Steven Halpern
Trance-Zendance

Having received recognition in the prestigious Keyboard Magazine for being one of the most important contributors to contemporary keyboard music, as well as being a founder of the new age music genre, Steven Halpern is certainly not resting on his laurels. His Trance-Zendance album is a bold departure from the deeply meditative music most listeners have associated with him over the past few decades. Exploring the cyber-world of electronic music this album blends Halpern's ethereal washes of sound with funky hip-hop beats and the requisite elements of this style of music: the blips, bleeps, and filter sweeps of vintage analog synthesizers. This is a fun album that is versatile enough to be used for dancing or for chilling with a set of headphones. Highly recommended.



Neal Schon
Beyond The Thunder

In the liner notes to Beyond The Thunder, Neal Schon discusses the need to reinvent oneself as they go through life's changes, especially after already achieving the lofty level of rock stardom that many aspire to. He speaks from experience, having toured and recorded with Santana at the age of 15 (after turning down an invitation from Eric Clapton to join his band), and going on to be a founding member of the multi-platinum super-group Journey. The title of the album goes a long way in describing the general direction of this all-instrumental, semi-"unplugged" recording. While there are acoustic guitars on the album, it does also feature electric guitars, but in a generally mellower mode than the fiery fretwork he is most known for (although he is not totally "beyond the thunder", and does let it rip on occasion). Working with Journey keyboardist and long-time collaborator Jonathan Cain, Neal has put together a stellar album that should appeal to guitarists and lovers of contemporary instrumental music, and perhaps even open a new door for fans of hard rock as well.



Jon Anderson
Angels Embrace

Magic, fantasy, and wonder are but a few of the words that come to mind in reflecting on the music of Jon Anderson. Over the past four decades, he has spun many wondrous musical tales in his role as lead vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, that shared the same lofty musical atmosphere as groups like Genesis, The Moody Blues, and Pink Floyd. Anderson has also been prolific as a solo artist and collaborator, producing albums with other spiritually minded artists like Vangelis and Kitaro.

This stunning release is quite a departure from his previous work with Yes or his numerous solo albums. The most noticeable difference is that it is primarily an instrumental recording with Jon providing vocals on only a small percentage of the tracks. Billed as "a spiritual journey through the healing power of music", Angels Embrace is profoundly beautiful, serene, and ethereal, and features Jon playing all the magical synthesizer sounds that grace this work. I was deeply moved by this music and highly recommend it.



King Sunny Ade
Juju Music

In contrast to recent trends in which one or two person "groups" utilize computers, sequencers, and programable electronic instruments to create multi-tracked layers of sound, King Sunny's band, the African Beats, is composed of twenty members with each person playing a specialized role in the complex interaction called Juju music. The roots of this music are in Nigeria where King Sunny is affectionately known as "The Chairman". By comparison, he is to Juju what Bob Marley is to reggae.

The music itself is based on the complex call and response between the African talking drum and the vocalists. Over that foundation an unlikely assortment of instruments such as electric guitars, synthesizers, steel guitar, and percussion weave a magical spell. That sound is difficult to describe, but easy to dance to. Some of the songs have a deep mystical feeling to them, which I found enchanting. Other songs have a lighter "island feel". While the music has a distinctly African flavor, it is a literal melting pot of musical influences. The first time I heard the lilting strains of Hawaiian steel guitar over the pulsing African rhythm with spacey synthesizers in the background, my mind went into culture shock, but my foot knew what to do as it tapped along irrepressibly to the beat. Juju music is not intellectual music. It is music for the body and soul to move to in the celebration of life.