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"Both Sides Now" |
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RJ Lannan And Bill Binkelman opine from "Both Sides Now" |
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| Beautiful Day |
| By Peter Janson & Friends |
| Label: EWM Records / Eastern Woods Music |
| Released 8/28/2006 |
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| Beautiful Day tracks |
1. Mantra for Mieka 
2. Spirit Dances
3. Beautiful Day
4. Waterfall
5. December Morning Sun
6. Welcome Guests
7. Dragonfly
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Beautiful Day |
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I had to go up the mountain the other day and build a waterfall for a client so I took Peter Janson & Friends along for the ride. Clear blue skies, brisk morning breezes and the sun just getting ready to warm things up. The conditions were perfect for some contemporary and precarious jazz instrumentals from a well-known and highly talented guitarist. And his friends of course. The album is called Beautiful Day and it was apropos to my time with the music. Fingerstyle guitarist Peter Janson usually does a solo act, but on this album he wanted to make a statement. Something like many hands make the workload light or like try to attain harmony and peace on the planet. So he assembled some outstanding musicians and their collaborative effort is a tribute to cooperation. You have to start somewhere.
Joining Peter is Canadian Guitarist of the Year Jamie Bonk, switching out on bass are Chris Lopes, John Lockwood, and Henrik Bridger, Steve Hunt on keyboards, Bertram Lehman on percussion, Raymond Gonzalez on mandolin and Julie Woods on vocals.
The opening track is called Mantra for Mieka and it puts mellow back on the map. Janson's acoustic prowess coordinated with the gentle keyboards score is a tranquil hymn for any mood. The mantra might be for peace, harmony or a crack just wide enough for a restive spirit to flow though and find solace. In either case it is a terrific opening for a Beautiful Day. There's almost fifty minutes of magic on the album broken down into seven tracks. Spirit Dance is one of the longest and best. It features the talents of Bonk (NAR Interviewer and guitarist extraordinaire) and groovin' bassist Lockwood that bounces the theme around like a jazz and contemporary ball with its own source of energy. Great cut.
No matter how many times I play the album, my spirits pick up every time December Morning Sun comes up on the rotation. This is the tune with the closet association New Age and, of course is one of my favorites. It runs the full gamut between minimalism, jazz and contemporary and the mood is frosty and clear. It is the soundtrack for watching big, puffy flakes of snow fall as the sun rises. Yes, I’ve seen it!
Finally Dragonfly, a contemporary ballad for a flight of fancy featuring the sultry background vocals of Julie Woods. It is punchy, fun loving music to watch the sun play peek-a-boo with the clouds, or to count the ripples on a still pond, or to journey to a land of placid beauty. There is light, warmth and freedom in the music.
The cast has got more hours on sessions and backup gigs than an overworked ambulance driver. Together they expertly mesh their talents to make one brilliant album that will add just the right musical ambience for just about any positive occasion. The music is that good. You can take Peter Janson & Friends anywhere and they will do you proud.
Rating: Very Good + : RJ Lannan
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Being a big fan of Peter Janson's first three solo acoustic guitar albums, I was curious to see what he would do in an ensemble setting. Would Janson's evocative and frequently plaintive melodies be glossed over with too much polish and/or would the accompanists intrude upon the aesthetic I was so used to from past releases?
No worries, mate, as Beautiful Day is a stunning album, to say the least. Within a few minutes into the first track, I realized I was hearing an evolution in Janson's music that captured his "essence" while transforming it into a fuller more atmospheric and textured "whole." This CD can best be described as "autumn driving music" filled with smooth melodies that are often tinted with melancholy and reflection yet sometimes a warm cheerfulness as well. The addition of percussion, another guitar, bass, wordless vocals (on two tracks) and some excellent electronic keyboards (courtesy of Steve Hunt) adds a lot to Janson's already evocative and rich music, which I thought was pretty damn good to begin with (evidenced by my glowing reviews of past recordings).
Highlights are many: Mantra for Mieka with delicate guitar, hand percussion, and subdued bass, the wonderfully moody Spirit Dances (mixing a sly bluesy mood and sparkling guitar with sensual rhythms), the short sunny title track, an almost ten-minute long minimalist tone poem December Morning Sun (I'd actually consider this quasi-ambient in the way it patiently unwinds with piano, synth textures, and bass all pirouetting around each other), and the breezy relaxed "walking-along-the beach" feeling of Dragonfly (a cross between John Balint and Bruce BecVar) with hand drums, guitar, wordless vocals, synth washes and some subtle jazzy organ fills at the end.
Put simply, Beautiful Day is a perfect album with many memorable moments. Bravo to Peter Janson and his assorted guest stars, including Jamie Bonk (whose own guitar/ensemble albums this reminds me of at times). Beautiful Day is easily one of the best releases of recent years and is recommended without reservation to fans of the new age/adult contemporary genre.
Rating: Excellent : Bill Binkelman
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Combined Rating: Excellent  |
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- reviewed by RJ Lannan / Bill Binkelman on 10/4/2006 |
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