REVIEW: MICHAEL WHALEN - Watercolor Sky

MICHAEL WHALEN
Watercolor Sky
Michael Whalen Music

 Collaborations and musical groups have been around almost since the earliest days of the new age music genre, e.g. Nightnoise on Windham Hill, Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel on Narada, and more. However, recently, the era of the supergroup, which was a big part of rock and prog rock in the late 60s and early 70s has been ushered into the genre in a more pronounced fashion than previous collaborations evoked. Prominent among these have hailed from Will Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios, e.g. FLOW, among a few others. It might be my singular opinion that these newer gatherings of musicians to record an album are akin to the term supergroup, because I do not mean to belittle all the assorted collaborations over the last 30-40 years in the genre. So, consider this my take on the subject.

Which leads me to the album Watercolor Sky, a superlative (and that is not hyperbole) uniting of some true giants from the last several decades in the genre. Headed by Michael Whalen who plays piano, electronics, and percussion, this recording is not "literally" the representation of a "super group" since he is listed as the primary artist, but a looser definition of the term fits since it unites Whalen's talents with those of other legendary performers Mark Isham (trumpet and flugelhorn), Michael Manring (bass), Nancy Rumbel (oboe and English horn), WillAckerman (acoustic guitar) and Charlie Bisharat  (violin). You'd be hard-pressed to find a better pedigree than that.

As to the music itself…well, I was about two minutes into the opening track, "The Endless Summer," when I realized this was one of those instances where the whole of the album actually exceeds the sum of its parts. Hard to believe, but all nine songs display not just the requisite musical chops and artistry one would expect from this assemblage, but the highest degree of sympatico one could ever desire or even imagine. It's almost as if these folks had rehearsed for months and months prior to recording this (which I doubt, given how busy all these musicians are, given their assorted projects). This high level of symbiosis is what elevates Watercolor Sky to the upper echelon of collaborative recordings in recent years. (It also, to be honest, almost demands a "part 2" be already in the works).

Obviously, I don't need to extol anyone's talent here since they are all bona fide superstars, but I must say that even with how often I have praised Michael Whalen's skills as a composer and performer across a wide swath of genres, moods, styles, and type of music, I was still impressed to hell with what he does on this recording, especially his adroit use of a myriad number of keyboards. Only a small handful of musicians wield a command as virtuosic across these aspects (David Arkenstone and Kevin Kern come to mind) and Whalen's nine compositions demonstrates he clearly belongs in the same orbit as those two. Of course, with artists like Rumbel, Isham, Manring, Bisharat, and Ackerman, Watercolor Sky is undeniably a team effort.

From the cheery percolating exuberance of the opening "The Endless Summer," through the sparkly iridescence and flowing melodies of the title track, the somber and slightly melancholic beauty of "The First Frost," and closing with the plaintive reflection of "Winter Beach," Watercolor Sky brims with soulful performances, gorgeous melodies, perfect production quality, and music that will inspire an assortment of images if the listener relaxes and soaks it all in. Do I recommend Watercolor Sky? Whaddya think?

ALBUM DETAILS
Music composed, arranged, produced and mixed by Michael Whalen
Additional recording, editing, and mastering by Tom Eaton

INSTRUMENT CREDITS
Michael Whalen: Piano, electronics, percussion
Mark Isham: Trumpet, flugelhorn
Michael Manring: Bass
Nancy Rumbel: Oboe, English horn
Will Ackerman: Guitar
Charlie Bisharat: Violin