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 Smiling Ear Music Review Blogs Aldo is an exceptionally gifted young guitarist and composure and his debut album, "Close to You" is simply remarkable . Many of his songs are played on the Smiling Ear with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Born on July 5, 1967 in the "City of Brotherly Love" - Philadelphia, PA , he is the second of two boys from parents of Italian descent. His birth name is actually Alfred but he prefers the nickname "ALDO" which he received in college. The name "ALDO" represents the first two letters of his first and last name. He began learning how to play the guitar when he was eleven years old. His grandfather purchased him an acoustic guitar and his mother paid for weekly guitar lessons. He went on to study Classical Guitar under professor Glenn Lyons at the University of West Chester. Aldo uses a combination of classical and traditional finger style techniques to achieve his unique guitar sound which is a beautiful blending of classical, flamenco and jazz. The melodic ambient music of Ambient Generation is played frequently on the Smiling Ear and for good reason. The talented musician/songwriter Matthew Oates from the UK is the driving force behind Ambient Generation, and the composition and sound quality of each of his songs is superb. His latest album "Icebreaker" is availabe now. In a recent email from Matthew, he says this album sticks to melodic ambient, but also adds a strong breakbeat influence. It is a "must have" for any ambient and chillout collection! One of the pioneers of the New Age music genre, David Arkenstone produces some of the most enjoyable music to listen to. He combines electronic music and acoustic instruments and sounds into wonderful layers of sound. "Technology has produced some wonderful tools for making music. The computer allows me to fully orchestrate my pieces and really fine tune them," said David. Diane Arkenstone’s dreamy compositions, laid back rhythms, "airy" vocals and layers of liquid synthesizers make her a most healing composure to listen to. When this husband and wife team are working together, their music is simply extraordinary and will take you away to "another world". Conservatory trained as a orchestral bassist with over fifty film, TV, and cable projects for stations such as HBO, PBS, and Lifetime, this prolific composer produced several CD’s of masterful ambient and meditation music played regularly on the Smiling Ear. The songs currently played are off of the "Sky of Grace", "Muse of the Round Sky" and "Balancing Spheres" CD's. Paul is a master at weaving rich electronic and acoustic layers of auditory bliss and transporting oneself into the outer reaches of the galaxy or the inner depths of the warm sea and inner peace and tranquility. Listen for more compositions from his "Maya: The Great Katum" and "Words Touch" on the Smiling Ear. Mark Bruland is an exceptional composer who skillfully weaves traditional American folk music into a musical quilt of very relaxing compositions. Born and raised in Detroit, MI, Mark moved to to California in the early 80's and worked on in television and radio. He moved back to the Midwest in 2003 and now lives in the 7 rivers region of south west Wisconsin. He writes and records in his own home studio. Mark and his family are committed to a sustainable lifestyle, and this family "walks the talk"! They organically farm 45 acres which include apples, berries and also laying hens for orgainic eggs. Composure is regularly played on the Smiling Ear. The masterful digital songwriting and recording talent behind composure is William McGee, who has also become an e-mail buddy as we share musical ideas and life's philosophy. Much of Composure’s music is extremely soothing, ambient with subtle melodies woven within each composition. What strikes me most about William is his dedication to his music and its effect on the listener and his his own journey in creating his music. I've listened to many of his songs and there is an exciting progression in musical style and technical expertise. His latest CD, "World Out Of Balance" is one of the best ambient works I've listened to. The recording quality is superb. Check out several CD's by Composure and download the many wonderful samples of Composure’s work and support this ambient/healing musical artist by purchasing his self published CD’s if you enjoy the music as much as us at the Smiling Ear. Rob Costlow is one of the best new solo pianists that I have heard in years. His sound is reminiscent of George Winston, who Rob says was a great influence, but his style is very much his own. Rob has a sensitivity that brings the keyboard to life with relaxing and soothing melodies "Music is a release from the stresses of the world," says Costlow. "I never force myself to write. I do it when it comes to me. I'm taking things a day at a time." When I discovered James Gray's music, it was like finding hidden gemstones in a moss laden rainforest. Gray has a distinct laid-back, smooth ambient sound that always leaves me refreshed and mellow. Ancient Journey, released in 2004, is a must for any relaxing and healing muisc collection. Gray's music transports the listener quickly to a relaxed state and soothing, otherwordly dimensions. Be sure to visit this artists website at www.endlessbounty.com Steven Halpern is one of the first "Western" composers to record music and sounds specifically for healing and meditation. As the Beatles and other musicians of the 60's were exploring philosophy from India and other countries, they were being exposed to new "ancient" music, scales and tones. The results of this exposure was recordings such as the ambient sounds of Music For Airports by Brian Eno and fusion-music by such artists as Tangerine Dream, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Pink Floyed where the music was meant to be a vehicle to other states of mind. Steven Halpern created music purposely without a beat or strong melody with the goal of deep relaxation and meditation. He is recognized, and rightly so, as being one of the originators of modern meditation and healing music, which the music industry labeled... "New Age". He continues to create exceptional recordings and is an authority and author about the effects of sound and its positive and negative effects on the body. Hanspeter Krüsi, DBA HP Crazy, is from Switzerland living in Seegräben near Zürich and plays both guitar and keyboards. This independant musician creates and produces a wide range of hypnotic instrumental music with a smooth groove. "The philosophy of my work is that music is a medium for energy which has the power to touch people on a deep emotional level", says HP Crazy when describing his inner approach to music. HP Crazy plays his instruments from pure emotion and often plays live. He calls this "Pure Music" When composing, HP Crazy describes his method like this, "I don't think in styles like chill out, ambient or whatever. I only focus on the mood and color I want to create." He also has his own internet radio station where he plays all of his own original material. John brings his multicultural background into music through performance, collaboration, and individual study. Luttrell is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His original compositions range from progressive rock to ambient electronic soundtracks and solo piano. The instrumental work he has produced on two CD's, "Underwater Flying Lessons" with ambient compositions for piano and guitar, and "A Sense of Impending Levitation" are very ambient and soothing to listen to. "A Sense of Impending Levitation" is exceptional and played regularly on the Smiling Ear. John has combined layers of thick dreamy synth textures and keybords, synthetic whistles and produced a masterpeice. The sound of Impending Levitation is reminiscent of early electronic ambient pioneers such as Eno and Kitaro. I sing to comfort, heal, move, transport and awaken the divine voice within us all. - Lisbeth Scott Lisbeth Scott is a phenomenal musician with an amazing voice. You've most likely heard her on several movie soundtracks as she was a most sought after session singer, and was the huantingly beautiful vocals on the "Passion of Christ" soundtrack. Listen to a song like "Passionate Voice" off the Passionate Voice CD, and melt slowly into a river of jasmine scented dreams under a glowing moon. Steven Parente is a multi-media artist residing in Hilo Hawaii and is the producer of the Smiling Ear internet radio station and the design revolution website, www.smilingear.com. Parente creates ambient soundscapes that translates his imagery of paradise and his understanding of nuclear physics and multiple probable of realities. His goal it to produce positive and healing states of mind that allows creative and independent thought. With a background in technical design, military and commercial avionics, marketing and advertising, Parente had a realization that most people are manipulated by mainstream media, corporations and government without realizing the consequences of their actions. The Smiling Ear is his contribution to creating a peaceful, tolerant, and sustainable world through meditation, relaxation, design and rational thinking without boundaries or restrictions. The incredibly diverse compositions and exotic sounds of Chris Spheeris are a continual joy. He speaks in many musical languages and always seems to create a pure spiritual essence with each composition. Chris grew up in the 60’s and was deeply influenced by the Beatles, and and composed music and lyrics with his dear friend Paul Voudouris who introduced him to the synthesizer and the early music of Genesis and Brian Eno. One day, his brother played a record by a Greek artist, Vangelis, who was to become my mentor in the new world of synthesized and electronic music. In his own words, Spheeris describes his musical journy, "I am grateful to be alive in this beautiful, multi-dimensional world of color and magic. I am grateful to be an instrument of creation and to have been gifted with the ability to make my living by communicating in a language that I love. I am constantly humbled by the magnitude of the great and unfathomable spirit that moves in and around me making this life a privilege to experience." Vangelis is one of my favorite sound designers. A pioneer in electronic music and a brilliant composer, Vangelis was born as "Evanghelos Odyssey Papathanassiou" on march 29th 1943 in a small town near Volos, Greece. In 1982, Vangelis earned international fame with his Oscar-winning soundtrack for Chariots of Fire. He then wrote the soundtrack for the science fiction classic Blade Runner starrting Harrison Ford. He is easily one of the most significant music composers of our time. My favorites: Antarctica Blade Runner Soundtrack China Vangelis Direct Oceanic Voices When I first heard the the sweet sounds of Andreas Vollenweider's harp, it was being played at a futon shop in Hilo Hawaii in 1985. I asked the lady who ran the shop who was playing... and ran out and bought Caverna Magic. I've been listening to this extremely creative man ever since. My favorites: The Trilogy - (A great compilation of early songs) Book of Roses Caverna Magic Down to the Moon Yanni is one of the remarkable composers and performers of the New Age and instrumental music movement starting in the early 1980’s, with its spiritual and musical roots in the 60’s. Yanni has a very interesting history. A champion swimmer and self-taught pianist with the gift of perfect pitch, he left the comforts of Kalamata, Greece, on the spectacular shores of the deep blue Mediterranean, and then began to fashion his own kind of American success story, later to become an international success story. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in psychology, after trading the Grecian sunshine for frosty winters, he would seek a life in music, though he could not read a note and wrote wholly original works that, then and now, defy categorizing. From the beginning, he operated with a simple creed: a faith in hard work and keeping an open mind. |
