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I hold the
music of Canadian pianist Michael Jones very close
to my heart. There is something about his style-
that ever-so-delicate touch that I find
irresistible, and his heavenly compositions draw me
in every time. Present me with an extra long CD
containing a hundred piano solos from 100 different
musicians, and I am fairly certain I could
successfully identify the piece by Michael. He makes
the keys twinkle with happiness, and it is as if he
and the piano are as one. Unrushed, he allows time
for each piece to develop, and each track is like a
story in itself.
This CD,
containing eight of his most loved tracks from the
1980s, showcases his very special and quite unique
technique. If I were to say that the CD is over 74
minutes long, but contains just eight tracks, it
might give the reader some idea as to the
craftsmanship involved. A lot of work goes into each
track, but the actual recording is spontaneous and,
once this is complete, to some extent Michael puts
the music aside, and starts working on his next
piece.
Few CDs contain
linear notes as comprehensive as this one. A three
page biography at the start, a twelve page
autobiography (focusing on music!) followed by eight
pages of notes regarding the tracks. The end result
is that the listener feels she or he has an
understanding of the music, and is able to
appreciate it more as a result. Michael is an
excellent story-teller, and his notes are a joy to
read.
The CD opens
with "Mexican Memories", taken from the "Seascapes"
album. Typical Jones, the track meanders on its
journey and offers total relaxation. In the notes,
he says, "Music is the language of imagination. I
created winter music in the summer, and I
transported myself to the plains and mountains and
the ocean. Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in
Hartford, Connecticut, Dimitri Tiomkin composed the
music for High Noon in New York.... and I have never
been to Mexico."
"Wildflowers"
is quite unusual in that it features both English
horn, flute, oboe and cello as accompaniment to the
piano. The English horn (and oboe) are played by
Nancy Rumbel, Karen Doe plays the flute, and David
Darling is on cello. Most of Michael's compositions
on CDs are solo-piano, whereas others feature piano
and cello. The combination of flute and piano works
wonderfully well, and the result is a very
uplifting, happy track, which captures the joyous
movement of the dancing flowers. Michael explains
how each of us have our own "special place" where we
can be inspired and rejuvenated. He refers to these
as "gifts of the wilderness". He goes on to
explain.... "As I sit at the piano, my imagination
visits these places, and each one is filled with the
images of wildflowers. Whether they stand quietly in
the forest or dance in the midday sun, their beauty
commands my attention. As they open their petals to
greet the day, I can almost hear their joyful cry.
Track 3 is the
piece of music that set the ball rolling for
Michael. "Pianoscapes", the title track of the album
he first released for Narada (and indeed Narada's
first release) perhaps only came about thanks to the
gentle persuasion of one of the guests that Michael
was enlightening with one of his educational
programmes. Following the day's work, the group went
en-masse to a local restaurant. After the meal,
Michael was asked to play the piano. Following his
performance of "Pianoscapes", one of the conference
members who had been listening from another room,
entered and asked Michael if that had been him
playing on the piano. When Michael replied that
indeed it was him, the man encouraged him to record
the piece. Michael did just that around a year
later. The ten minute track takes many different
directions during its journey. To this day, he still
tinkers with it. As Michael himself says, "I have
lived with and performed this selection longer than
any of my other recorded compositions. Over the
years, it continues to surprise me. An added nuance
here, or a variation on an inner voicing there. It
continues to refine and simplify. I learned not to
try to complete a piece too quickly, otherwise I
miss the jewel inside- the essence of what the music
has to say to me."
"After the
Rain" is quite possibly Michael's most well-known
piece of music. The piano is accompanied by cello,
oboe and English horn. Listen to the rain drops at
the start, as he twinkles with the piano. Soft,
gentle, soothing. Heavenly rain indeed. The piece is
in three sections, with slight variations in each.
Just as a shower would be slightly different each
time, so are the sections of this piece. The story
behind the inspiration for this piece is utterly
captivating. Having spent several summers living in
a restored barn in north-eastern Ontario, Michael
decided to visit an auction at a nearby town. The
local church had purchased a new electronic organ,
and the original pump organ was for sale. Michael
reflected on the time he had spent with his
Grandmother as she had taught him how to play such
an instrument, and- impressed with its fine wood
carving- he tested the bellows and decided to
purchase it. Several of Michael's friends assisted
in the none-too-easy task of securing the organ into
the back of an open pick-up truck. With no room in
the driver's cab for them all, Michael was suddenly
struck by an idea. He decided to sit in the back
with the organ and play it en-route to the barn!
Michael continues the story.... "It had rained that
day. A heavy mist lifted off the fields. As the
truck moved slowly through the countryside, the rays
of the setting sun created a hazy, golden glow
across the green fields and forests. I watched as
people, seemingly suspended in air because of the
mist, worked the soil in their fields and weeded
their gardens. As the wind blew across my face, and
I drank in the beauty of the scenes, I played- and
rich organ music filled the air." And so "After the
Rain" was born. You can listen to the entire track
by clicking the Piano Heaven logo at the bottom of
this review.
Track 5,
"Sunshine Canyon" is special to me because it
combines the touch of Michael Jones's piano with the
gorgeous cello playing of David Darling. The ensuing
music is magical. There is something special about
the combination of piano and cello. It is as if the
two instruments were made for one another. The track
is taken from the much-loved, but sadly Out-of-Print
"Amber" album (available directly from Michael
Jones). The album was recorded in Sunshine Canyon,
overlooking the Boulder Valley and the Great Divide
in Colorado. The two improvised together, initially
with Michael playing grand cascades on the piano,
dueling with David's broad sweeps of the bow on the
cello. However, things took a different direction
when Michael and David started to experiment with a
gentler combination. Michael takes up the story: "I
began to develop a wistful piano theme while David
plucked a soft pizzicato. For hours we explored its
many nuances and variations. At times, the piano and
cello blended so completely, we thought we heard a
third instrument. The music was like a meditation. I
find that creations often come by surprise. Ideas
simply appear. "Sunshine Canyon" came to us in this
way. It's quite possible if the tape recorder had
malfunctioned, "Sunshine Canyon" would have
disappeared just as quickly!"
"Song for Eia"
is very special to me, and is dedicated to a brave
young lady "who lost her life in unfortunate
circumstances." In fact, if push came to shove, then
I would say that it is my favourite piece of music
in my entire collection of over ten thousand piano
tracks. From start to finish, it just captivates me
with its beauty. My favourite part is towards the
end, when there is a plethora of notes and the piece
becomes rather rhythmical and upbeat. The piece was
inspired by stormy evenings at Michael's lake-front
house in rural Ontario- and Michael was a fan of
such evenings as it got his creative juices working.
He recalls how the air was moist with an approaching
storm, and the waves were lapping up on the pebble
shore. "The night had its own song," says Michael,
as he recalls that evening. He had to stop
frequently to wipe the dampness from the keys. The
theme came quickly. Michael explains.... "With my
left hand, I played a swelling ostinato pattern,
which captured the slow but steady movement of the
waves outside. As the melody developed, a worm,
moist breeze wafted through the screen porch,
rustling the leaves of the maple tree outside. When
the rain started pattering on the roof, I answered
with slow, cascading arpeggios. As the final section
of the piece came into form, the rain and wind sang
together, creating their own duet. In the distance,
the thunder rumbled across the lake, easing the
tension in the air, and the music gained a full and
rhythmic quality." It is this part of the
composition that I love dearly. The piece was
originally entitled, "Night-Wind", something that
many of us will have experienced in the past. Bravo,
Michael!
"Sunrise" is
the penultimate track and is taken from "Magical
Child". It features David Darling on cello, Nancy
Rumble on oboe and English horn, and Karen Doe on
flute. As ever, the music that follows is very
relaxing and meanders one way and then another. I
particularly like it where the piano and cello
combine at around five minutes into the piece. This
track came about whilst Michael was playing early
one morning on a patio deck, where ducks had
gathered in the reeds to bathe. The opening passage
of this piece seems to capture their playfulness.
Michael was mesmerised by the sounds of nature
around him. In his notes, he refers to this as a
"symphony". Michael watched, listened and played.
Once again, the inspiration came from his
surroundings.
The closing
track is, fittingly enough, "Endings". This is taken
from the "Pianoscapes" album. Finding himself in
completely different surroundings to that which
inspired "Sunrise", Michael took in the sights and
sounds of city life, courtesy of a fellow musician's
apartment which came Michael's way one Winter. He
was fascinated by the city at night. This is a
laid-back piece- one for a late night New Orleans
bar. It is the perfect end to the perfect CD.
I cannot
recommend this CD highly enough. If you like
melodic, relaxing music played by a master of the
genre, then this is for you. It is the perfect
introduction to Michael's early music. Since then,
he has gone on to record and release several more
albums. Michael is no longer with Narada, and
releases his music independently through his
Pianoscapes website, which also stocks all his CDs,
including the ones that are out of print. His most
recent effort, "Almost Home", released in Summer
2006, is particularly good and is featured in the
Piano Heaven pages. "Michael's Music- A Michael
Jones Retrospective" receives my highest
recommendation.
S.C. |
