My Mind's Island
Chris Conway
© Copyright-Chris Conway
(634479022388)
Record Label: A New Day
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Describe Chris Conway... - songwriter, multi-instrumental wizard, soulful singer, wit, space hippy, genre juggler, composer, producer - all of these and more as you'll discover on his new album My Mind's Island.
My Mind's Island is a superb collection of songs. Though roots based, it covers quite a range, the songs focus on themes of individuality, and humanity and subtle emotions.
The album features his Talking Fish band and many special guests, including Canadian singer Jodi Krangle from the band Urban Tapestry and folk-rock diva Vikki Clayton.
Conway plays 10 instruments himself and weaves them with the other players, to make a masterpiece which stylistically touches on Celtic folk, US West Coast, jazz, Latin, acoustic, funky, and ambient realms.
However despite the diversity in styles and approach, he never loses sight of the songs and their lyrics which are perhaps the jewel in the crown of the album.
Evident throughout is a warmth, and a dedication to detail, and the sheer mastery of a truly creative individual.
for a track by track description and more background info on My Mind's Island see http://www.btinternet.com/~unclechristo/cd_mmi.html
Chris Conway has toured the UK playing with Monkee Peter Tork, and has also played with members of Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention. He's also a member of Vikki Clayton's band, playing at Cropredy Festival twice. She has recorded 3 of his songs on her albums.
He also plays in World Music group Jazz Orient (aka Re-Orient) whose 5 albums sell thousands around the world, and who have played the South Bank in London. In the World Music genre, he has played with Dr L Subramanium and Talvin Singh, amongst others.
He has supported Irish singing star Frances Black on two UK tours. He's also supported Bob Geldof, Roy Wood, Arthur Brown, Country Joe McDonald, and Gong's Daevid Allen.
He has released 12 song albums under his own name and several others in many genres.
Instrumentation
Chris Conway - vocals, guitars, keyboards, tin & low & bamboo whistles, theremin, kalimba, zither, samples, percussion
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The Talking Fish
Debbie Robinson - vocals
Mick Oxtoby - acoustic & electric violin
Neil Segrott - bass
Andy Fitzsimons - congas, percussion
Dan Britton - guitars bodhran vocals
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special guests
Vikki Clayton - vocals - track 13
Kate Easton - vocals - track 12
Jodi Krangle - vocals - track 10
Judith Silver - vocals - track 9
Andy Nicholls - tenor saxophone - track 8
Carl Peberdy - sitar - track 9
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Classy genre-hopping acoustic roots
author: Americana UK
Classy genre-hopping acoustic roots collection from Leicester-based musician. If you’re one of those people who equates authenticity with rough edges, dodgy production and grittiness, who thinks genre-hopping is best left to frogs and thinks that anything that sounds even slightly pleasant is MOR and therefore to be ignored, then read no more. If, on the other hand, you’re a little more open-minded and want good music whatever it’s labelled then read on and discover a little gem of an album.
Michigan-born but long-time Leicester-resident Chris Conway is one of those infuriating musicians that you’d have to kill, just to give the others a chance, if he wasn’t so good and such a nice guy. He plays numerous instruments, all of them superbly, and creates jazz, fusion, filk (look it up), New Age and roots music, to name but a few. “My Mind’s Island” is his last roots/song collection, and a mighty fine thing it is too, exuding warmth.
If it has a theme then that theme is life and how to deal with it. It’s shot through with wisdom, insight and understanding, as on “I Don’t Know”, a cross-generational “what’s it all about” song that says all that needs to be said on the subject in just under six minutes, the grace and acceptance that the narrator of “Just Around the Corner” displays in the face of an ending relationship, or the addressing of low self-esteem on “Proud Of You”. There’s also a lightness of touch and sense of fun on the Twenties-styled “Nobody Loves Me”, a paean to the solitary life, some twenty-first century Celtic dancery on “The Garden”, and a timeless folk tune in “Air of Morar”. “My Mind’s Island” is an album for a glass of wine and a lover, an album of timeless truths and honesty, and an album you ought to have. - Jeremy Searle
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replete with beautiful, elusive melodies
author: Holding Together Magazine
Two new shiny circles from Leicester's own David Crosby, both featuring our man on a plethora of instruments - guitars, keyboards, theremin, kalimba, zither, vegetables etc - and his trusty lieutenants the Talking Fish in support.
My Mind's Island is, if you like, the regular album, replete with beautiful, elusive melodies and arrangements that shimmer effortlessly from folk to West Coast to cool jazz without seeming to swap genres, so comfortable is Conway in all settings.
There are no duffers here but especially pleasing are the rippling "Just Around The Corner" with it's superb chordings and lovely multi-tracked CC vocals ; "The Garden" with it's funky folk ambience and lyrics of withdrawel from society's madness ; the brief but immaculate "Between" and the haunting perceptive "Spring In Winterland"
Both albums are recommended. - bp
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tracks that stick in your head
author: Northern Lights Healing
Chris has a very easy to listen-to style and voice..and when you read who he has supported and likes you can see where some influences have come from.
It also has some tracks that stick in your head that you cant get out..usually a good sign to me!!
Style...acoustic mainly..real across the board mix..celtic..rock..ballads...
Lets say..its been playing on repeat for a long time now....easy to have in the background and you find yourself just into the tracks! - 9/10
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well-crafted and thoughtful songs
author: Netrhythms
On My Mind's Island we experience to the full Chris's skill in producing well-crafted and thoughtful songs with predominantly acoustic-based settings. Having said that, there's a fair helping of Celtic folk and ambient grooves in these songs too, and the relaxed yet committed, often deeply touching and generally life-affirming nature of the lyrics makes for an attractive 55 minutes of listening.
David Kidman
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