- As of today, 21 Nov '04, I currently have 1,286 music cd's, classical, country, new age, rock, & others in my personal collection. This album is one of the top 10 discs in that collection. I made the decision to go looking for more New Age artists to add to my collection, and of course, I started my search at CDBABY.com. This album was one of those the search found. I wanted a copy as soon as I heard the clips from it. The first time I played the disc after it arrived, I fell in love with it. I can't stop listening to it!! It lives on my stereo. I have been playing it for everyone I know and they all want a copy of it. Well, okay, I've ordered 20 copies of it from Louis so I can use them as Christmas presents this year. So, you might say I kind of like the disc.
So what's so great about it? It has 11 tracks on it and every one of them is a fine piece of wonderful music. It's what I would have to call "New Age Jazz" because it's definitely great piano jazz but it's also truly a New Age experience at the same time. It sounds for all the world as though you're listening to a really good, well rehearsed jazz quartet or quintet, but it's all just one man, one very fine musician using various instruments and putting down one track at a time till it ends up in a sound that easily convinces your ear that you're listening to a whole small orchestra. You'll hear guitars, string bass, organ, wind instruments, drums of several kinds including steel, other percussion instruments, even a little Lionel Hampton xylophone, a little Ramsey Lewis here and there, and over all of it, the sweet, undeniably great piano of a pianist who started at age 5. It's got a rock beat, a Latin beat, blues tones, jazz phrasing, a mix of acoustic and electronic synthesizer sounds, melodies, harmonies, counterpoint, I mean geez folks, this music has it all. It is guaranteed to have you tapping your feet, bouncing, moving and swaying with the rhythms whether you're sitting, standing or walking. It will move you!! Fantastic work!!!
If I were to try to pick out favorite tracks, I guess they would be Pursuit Of Happiness, Golden Glow, Carnival, Amalfi Dream, Saved By An Angel, and my most favorite of them all, track 11, The Artist's Way. The last 60 seconds of this song will absolutely compel you to get out of your chair and MOVE! It's GREAT STUFF!!!
I'll also say that the songs titled Starbright & Breath Of Life are probably the ones that most reminded me of a true "New Age" electronic music work, like maybe something a David Arkenstone or David Lanz, or maybe even Yanni would come up with. The piece titled Skye's Song, with it's oriental flavor might fit that also, or maybe even a work by Kitaro.
Bottom line? Buy it. I don't care what kind of music you think you like, buy this album. It's now on my "Indie Essential Albums" list. I promise you'll find yourself saying that it was some of the best money you ever spent on music. Guaranteed. Folks, Mr. Landon has served up a masterpeice of ear candy; come feast yourself.
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