MAIN EVENT. A Good Place to Get Started --- a.k.a "Table of Contents"
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MAIN EVENT. A Good Place to Get Started --- a.k.a "Table of Contents" |
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Windham Hill Music has been the leader in releasing music that came to be known as New Age. That terminology seems to have vanished with the wind, but the artists who enjoyed success under that appellation continue to produce enjoyable music that contains a smidgen of jazz around its innards.
In time for the upcoming holidays are three new albums from Windham Hill that would serve as wonderful background music for your holiday parties. These are soothing albums that will help you overcome the stress brought about by shopping, be it in actual stores or in virtual ones.
The album's music will be integrated into an A&E special, "Winter Solstice on Ice," which will begin airing on the TV network on Dec. 4, and repeated several times through the holidays. A 40-date national tour of several Windham Hill artists launched last Friday. The tour will include Story, David Arkenstone, Sean Harless and the Angels of Venice.
I'm a rabid fan of Celtic music, made even more enthusiastic after visiting the Emerald Isle in 1993. If you have any interest in good Celtic music, let me recommend "A Celtic Christmas: Peace on Earth," which will sound just as good in July as it does now.
This is the fifth annual release. The previous albums were huge favorites, with the original album becoming the top world music album of 1995. The array of artists will satisfy most ears. There's Nightnoise, Phil Cunningham, Paddy Glackin and Micheal O'Domhnaill, Snuffy Walden, John Fitzpatrick, and many more. This is an excellent production.
Also new from Windham Hill is "A Jazz Christmas," which contains a dozen familiar and new tunes from a wide variety of artists. The Braxton Brothers open the collection with "This Christmas," followed by the marvelously wry Michael Franks singing "Island Christmas." Spyro Gyra does an unusual arrangement of "Feliz Navidad," which will have you wiping away the Jose Feliciano version from your memory banks.
"The Gift of Your Love" is Tom Scott's contribution, with help from Maysa. The veteran group Hiroshima performs "Spirit of the Season." Other cuts feature excellent work by Earl Klugh & Stefan Dickerson, Tom Grant, Ricky Peterson, Double Scale, Chieli Minucci, and Special EFX.
The album ends with a spectacular version of "Please Come Home for Christmas" by one of my favorite warblers, Etta James.
Alba possesses one of those voices which becomes instantly identifiable. Her tones are crystal clear, and she seems at ease with the music she has chosen as her object of devotion, the tango. In her new album, Alba pays tribute to the distinguished Argentine writer, the late Jorge Luis Borges, who also was an enthusiast about the tango.
The album's 15 cuts are done with passion and complete professionalism. Alba has a superb voice and it's fitting that she's become a distinguished performer over much of the globe.
"Milongas Y . . . al Tango" (Playasound Records) will give you new insight into a passionate music and artist. I certainly give this one an enthusiastic thumbs up.
Some performers just never get the break, despite laboring in the fields of rock and roll for long years. Don Morrell spent a lot of time in New York City during the 80s and made the rounds in Nashville with Billy Bremmer (Bremmer-Morrell) in the early 90s. Morrell decided to relocate in Anchorage, where he's been writing, recording, producing and running a studio since the mid-90s.
Morrell's first CD for the ever-busy Gadfly Records is "After All These Years," certainly a good title after his experiences as a musician. The dozen tunes, all written by Morrell with occasional co-writers show clearly that his is a talent that deserves wider recognition.
With a voice that carries echoes of John Mellencamp (another artist who worked long and hard before success arrives), Morrell proves that he's a writer of extraordinary talents.
For instance:
After all these years
Or this one:
When you left the colors faded
First up is "Winter Solstice on Ice," a double album compilation of holiday tunes that are both pleasant and evocative. The artists include some of the best in the Windham Hill stable, including George Winston (perhaps the finest pianist working in this genre), Liz Story, W.G. Snuffy Walden, Janis Ian, Michael Hedges, Jeffrey Osborne, Tuck & Patti, and Jim Brickman. The 29 selections range from venerable favorites to music that's brand new.
What a Voice She Has
Haydee Alba is a major star in her home country of Argentina. Over the years she learned as much as she could about the tango. For more than a decade she has created a sensation in concerts throughout Europe.
Don Morrell Rocks
He's been around since the 80s. Don Morrell has been one of those talented performers who can please a live audience, but never crossed over that tight line between working and success.
It's a crying shame
After all these years
Tell me whos to blame
How did we end up here
Taking care not to offend.
Blue skies seemed to be gray
All alone with my shattered dreams
I found comfort with a bottle and Strangers but not
Anymore
I turned my back to the empty days
I turned my back to the lonely nights
Now I look forward to the morning suns rays
I got on with my life.
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