance
11. The Orange Bridge
12. You Are Here
13. Beginnings (For Orchestra) [feat. Doug Hammer]

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

January 10, 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

Instrumental Piano/New Age/Classical Review: Tim Neumark-Storm

Release Date: April 2014

Label: Indie

Website

Tim Neumark creates a Storm of emotions with his piano on his recent release. The CD includes 12 tracks that were released as singles from 2013 to 2014. The artist has released four previous albums and now introduces a beautiful tapestry of emotions and tastes through his talented fingers. 

Neumark’s focus is the range of emotions that include anger and heartbreak and all of the situations that arise during those feelings. The list is long for the human condition and although the atmospheres created have a laid back sad tone to them, the beauty of each track is easy to recognize. This man is tremendously talented. His special touch and classical new age sounds will soothe and heal a soul just waiting for that moment to arrive.

As Neumark explains on his website…There is a different mood than previous albums, Storm contains almost all minor tracks, reaching a deeper emotional depth including both anger and heartbreak. In an era where individual tracks are the norm, Storm was composed as a single project that's meant to be experienced from the first track to the last, while also providing tracks that are memorable enough to stand alone.

I felt using that passage encapsulates what you will get while listening to Storm. Right from the door opener to your soul “Anticipation,” it sets the mood instantly. Anticipation eventually leads to “Transitions” then to the solace and grace of the heaven sent “Meditation: Calm.” Every track gently nudges you in the right direction while inviting the healing process to begin. 

What I enjoyed most about this album was its utter simplicity. The effect is direct and stunning. This is indeed a most beautiful Storm that you will want to experience over and over. Neumark’s classical influences are everywhere on this recording yet he is able to introduce it all with a new age flare and precision that serves a higher purpose. Music so expressive and elegant definitely can be your own private Chicken Soup For The Soul.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

5/5 Stars

Tracks:
01.Anticipation
02.Ice
03.See You Soon
04.Setting Sail
05.Stolen
06.Transitions
07.Meditation: Calm
08.Storm
09.Waiting
10.Adrift
11.Forgiveness
12.Peace

Key Tracks: ALL

May 7, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews