Album Notes

Subliminal Beauty

Tony Sandate, with the debut of his solo guitar album 'Sunset Meditation', is opening a fresh dimension in contemplative instrumental music. His compositions are mostly ballads, cantatas, and pastoral works and are spiced with a few Spanish melodies. You will not find a stodgy tone poem in the lot. You will find that it is a great mix from a master guitar player.

When you listen to Sandate you think, yeah, he probably went to Spain to visit with Segovia, or maybe he had sessions late in the night with Ackerman, but no. Mr. Sandate is an appliance technician and father of two that dotes on his children. Hence the tracks, 'Song for Andres' and 'Alba'. He finds inspiration in his family, his heritage, and from the Southern California countryside.

The very nature of his music beckons you to put vibrant oil on canvas, jot creative ink to paper, or render soft kisses to warm flesh. Take for instance the track 'Waiting for You'. It is the first track on the album and sets the mood for what is yet to come. The song, with its cascading melody and tender rhythm, is extremely sensuous. There is no other word for it.

You could not wish for a more simple and idyllic tune than 'Irish Blessing'. There is nothing Celtic here, just a pastoral number. For me it invoked green fields, cool pine forests and the rocky shore along the Merrimack River where I hiked as a teenager in Massachusetts.

The title track 'Sunset Meditation' has a wonderful sense of timing and flow. With a glass of sangria in your hand and your hammock swaying gently back and forth, you can almost see the dry grass along the beach turn from yellow to gold as the sun melts down into the Pacific. You might want to put this one on REPEAT in the CD player.

The cantata 'Dios Y Hombre' is the only song on the album not written by Tony, but it remains a poignant affirmation of the relationship between God and man. It is a musical prayer with sweet guitar notes substituting for beseeching words. Surely, there is an answer for this prayer.

'Passion Song' is my favorite track on 'Sunset Meditation'. There is a picture of Tony on the album liner where you can clearly see his face. His expression, half-ignited by sunlight, is one of rapture. I can only imagine that he is playing 'Passion Song'. It is slow and heartrending, but at the same time, it is loving and familiar. Listening to it reminds you of past loves that were lost.

I want to mention that the technical sound on the album is crisp and clean, thanks not only to 24-bit mastering, but also because of the careful concern and watchful eye of producer Eric McCarl. The tuneful creations of Tony Sandate have consonance, a rare quality of music that blends notes and tones into a harmonious fusion. This is what contemplative solo guitar should be.

reviewed by RJ Lannan on 3/13/2004 for The New Age Reporter