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“Spirit Romance” is David Lanz’s first album of new material on Narada since 1998. Since then, he has recorded several albums on Decca and one independently, the most recent of which was a smooth jazz album that confused the heck out of a lot of his longtime fans. Anyone who has seen Lanz in concert knows that he can play just about any style of music, but many fans didn’t want him to deviate from the beautiful, romantic music he is so well-known for. Lanz has been one of the most influential artists in the “new age piano” genre, and “Spirit Romance,” takes him back to those roots while still moving in a slightly different direction. This new music isn’t as structured or melodic as some of his earlier work, but this is my favorite Lanz album in quite some time. However, “Spirit Romance” isn’t just David Lanz, but a collaboration between himself and flutist Gary Stroutsos. They improvised most of this music in Lanz’s new old house, with David’s brother, Gary Lanz, at the helm as engineer and producer. Some of the tracks feature Jonn Serrie working his ambient space magic in the background; the title track features Swil Kanim on violin; and a few tracks feature Keith Lowe on acoustic bass and Glen Velez on acoustic percussion, but it’s mostly just flute and piano. What a magical sound! The freedom of improvisation creates a sense of deep intimacy and spiritual connection. Stroutsos played several different flutes on this recording, but used the Xiao flute, which is rarely heard outside of China, most often. Older than the Japanese bamboo flute, this instrument has a haunting, deeply spiritual quality that is perfect for this kind of music. What kind of music is it? There are a lot of recognizable Lanz touches, but this music is quite different from his other recordings. Lanz has occasionally been criticized for being too pop-oriented, but I don’t think there was any thought of commercialization in the making of “Spirit Romance.” The exotic flutes and percussion instruments bring a strong Eastern flavor to the music, while the piano and string bass merge with a more Western sensibility, creating a universality of spirit that is intriguing, soothing, and very satisfying. In short, I LOVE this album! Very highly recommended! More Info on This CD A
Cup of Moonlight “A Cup of Moonlight” is an independent solo piano release from David Lanz that is currently available only from his website. The CD consists of six beautiful “composed” pieces and an almost seventeen-minute meditation. This is Lanz doing what he loves best - playing the piano in a “sweet melancholy” mode. The music was recorded from 1999-2003 in Lanz’ home studio, and is a very telling indication of why many of us “purists” love his solo piano music best. I always enjoy David Lanz’ ensemble albums, but alone at the piano is where his true artistry shines. Some of these pieces are quite different from anything Lanz has recorded before, and with “In Stillness” and the title track especially, he seems to have embraced the freedom from worrying about commercial success or trying to find a radio-friendly sound. This album gives an intensely personal self-portrait of the man who has brought us “heavy mellow” and “new and improved age” music for more than twenty years. It also brings him full circle back to working with his former partner, Paul Speer, who mastered the album. “Lover’s Tarot,” which is one of my favorite tracks, is classic Lanz - a strong, flowing, bittersweet melody and an interesting, catchy rhythm played with compelling emotion. “The Butterfly” is also easy to identify as a Lanz composition. These two pieces are available as downloadable sheet music on Lanz’ site. The other four composed pieces are a bit more abstract and, well, artistic, for lack of a better word. Those who feel that Lanz has become too commercial will love these pieces. The influence of some of the Impressionist composers can be heard as well as some jazz touches. The title track is stunningly beautiful - very spare, but passionate, with lots of open space. All of these pieces are gentle and introspective and yet deeply emotional - some of Lanz’ best work, I think. “Heaven and Earth” is the 17-minute meditation, and it was a real puzzle for me at first. I emailed David and asked him about it, and his explanation was fascinating. “It was constructed on a 7-note ‘angel’ scale that came out of a very long conversation with ... Gary Hardin...who penned the book ‘The Messengers.’ It was constructed with sacred geometry based on some very deep info Gary was privy to. It is meant to be a sound meditation, not a composition. I actually wrote out a long string of note combinations in vertical columns on a sheet of paper, and, as I recorded it, used that as a very complex musical road map. It really composed itself as combinations of seven notes were played, then reversed, sometimes one octave above and then varied slightly one note at a time, and then that variation played backwards and in different combinations. The harmony is made up of the same seven notes.... Try not to listen to it as a musical piece, just let your mind wander, and you may notice yourself in a very reflective, meditative, mellow state.... This was a musical/intellectual/spiritual exercise.” I don’t recommend listening to this one in the car or trying to wake up to it! “A Cup of Moonlight” is a great CD, and I highly recommend it!  An
Evening With David LanzNarada/1999 | Reviewed by Kathy Parsons After doing an extensive interview with David Lanz last fall and exchanging a few emails early this year, it came as a real shock to see a new "live" album in record stores. Narada released it rather than Philips (David's new label), so I was really puzzled. By then, David was in England recording his upcoming "East of the Moon" CD, so I had to wait to ask him about what was going on. In the meantime, I received a copy of the CD for review. Looking at the list of the songs should have been a tip-off, but the current photo on the cover yielded no clues. I read the liner notes, and down on the lower corner of the third page, it said the concert was recorded in Houston in 1989!!!! A 10-year-old concert??? When David returned, we exchanged a few more emails, and he said that he, too, was completely surprised by the CD, and had no input on it whatsoever. He is pleased with the recording overall, and since Narada owns the rights to the music, they can legally do whatever they choose. For someone looking for an "early greatest hits" album, this is a really good
bet. Many old favorites are included such as "Cristofori's Dream", "Leaves on
the Seine", "Dark Horse", and "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (a total of fourteen
songs), but those who have most of David's earlier releases might want to wait
until the new one comes out later this year. "Evening" is a lot of fun to listen
to, but there are no surprises for longtime fans. I've seen David perform many
times, and live, his humor and gentle stories are almost as important as the
music - at the very least, they add a new dimension to it. There are no spoken
words on this CD, so I don't feel it truly represents David's live performance.
The selection is great, and the quality of the performance is excellent, but it
seems somewhat deceptive to release a concert album ten years after the concert
took place without putting a date on the cover. Songs from an English Garden Narada/1998 | Reviewed by Kathy Parsons Let me first preface this by saying that I teach David Lanz's piano music more than that of any other composer, so I know most of his music inside and out. I have seen him in concert five or six times, have interviewed him by phone three times, and was acknowledged in the credits of his instructional video, so my deep love for David's music, performing style, and humanity has a long history. I was looking forward to the release of his new album with great anticipation until I learned it was going to be a compilation of 60's British hits. I love David's previous covers of "Nights In White Satin", "A Day in the Life", and "A Whiter Shade of Pale", but a whole album? This on the heels of the four quickly-released CDs of covers by another hero of mine, Wayne Gratz (also a Narada artist), left me feeling more than a little queasy. This definitely isn't David's best work, but I had the opportunity to talk to him about the album in the course of a recent interview. This was David's final album for Narada, and he wanted the album to be very light, commercially appealing for more radio play, and fun. It is getting more airplay than his previous albums (sad!), so this marketing plan is working. David wanted this album to be a tribute to some of his musical roots and to attract new fans with the use of familiar music. David has moved to the Philips label, and promises that his future releases will be original compositions with a lot more substance. The two original pieces on "Songs From an English Garden" are "Sitting in an
English Garden" and "London Blue". Both are classic David Lanz, but "London
Blue", a melancholy piano solo, is much truer to David's very personal piano
style; I think it's the best cut on the album. "Sitting in an English Garden" is
a little too pop - but then, this is a pop album, right? Accompanied by a varied
assortment of musicians including Herb Alpert(!), Roy Bittan, and Matthew
Fisher, some of these arrangements of 60's hits work better than others.
"Conquistador", "Girl", "Strawberry Fields Forever", and the medley of "As Tears
Go By" and "Ruby Tuesday" are the most memorable. I like the bouncy rhythm on
"Bus Stop", and the bittersweet flavor comes through without any lyrics on "I'll
Follow the Sun"; some of the others are just too light. The album as a whole is
fun and entertaining, and it's a kick to hear David's take on some old moldy
favorites, but .... I'm not sure how to finish that sentence, but maybe it's
better to leave it hanging and see what's next! Christmas
Eve David Lanz designed this album to be an antidote to the rush, commercialism, and madness that the holiday season can bring. As most of Lanz's solo piano recordings are, this album is introspective and calming, and, with a couple of exceptions, most of the arrangements are rather somber. "Joy to the World" is a very big exception, as this is just about the most joyful version I've ever heard or played. (The companion songbook is the most popular Christmas book I use with my more advanced students, and this and several of the other songs are always played in my students' Christmas recital!) "The First Noel / Christmas Eve Waltz" is a delight. The waltz is a Lanz original, and it weaves in and out of "The First Noel" seamlessly with a warm, cozy feel. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is my favorite piece on this album. Dark and mysterious, the piece is at once ancient and very contemporary. Lanz's arrangements of "Silent Night" and "Angels We Have Heard on High" are also exceptional. I'm not crazy about the "angel" improvisations between most of the songs, although "Angel of Hope" is lovely. I was surprised to find that "O Holy Night", to me the most passionate of all the Christmas carols, was presented in such a cool and distant manner. I was also disappointed in "What Child Is This" for the same reason. I have to say that since I teach Christmas music from the end of October
until the end of December, I am very picky about the Christmas music I listen
to. The outstanding arrangements I mentioned make this CD worth buying. It is
quiet and introspective for the most part, and Lanz succeeded well in his goal
of creating an album of tranquil Christmas music. A few of the pieces are just a
bit too tranquil for my ears. |
David
Lanz - Solo Piano CD Reviews
