OK so like a true junkie who can’t get enough of the drug, I went searching for new New Age music at lunchtime today! Somehow, and I forget how, I ended up at Echoes.org, I used to listen to Echoes with John Deliberto on WXPN a lot and now most times I forget that it is on at night. Anyway I wrote down the names of several of the artists whose CD have been chosen as CDs of the Month. The list includes: Marconi Union, Theiry David, Todd Boston and Coyote Jump. I gave each a brief listen this afternoon and while I enjoyed them all, the last two Todd Boston and Coyote Jump were my favorites. Todd Boston‘s album is Touched by the Sun. From Todd’s website:
Produced by Grammy® winner Will Ackerman (Windham Hill Records) with an ensemble of heartfelt world class musicans Snatam Kaur, Ramesh Kannan, Tony Levin, Michael Manring, Charlie Bisharat, Eugene Friesen and more….
Touched by the Sun , featuring award winning guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Todd Boston creates an uplifting and inspiring instrumental acoustic world fusion sound that paints a tapestry of organic textures from guitar, percussion, tabla, flute, sarod, slide, violin, cello and female vocals.
The album reached No 1 on the ZMR Top 100 Chart for New Age, Electronic, Ambient and Instrumental Music. As I listen to this album, I think Todd is someone I am gong to turn to when I need that nice guitar and acoustic music to keep me focused at work!
The Coyote Jump album Waking from the Roots highlights one of my favorite instruments the Native American flute! The album is from R Carlos Nakai’s Canyon Records. Coyote Jump is composed of composer and multi-instrumentalist Colin Farish and Native American flutist John-Carlos Perea, From their website:
Coyote Jump sculpts a musical tribute to Native America with the sound of the cedar flute at its core.
Inspired by traditions of Indigenous knowledge, the music from their debut album is a love song to Mother Earth: unfathomably mysterious, ever changing and heartbreakingly beautiful.
The album also features performances by Glen Velez, Chanticleer, Savannah Jo Lack, Kai Eckhardt,
Glen Moore, Will Clipman and Jeremy Cohen. The only name there that is really familiar to me is Will Clipman, the fine percussionist who has performed with just about everyone, I know him mostly through his work with R Carlos Nakai. Like the Todd Boston album I know that this album will find a place in my work music rotation!!
Here is Coyote Jump performing “Lightning Drum” featuring John-Carlos Perea on flute, Colin Farish on piano, Will Clipman percussion & Savannah Jo Lack on violin. This performance was held at the Musical Instrument Museum on Saturday, March 10, 2012. For more info visit CanyonRecords.com