REVIEW: DEBORAH MARTIN AND JILL HALEY - Into The Quiet

DEBORAH MARTIN AND JILL HALEY
Into The Quiet
Spotted Peccary Music

The second collaboration between Deborah Martin and Jill Haley represents the fulfillment of the promise of their earlier release, The Silence of Grace, although it’s also a marked departure from it. Into The Quiet is one of the purest blends of acoustic and electronic ambience I’ve heard in a long time. The first time I played it, I realized how special this hybrid of chamber music aesthetic, pastoral elegance, and soothing fluid atmospheres was. Look up the word sublime in a dictionary and you might see the cover of this album. Admittedly, I have praised both Martin and Haley many times over the years, especially with Deborah as far back as the late ‘90s when I reviewed her Spotted Peccary debut, Under the Moon, so it shouldn’t have surprised me that Into the Quiet would be outstanding. After all, the duo’s previous release, The Silence of Grace, elicited praise from me (“I hope that The Silence of Grace finds the huge and appreciative audience it deserves. To say I was blown away by this collaboration between two artists whose careers I have followed for years…”). However, even as well-traveled a reviewer as I am, I was shocked at the sheer beauty of this album as it unfolded with a flowing sense of serenity to which many aspire, but few achieve.

Concretely describing ambient releases like this album can be incredibly difficult if one wants to paint an accurate “written” picture of the music itself. So, this review may be less detail-oriented than some of my others. Into The Quiet presents a lush, gorgeous, and meticulously recorded/produced series of soundscapes that, as mentioned earlier, I feel are pastoral in nature, contemplative in emotional response, and neutral in mood, i.e., neither dark nor bright or cheery.

Instrument credits are not separated between the two, but I think it’s obvious that Haley is playing the oboe and English horn, while Martin plays concert flute, and Taos drum. As far as percussion, it’s anyone’s guess. And synthesizers and electronics are firmly rooted in Martin’s wheelhouse, I’d wager. Haley’s woodwinds carry the bulk of the melodies except when Martin’s flute takes the helm. However, Martin’s creative, artistic, and technically perfect use of the synths/electronic textures and effects are exceptional. Into The Quiet is one of those perfect symbiotic recordings that only happen now and then (another much older example is the landmark album, Soma, from Steve Roach and Robert Rich). The way the oboe/English horn and synths intertwine is nothing less than musical magic.

In some ways, Into The Quiet also represents a brilliant mixture of the cerebral and the sensual (in a non-sexual context). The album also excels at creating a wonderful day-dreaming/self-reflective atmosphere, instilling an almost tangible sensation of floating through a variety of both natural and surreal landscapes. The song titles alone indicate the beauty that lies within these digital “grooves” such as “Falling Away From The Earth,” “Refuge,” “Hall of Whispers,” and “Violet Night.” Granted, finding a great title for a song does not automatically mean the song will be as great, but on Into The Quiet, title and song each merit the other.

I can’t go into concrete song-by-song details without resorting to several thousand words and even then, my words could never do justice to these remarkable songs. But, to sum up, this is the pinnacle of warm flowing ambient music; it washes over you like a soft breeze, leaving you content and at peace even in these turbulent times. It’s a landmark recording for both artists, as well as for the Spotted Peccary label.

ALBUM DETAILS
All music composed and performed by Deborah Martin and Jill Haley
Arrangements by Deborah Martin
Produced and recorded by Deborah Martin at Dreaming Edge Studios, Vancouver, WA
Album mixed by Deborah Martin and Matthew Stewart
Album mastered by Howard Givens at Spotted Peccary Studio NW, Portland, OR
Album design by Daniel Pipitone at Spotted Peccary Studio NE, Ligonier, PA

INSTRUMENTATION
Oboe, English horn, concert flute, Taos drums, various percussion

SYNTHS AND ELECTRONICS
Yamaha Motif, Roland V-synth, T Roland Integra, Spectrasonics Omnisphere

REVIEW: CHRISTIE MCCALL - Don't Look Back

CHRISTIE MCCALL
Don’t Look Back
Distant Voices Music

After playing the first three tracks of Christie McCall’s Don’t Look Back, I was in a state of disbelief that this was her debut release. Possessed of a voice that flows with genuine soulfulness and self-assuredness no matter the song’s mood, tempo, or style, she comes across as a seasoned pro on each track..

Two things worth noting about Don’t Look Back. First and foremost, the perseverance exhibited by McCall in getting this album recorded may set a record. She made her first visit to Imaginary Road Studios way back in 2002. Over the next 20 years, she would return when her life allowed, but (much to her credit) her family (especially raising her two daughters) always came first. This is a testament to not just who she is as an artist, but more importantly, who she is as a person. It’s likely not a coincidence that her deep-rooted and sincere soul flows through each of the ten album’s songs.

The other thing worth noting is patently obvious. To my knowledge, this is the first wholly vocal album that Will Ackerman had ever produced. Now, imagine this…someone of Ackerman’s stature in the industry picked a newcomer singer to be the first of that genre to record at Imaginary Road. I shouldn’t even need to add anything to this review after pointing that out.

While some of the IR Studio usual suspects are present on Don’t Look Back (see full credits below), there are also some who will be new to those who have followed the countless recordings issuing forth from the Vermont studio, including some background vocalists, Jimmy Ryan (mandolin), Pete Adams (pedal steel guitar), Taylor Barefoot (electric guitar), and Forrest Robinson (drums). Christy herself plays piano but only on one track.

As far as categorizing the songs on Don’t Look Back, McCall’s repertoire is varied but within a more limited framework than the word “varied” might infer. For myself, I hear some country-folk, some pure folk, some folk-pop, folk-blues, and maybe even straight up country. All but one of the ten songs are covers and, in fact, these are some of McCall’s favorites. A glance at the songs’ composers gives a hint of the variety: Diane Ziegler, Ellis Paul, Louise Taylor, Marty Balin, Leslie Dowdall, Gregory Douglass, Jesse Colin Young, and John Lee Hooker. When I first played the album all the way through, I heard echoes of artists such as the late Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Beth Nielsen Chapman, but those are the dots I connected and, obviously, your mileage may vary.

I won’t critique the lyrical content in depth but most songs have affirming messages or deal with human emotions and the trials and travails that we, as humans, encounter in our lives. Tempo and melodic mood can swing from the gently rocking opener, “Leap of Faith,” to the plaintive and somber “Conversation with a Ghost,” to the cheery upbeat “Coming Up Roses,” and to the power and drama of the most rocking tune on the album, “Darkness.” The one original song, composed by McCall, is “Distant Voices” which begins with a somber opening prelude to become a warm lowkey folk-pop song. Three of the musicians featured on the song contribute a lot to the track’s emotive mood (Jim Ridl on piano, Jill Haley on English horn, and Eugene Friesen on cello).

With a debut as strong as Don’t Look Back, the only question to ask is “Christie, when’s the next one coming out?”

ALBUM DETAILS
Album produced by Will Ackerman
Mixed and mastered by Tom Eaton
Recorded at Imaginary Road Studios, Windham County, VT
See album liner notes for composers info

MUSICIANS
David Cullen: Acoustic guitar
Robert Walling: Acoustic guitar, mandolin
Will Ackerman: Electric guitar, backing vocals, Hopi drum
Jeff Pearce: Ambient electric guitar, electric guitar
Jimmy Ryan: Mandolin
T-Bone Wolk: Electric bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, upright acoustic bass, backing vocals
Forrest Robinson: Drums
Derrik Jordan: Percussion, backing vocals
Noah Wilding, Diane Ziegler, Ellis Paul: Backing vocals
Louise Taylor: Acoustic guitar
David Gusakov: Violin
Pete Adams: Pedal steel guitar
Taylor Barefoot: Electric guitar
Eugene Friesen: Cello
Gregory Douglass: Piano
Michael Manring: Fretless bass
Jim Ridl: Piano
Jill Haley: English horn
Christie McCall: Piano

REVIEW: ANN SWEETEN - Love Walks Through Rain

ANN SWEETEN

Love Walks Through Rain
Orange Band Records (2023)

Pianist Ann Sweeten’s composing and performing style is among the most unique and almost instantly recognizable among her contemporaries. Stretching back to her 1998 release, Passage, which reviewed in the printed version of Wind and Wire (of which I wrote “One soothing and beautiful song after another. Ann has a solid command of technique and rich melodic sensibility. She aims for your heart, and hits the mark every time.”), I have followed her recording career and have consistently been impressed by her heartfelt melodies married to a blend of somber reflection, somewhat melancholy remembrance, and warm friendliness. Another aspect of her recordings which are only known if you buy her albums in physical format (I assume) is her in-depth and highly personal liner notes which may be the unflinchingly honest in the instrumental/new age field. These liner notes serve to both enhance her music and, more importantly, invite the listener “inside” Sweeten as a living and breathing person.

Her latest album, Love Walks Through Rain, may be her most intensely personal yet (which is saying something). The songs reflect her personal trials of recent times including her medical issues and, more impactful if I interpret her notes correctly, the loss of her truly beloved dogs. However, with her usual artistry and talent, the album is not a walk through a funeral-type sorrowful soundscape, but instead a work evoking not just pain and sadness but also growth and healing.

Sweeten once again returned to work with the duo team of Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton at Imaginary Road Studios with Sweeten sharing production credits and Eaton manning the boards for engineering, mixing, and mastering. So, production quality is, obviously, flawless. Some of the IR usual suspects join in some tracks (see full list below) along with Nancy Rumbel on English Horn. Sweeten, as usual, does the heavy lifting and her fluid piano lead lines dominate the eleven tracks which is her style, and it serves her well. As mentioned above, while the overall tone of the music is somber, there is also the artist's characteristic melodic warmth. Sweeten may be one of the most romantic pianists recording these days, using romantic in a broader sense, i.e., not just referring to love. One aspect of Ann Sweeten's music that stands out and impresses is her lack of pretension without any trace of faux sentimentality or sensation of maudlin evocations. She is, for all intents and purposes, a true "wears her heart on her sleeve" musician.

While throughout her career, Sweeten has maintained a singular style, with variations mostly being limited to recording either with guest artists or solo or embellishing her songs with discrete application of synthesizer shadings, how she differentiates in successive albums is a refinement of both artistry and literal technique, honing her talent on each release to a finer degree in subtle but perceptible ways. Certainly, she has been through a lot in recent years, but if those trials have contributed to her music and given her even more impetus, well, then that is the silver lining to her grey cloud. Some people thrive on challenges and with Ann Sweeten, she has not just risen to the challenges of her life, but she continues onward despite them. To that I say "Bravo."

ALBUM DETAILS
All songs composed and arranged by Ann Sweeten (a Steinway Artist)
Produced by Ann Sweeten, Will Ackerman, and Tom Eaton
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Tom Eaton
Recorded at Imaginary Road Studios
Visual Artistic Director and Photography by Randy Yoder, RBY Photography, Salem, MA

MUSICIANS:
Ann Sweeten: Steinway Baby Grand, Model B
Charlie Bisharat: Violin
Tom Eaton: Bass
Premik Russell Tubbs: EWI, Soprano saxophone
Eugene Friesen: Cello
Nancy Rumbel : English horn
Will Ackerman: Guitar

 

REVIEW: CHRISTINA TOURIN - Geodepédie – Hidden Light

CHRISTINA TOURIN
Geodepédie – Hidden Light
Emerald Harp Productions

This is my first exposure to harpist Christina Tourin’s music (not that surprising, I suppose, since this is her first album since 2010). However, the warmth and intimacy of music is enveloping that after a few tracks, it felt like rediscovering a long-lost friend. Geodepédie – Hidden Light puts Tourin’s artistry and soulfulness front and center throughout the album’s sixteen songs, although there are noteworthy contributions scattered among the tracks from others (see below). The selections are culled from an assortment of Celtic, classical, and traditional tunes (all with the artist’s own arrangements, obviously). Tourin also composed some of the tracks (again, see below).

While the overarching theme and mood of the album is, as befitting the harp in most cases, serene and contemplative, every now and then a song emerges with a different mood, such as the subdued liveliness heard on “Icelandic Northern Lights,” where her harp dances playfully alongside Peter Sprague’s guitar). For the most part, though, this is an album for quieter times; however, not in a somber or darker fashion at all. The flow of positivity that permeates Geodepédie – Hidden Light is palpable. Near the end, she even migrates over into spacemusic territory with the longest track on the album, “As Above, So Below,” on which synths play a more prominent role.

Now and then, on the classical pieces, you will likely recognize the familiar refrain or two, e.g., “Grieg’s Morning Mood,” where her harp is expertly accompanied with subtly applied orchestral synths, mirroring when the piece is performed with an orchestra.

While there are some vocals (wordless) here and there (ably performed by Buvana Gerlach), this is a wholly instrumental album to my mind. As such, you can enjoy this as background accompaniment to gentle activities, meditation, daydreaming, or anything where the music can be heard either intently or as a soothing sonic backdrop.

As long-time readers know who have followed me for years, I am a giant fan of all sorts of harp music and I am pleased to include Christina Tourin among those whom I have heard and can solidly recommend.

ALBUM DETAILS

Tracks are traditional/classical with arrangements by Christina Tourin except “Music Is Love,“ “Walk Through The Sunflowers,” “Reminisce,” “Amethyst Of Avalon,” “As Above, So Below,” and “Colors Of The Season.”

Produced by Christina Tourin

Engineered by Peter Sprague

Musicians:
Christina Tourin (harp)
Peter Sprague (guitar/synth)
David Eastoe (synth)
Suzanne Doucet (synth)
Buvana Gerlach (vocals)
Lies Joosten (harp on track 1)

REVIEW: RANDAL L. MEEK - longings

RANDAL L. MEEK
longings

While this is not literally Randal L. Meek’s debut recording, upon reading his biography, this review will treat it as such, since the recording and release of longings is the artist’s fulfillment of a long-held dream. In addition, again, even seeing as this is Meek’s second album, the level of talent, artistry, soulfulness, and emotion displayed throughout the CD’s thirteen tracks would mark it as a superb album even if it was his fourth, fifth or tenth. Simply put, longings is a magnificent recording and signals that Randal L. Meek already deserves a seat at the table with the best acoustic guitarists currently residing in the instrumental music genre. Hyperbole? Not from where I sit.

longings emerged from a profound loss in the artist’s life, that of his wife of many, many years, and that immense grief does flow through a few of the tracks, however, also present are evocations of peace, beauty, warmth, love, and acceptance. Having reviewed for as long as I have and knowing how powerful life turns (both joyous and sorrowful) can influence and inspire a musician, I am not surprised at the depth of emotion present throughout this album’s entirety. What did surprise me is, coming from a relative newbie, how effortless Meek seems to make it. This will sound horribly cliché, but it’s almost as if he was born to make this specific album from the day when he first picked up a guitar.

Technically speaking, since this is yet another in a seemingly endless stream of recordings emerging from Will Ackerman’s Imaginary Road Studios, and helmed by Ackerman and Tom Eaton, the production quality is flawless. longings deserves to be played through either high quality speakers or, at the least, studio-quality headphones.

While some of the IR “usual suspects” do make appearances on various tracks, I would be doing Meek a disservice if I didn’t state flatly this is his show. Having gotten to know Randal through many email exchanges, I have little doubt he would state the opposite, i.e., his guests are the ones who elevate his playing, and yes, they do contribute when they are featured, but Meek’s playing stands out as something so special that I would be remiss not to state that, for me, he is the main draw on the album. That said, Ackerman plays lead guitar on some songs, and I imagine that was a joint decision made by both Meek and Ackerman. That does not take away from Randal’s mastery, whether he is playing lead or Will is.

Some songs by their titles and their style indicate an obvious influence from where the artist lives permanently now, which is Hawaii, e.g. “Waves of Makena,” “Mo’olio Place,” and “Liliko’I” while others evoke some of the beauty of his former “home away from home” in Boulder, Colorado (Meek split his time between the two venues until recently), such as “Boulder Sunrise,” “Prairie Dog Sky,” “and “River Place.” Overall, the mood is absolutely laid back, sometimes wafting a bit more reflective with traces of somberness, while other times a gentle playfulness or feelings of peace and contentment are conveyed.

What shines brightly throughout all of longings is the spirit and soul of Randal L. Meek. His artistry permeates every note on the thirteen tracks and, as I mentioned earlier in this review, such self-assuredness is startling to hear from someone who, while not new to playing guitar, is a newcomer to releasing his work to the world. I can only hope he will favor us with a follow-up album, sooner rather than later.

ALBUM DETAILS

All songs composed by Randal L. Meek
Album produced by Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton. Recorded at Imaginary Road Studios June 2021
Recording engineer: Tom Eaton

MUSICIANS:
Randal L. Meek (guitar)
Will Ackerman (guitar)
Tom Eaton (piano and bass)
Charlie Bisharat (violin)
Eugene Friesen (cello)
Noah Wilding (vocals)