Music & Media Reviews
By
Michael Diamond
2002
Believe — A Spiritual
Romance
www.2002music.com
Believe marks the 14th
release by the husband and wife duo of Randy and Pamela Copus,
collectively known as 2002. Now celebrating their 20th year of recording
together, they are one of the most enduring and highly-regarded groups in the
new age music genre. This album features a couple of new developments including
the inclusion of vocals to their primarily instrumental music on 6 of the 10
songs, and the addition of their 8-year old daughter Sarah who appears on the
CD in a surprisingly active role.
Besides the beautiful
singing, some of the things I like most about this music are Pamela’s harp and
Randy’s piano, which epitomize the glistening crystalline sounds that are often
found in the music of 2002. I was impressed not only with the way they blended
vocal and instrumental songs, but also with the stylistic diversity and pacing.
It is hard not to overuse the word “lush” in describing the acoustic opulence
this music is imbued with. The ambience they create is majestic, in a way I
associate with the music of both, Diane and David Arkenstone,
Enya, or Patrick O’Hearn.
2002 have created another sonic masterpiece that inspires the heart and the
imagination.
Acoustic Ocean
Chimes of the Spirit
www.acousticoceanmusic.com
Celtic harpist Peggy Morgan along with long
time musical partner Bette Phelan on guitar, who perform and record
collectively as Acoustic Ocean, have released their third album of soothing
instrumental music, entitled Chimes of
the Spirit. Their sound reflects the musical and healing arts backgrounds
of the artists, as well as the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, which helped
inspire the music. Both are both talented multi-instrumentalists. And although
the Celtic Harp is Peggy’s main instrument on the album, she also performs on
rhythm guitar, piano, Tibetan singing bowls, and vocals. Bette’s talents, in
addition to acoustic guitar, extend to fretless bass, electric guitar,
pennywhistles, mandolin, Wavedrum, hammered dulcimer, chimes, keyboard
(Uilleann pipes & clarinet), and vocals. They are also joined on several
songs by Kay Aldrich on cello and Anne Berliner on flute.
Acoustic Ocean’s music expresses a spectrum of
feelings and moods, from light and lively, to wistful and reflective, and
beyond. I appreciate how much Peggy and Bette infuse their healing influence
and intention into the music. A peaceful, yet uplifting energy pervades,
bringing a wave of Aloha spirit to the shores of the listener. Their
sound reflects the musical and healing arts backgrounds of the artists, as well
as the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, which helped inspire the music. Both are
talented multi-instrumentalists. Although the Celtic Harp is Peggy’s main
instrument on the album, she also performs on rhythm guitar, piano, Tibetan
singing bowls, and vocals. Bette’s talents, in addition to acoustic guitar,
extend to fretless bass, electric guitar, pennywhistles, mandolin, Wavedrum,
hammered dulcimer, chimes, keyboard (Uilleann
pipes & clarinet), and vocals. They are also joined on several songs by Kay
Aldrich on cello and Anne Berliner on flute
Acoustic
Ocean’s music expresses a spectrum of feelings and moods, from light and
lively, to wistful and reflective, and beyond. I appreciate how much Peggy and
Bette infuse their healing influence and intention into the music. A peaceful,
yet uplifting energy pervades, bringing a wave of Aloha spirit to the shores of
the listener.
Mirabai Ceiba
Between The Shores of Our Souls
http://www.mirabaiceiba.com/
Described as “a beautiful
blend of Kundalini Yoga mantra, sacred chants and
world music,” the sound of Mirabai Ceiba is a uniquely cross-cultural experience. The group’s
name is a blend of Mirabai, the 14th Century Hindu
devotional singer, and the Ceiba, a sacred tree of
Latin America. Their latest album, Between The Shores Of
Our Souls, also includes inspirational lyrics based on the poetry of Rumi and Kahlil Gibran. The
album’s subtitle, “Songs of Love and Longing,” bears witness to the focus of
their creative endeavors. It also expresses the energy resonating between the
two principle people in the group, Angelika Baumbach
and Markus Sieber, a couple from different worlds, he
is from East Germany and she from Mexico, brought together by fate.
The vocal synergy of Markus
and Angelika is breathtaking. In addition to Angelika’s ethereal vocals, harp,
piano, harmonium, and singing bowls, blending with the equally-haunting vocals
and guitar of Markus, the duo has surrounded themselves with a stellar cast of
world-renowned musicians on a variety of instruments, who make these luminous
compositions shine even more brightly.
The music of Mirabai Ceiba is enchanting, and
I genuinely enjoyed every song on the album.
Peter Kater
Light Body
www.peterkater.com
In an illustrious career
spanning three decades, multi-platinum selling pianist, composer, and producer
Peter Kater is not one to rest on his laurels. While
he has had many albums of music designed to uplift the spirit, in my opinion,
Light Body is the pinnacle of his healing music recordings. Peter, who plays
synthesizers as well as piano is skillfully and
tastefully accompanied by Grammy Award winner Paul McCandless
on saxophones, oboe, English horn, and penny whistle. Paul is known as a member
of The Paul Winter Consort. Also featured are the exquisitely ethereal wordless
vocals of Tricia Bowden, who also served as executive producer of the CD. The
music is based on the 7 chakras or energy centers of the body, with each having
its own distinct sound and vibe, corresponding to the specific qualities of the
chakra, as described in the liner notes.
I was pleasantly surprised at
how atmospheric the music is, and I was entranced from the very beginning,
listening to the entire album nonstop on headphones. I especially appreciated
the masterful way that the synthesizers, horn parts, and angelic vocals were blended
to create a unified field of sound for Peter’s exquisite piano melodies to
dance upon.
Michael Brant DeMaria
The Maiden Of
Stonehenge
www.ontos.org/
From the earthy ambience of
his “Gaia” CD to the ethereal electronic explorations of his recent album “Bindu,” Michael Brant DeMaria
never fails to surprise and delight. His newest release, “The Maiden of
Stonehenge,” follows a change of direction and charts a course for the Celtic
Isles. The CD is the soundtrack from a play by the same name produced by
Michael and Stephen C. Lott. The liner notes also trace the story line for each
song. It has been described as: “a moving musical odyssey that portrays the
riveting story of a young girl coming of age in ancient Britain.”
As an instrumentalist,
Michael is well known for his native flute and woodwind artistry. On this CD,
he ventures into Celtic realms with the Low-D whistle and Hi-D whistle, as well
as playing exotic wind instruments like the Fujara, Soljeflute, and Ultra Low G Drone flute. Michael also
performs on various percussion, voice, piano, and synthesizers. Maggie Crain, a
young vocalist with a hauntingly beautiful voice, provides a distinctive
addition to Michael’s sound on two songs. She was also the lead in the play.
Listeners will experience an uplifting fantasy journey in the melodic world of “The
Maiden Of Stonehenge.”
Michael
Diamond is a music producer, recording artist, and music journalist in the San
Francisco Bay area with over 30 years of experience writing for
nationally-published magazines and more recently worldwide on the internet. He
currently has five CD’s including two with new-age music pioneer Steven Halpern. For additional reviews of CD’s, DVD’s, and more,
please visit: www.michaeldiamondmusic.com
