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Wayne Gratz has
been one of my favourite pianists over the years, so
it was with great excitement that I inserted his
latest offering, the curiously titled "Light, Lands
and Shorelines" into my CD player. What followed was
an hour of bliss, and I quickly remembered why I
admired this musician so much. It's the composer's
fourth outing on his own label, Wayne Gratz Music,
having been a stalwart of the now defunct Narada
label for many years, where he released eleven
albums.
Wayne's new
work was specially commissioned to provide the
accompanying soundtrack for the paintings of
Thomas Kinkade, "Painter of Light”. Kinkade is
apparently America's most collected living artist,
and a visit to his site shows that he is indeed a
very talented painter. It is little wonder then,
that these two masters of their trade should end up
working together, and the end result is a match made
in heaven.
For months,
Wayne's web-site has been teasing me with the
tantalising "The Windows Glow" which has played upon
entry to the site. I kept wondering when it would
become available, and now finally the wait is over.
It has an instantly appealing melody. On every Wayne
Gratz CD, there is always one stand-out track- an
absolute belter- and this is it. It has a fairly
slow tempo, is utterly gorgeous and is a winner
through and through. It reminds me a little of
Traveller from the album Soul to Soul,
which I also loved. I think the slow-tempo tracks
are what Wayne does best. They're the hardest to do,
but Wayne manages it effortlessly.
The CD
continues with "Native American Winter". To me, this
is Wayne's trademark sound. Highly melodic, easy to
listen to, and very satisfying in equal measure. It
should be noted that each of the pieces presumably
relates to a particular work of Art by Kinkade. A
visit to the site where the accompanying art-work is
displayed (here)
provides lots of gorgeous paintings but no clues as
to their titles or which piece of music relates to
which painting- other than the subject matter of the
pictures. Nevertheless, this music works at every
level, and the pieces stand perfectly well on their
own.
(Wayne Gratz is pictured, right.)
When I first
heard the opening of Track 3, I thought of water, so
it was little surprise to learn its title was
"Waters Flowing Softly". Most of Kinkade's paintings
feature water in one form or another, and this could
be any one of the many stunning paintings at the
site. Another appealing melody, another classic
track.
"Cottage by the
Sea" is such a specific title, that it is quite
possible to make a reasoned guess as to the identity
of the accompanying artwork. This must be an idyllic
place to live- the mood is one of relaxed beauty.
With some rather delicate piano playing, the waters
are clearly calm in this heavenly retreat.
One of my
favourite tracks is the album's fifth song, "At the
Water's Edge". Its style reminds me a little of
Michael Gettel on his San Juan Suite CD. This
is a rolling piece, I imagine capturing the gentle
waves lapping against the shoreline, with the
occasional (but never threatening) bigger wave. This
is a shoreline to visit for a perfect evening
stroll.
"Gardens" is
Track 6, and the use of gentle synths give this an
ethereal feel. This could be the Garden of Eden. I
am sure water is present in this garden as well. The
piano playing is every bit as lovely as in previous
pieces, and the composition ends with some Michael
Jones style delicate brushing of the keys.
Track 7
maintains the impeccably high standard of this CD
with "Houses by the Water". Again, with a fairly
specific title like that, it is rather good fun
trying to identify which might be the accompanying
piece of art-work. The waters are always gentle
here, and this is another soporific piece from this
prolific composer.
The reader is
probably spotting a recurring theme here- this CD
could easily have been called "Quiet Waters", and
the title of Track 8, "Quiet Harbour" adds weight to
this idea. Yes, the subject matter is similar
throughout much of the CD, but each track is unique.
We pay only the briefest of visits to this harbour-
all is well, everyone is safe; this is a harbour
where shelter is always at hand.
"Colours of
Autumn" has the faintest hint of Blue Ridge Part
II, from Wayne's classic Narada album Blue
Ridge. Gentle guitar playing supplements the
lovely sound resonating from Wayne's piano. This
album is remarkably consistent in providing hit
after hit, and this track is a fine example of this.
Track 10 is
more upbeat. Its title is "A Busy Street" and its
style reminded me a little of that of George
Winston. With a busy left hand, this street may well
be full of life, but it is never overly cluttered or
noisy. It features a melody that is very catchy and
pleasing to the ear. "A Busy Street" is another
comparatively short track (2:30), but every second
is worth savouring.
"Market Place"
might suggest another up-tempo track, but the
listener is returned to a place of quiet. This is
away from the busy street, and the market is warm
and friendly. It features a slightly playful melody,
which suggests to this listener that this is also a
very happy place to be.
A plethora of
notes played as a Glissando at the beginning of the
twelfth track and intermittently throughout,
immediately gave me the impression of swirling
water. "Sails and Sea" is its title and, once again,
this is a joy to listen to from beginning to end.
Another quite
upbeat track forms Track 13- "American Dream". The
music is positive, happy and optimistic. It
continues the trend of "easy-to-listen-to" music.
Onto the
album's penultimate track, "Lonely Ships, Welcome
Light". This piece starts off very simply and in
minimalist form. As the piece progresses towards its
middle section, the tempo changes. One can only
speculate as to what this piece is about- lost crew
saved by a lighthouse, perhaps? Certainly light is a
recurring theme in the artist's work, and the light
shines stronger as this piece of music reaches its
mid-point. Curiously, we come full circle towards
the end of the piece- Wayne returns to the minimum
of notes. Perhaps the light is no longer needed. To
me, there is a sad feel to this piece- almost
mournful in parts.
"Home" is the
title of the final track. It begins as a "feel-good"
track. A delightful little melody makes this the
perfect way to end, and Wayne bows out in style. As
the track closes, the tempo slows right down and the
music becomes very quiet, suggesting that the
journey is complete.
"Light, Lines
and Shorelines" is available from
CD Baby
(samples of every track are available here) and
directly from Wayne himself
www.waynegratz.com.
Recorded in Wayne's home studio in January 2007,
this is a great CD- one I shall treasure- and a most
deserving recipient of "Piano-Heaven" status.
Congratulations, Wayne, on a job well done.
S.C. |
