The Library CD Music Shelf
Dancing into Silence
R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton, and Will Clipman
Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
$15.98 www.canyonrecords.com 1-800-268-1141
Dancing into Silence is a collaborative, instrumental album blending
the work R. Carlos Nakai on the Native American flute, William Eaton
on the harp guitar, and Will Clipman playing a diversity of world
ethnic percussion. The result is a unique experience that transports
the listener into a soundscape that reflects the mysteries of
infinity. An extraordinarily beautiful and everlastingly memorable
collection, highly recommended to music lovers intrigued by the
prospect of something different. The tracks are "Ancient
Awakening" (4:50), "Sun Path" (5:05), "Winged Iridescence" (5:10), "A
Breath of Peace" (3:51), "Down to Earth" (3:35), "Radiance" (4:06),
"Dancing into Silence" (4:51), "Man in the Maze" (3:11), "Reflections
in an Emerald Pool" (4:13), "Horses in the Rain" (5:04), "Havasupai
Lullabye" (4:44), "Whispers of the Wind" (4:19), "Memory's
Children" (4:46), and "The Way Home" (2:07).
Gente!
SambaDa
Produced by Greg Landau
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz www.sambada.com
Gente! (the title means "people") is the latest music album offering
of the Afro-Brazilian band SambaDa, a band founded by capoeira master
Papiba Godinho. The band's evolution from a Brazilian dance group is
reflected in its energetic rhythms, which tap into the innate human
desire to exult in movement. A heady swing beat marks these
enthralling songs, which touch upon the essence of surfing/skating in
their perfectly balanced headlong rush. An exciting treat for
multicultural music shelves, highly recommended for anyone who loves a
great dance beat. The tracks are "Iguana", "Balancou", "Dende", "Rabo
De Arraia", "Sangue Africano", "Nao Va Embora", "Mare", "Meu Pai",
"Casa De Mainha", and "Sangue Africano Remix".
Whenever
Helen Flaherty, Philip Masure, and David Munnelly
Frea Records
Music & Words (publicity)
Maanlander 41, 3824MN, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
$16.99 www.musicwords.nl
Irish accordion master David Munnelly, Scottish singer Helen Flaherty,
and multi-talented guitarist (among other instruments) Philip Masure
present Whenever, a harmonious album of their uniquely blended
talents. A captivating collection steeped in Celtic influence,
Whenever beautifully balances the dynamic between three artists,
creating an extraordinary listening experience. Highly recommended.
The tracks are "Lone the Ploughboy" (3:05), "Lovely Willie" (3:33),
"The Sligo Fermanagh Reels" (3:52), "Follow the Heron" (5:11), "Jackie
Daily's Reels" (4:03), "Whenever" (5:44), "Andy De Jarlis' Jig/Het
Vals Bewijs/The Millers Maggot" (4:58), "Tiree Love Song" (3:00),
"Julia McMahon's/The Walls Of Liscarroll" (3:09), "Bloody
Waterloo" (4:43), "Rakish Highlanders/Nine Points of Roguery/
Mollov's" (3:02), "Bus Busk" (3:10), "Valse des Belugas/President
Garfield/The Mad French Reel/Corn Rigs" (5:31), "La Partita" (3:05),
and "All of It" (3:12).
Raising The Roof!
John Stein
www.johnstein.com
Whaling City Sound
c/o Mixed Media (publicity)
20 Lockmere Road, Cranston, RI 02910
$16.98 www.mixedmediapromo.com www.whalingcitysound.com
Raising The Roof! is an album by jazz guitarist and band leader John
Stein with Koichi Sato of Japan on keyboards, John Lockwood of South
Africa on bass, and Ze Eduardo Nazario of Brazil on drums. An
extraordinary fusion of invigorating rhythms, signature solos, and
passionate playing that reflects the love of devoted musicians for
their art, Raising the Roof! brims with so much enthusiasm it lives up
to its title. A superb choice for jazz lovers everywhere, highly
recommended. The tracks are "Nica's Dream" (6:50), "Moanin'" (5:09),
"A Child Is Born" (6:25), "Elvin!" (8:21), "Invitation" (7:33), "Vivo
Sonhando" (6:35), "Beautiful Love" (5:16), "Wild Woods" (4:48), and
"Falling In Love With Love" (6:19).
Secretly Famous
The Spy from Cairo
Wonderwheel Recordings
c/o FlipSwitch (publicity)
PO Box 2207, Bloomington, IN 47404-2207
$15.98 www.wonderwheelrecordings.com
Moreno Visini, a.k.a. The Spy from Cairo, presents his latest album
Secretly Famous, a consolidation of tracks each focusing on a distinct
type of Middle Eastern music. From an adaptation of traditional
Jordanian music, to an optimistic rendition of Moroccan music to a
tribute to the Egyptian orchestra compositions of the renowned Mohamed
Abdel Wahab, the tracks embody a pan-cultural sampling of styles
ranging the emotional gamut from haunting beauty to fierce passion.
Guest vocalist Ghalia, respected for her rapturous singing throughout
Europe and Arabia, lends her talents to three of these exquisite
songs. Highly recommended, especially for multicultural music
collections. The tracks are "Nayphony", "Kurdish Delight", "Ana
Arabi", "Kembe", "Jennaty", "Leila", "Oud Funk", "Blood and Honey",
"Sun Disco", "Saidi the Man", "Reggada", "Ala Shan", and "Indian
Dope".
Vanities: A New Musical
Ghostlight Records
Miller Wright & Associates, Inc. (publicity)
1650 Broadway, Suite 1210, New York, NY 10019
$18.98 www.millerwright.com
Vanities: A New Musical is the original cast recording, based on the
Obie Award-winning play, and includes liner notes, a synopsis, all the
lyrics by songwriter David Kirshenbaum, and full-color photos from the
off-Broadway show. Vanities: A New Musical is centered around the
relationship of three friends, Mary, Joanne, and Kathy, from their
girlhood in small town Texas to their college studies to their lives
as grown women with careers, marriages, children to take care of, and
dilemmas as they juggle all their responsibilities. An extraordinary
production touching upon the heart and soul of American life,
Vanities: A New Musical is the next best thing to witnessing the play
in person, and an enthusiastically recommended addition to public
library music CD shelves.
Real Vocal String Quartet
Flower Note Records
PO Box 2753, Berkeley, CA 94702
$21.49 www.rvsq.com
Real Vocal String Quartet is the exciting album of four classically-
trained female players who have forsaken the artificial constraints of
both the old classical realm, where musicians are expected to
sacrifice their creativity to better contribute to the overall
orchestra sound, and the contemporary classical world, the "new music"
of which can take difficulty to absurd lengths. Real Vocal String
Quartet features simultaneous singing and string playing that defies
the boundaries of the soloist-centered and conductor-centered
classical music scenes. An extraordinary acoustic experience, Real
Vocal String Quartet is a gem for public library collections and
anyone interested in hearing classical music played differently from
the norm, but with the passion and joie de vivre worthy of the great
masters. Highly recommended.
Fra_ctured
Gabriel Johnson
Electrofone Music
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$8.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Virtuoso trumpet player Gabriel Johnson presents Fra_ctured, an
exploration of "fractured jazz" that draws inspiration from yet dares
to defy the modern trend of digital substitutes - Johnson recorded
each trumpet track of this almost-solo album on a stool in front of a
microphone, in one uninterrupted take. The tracks are eight
permutations of digital acoustic songs, and carry a lively, passionate
pulse. An inexpensive treat for jazz trumpet fans, highly recommended.
The tracks are "No Words", "Be Serious", "And Then It Was Ours",
"Charisma machine", "You Get What You Deserve", "Confusion",
"V.F.T.O.", and "Lullabye".
Cubist: Shapes of Sound and Time
Jerry Leake
Rhombus Publishing
c/o FlipSwitch (publicity)
$18.99
Cubist: Shapes of Sound and Time is a percussion album by Jerry Leake,
whose creativity knows no bounds. Drawn from practically a lifetime of
observing and discovering musical rhythms, traditions, and history
around the world, Cubist breathes life into classic themes, and its
rhythms call to the listener's entire body. A treasury for percussion
fans, highly recommended. The tracks are Aldebaran; Caldera; Zulugu,
Plan 9; Freehand; Cubist; Na Yella Bo; In From the Cold; Smoke; Geo;
Convex; Nu Atsia; Chrysalis; Gahudo; Middle Ground; and Eclipse. 78
minutes, 24 seconds.
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