Isadars fourth solo piano album is a blend of smooth jazz and new age
stylings, showing both his impressive technique and sensitivity to
melody. Several of the eight selections are free-form and
improvisational, revealing some of Liz Storys influence on his music.
Some of Isadars earlier recordings have very dark, moody sections, but
this one stays fairly upbeat and optimistic without being ear candy. The
music is complex enough to sink your teeth into, and yet is accessible
enough to enjoy as a backdrop to a quiet dinner or an evening with a
good book.
"Joyful Running" begins the "journey" with an exuberant and uplifting
piece that reminds me a little of some of Spencer Brewers bouncier
compositions. "Fountain of Life" is a beautiful piece with a water-like
flow that never stops in its 10 1/2 minutes. I listened to this CD
several times without realizing that this song was that long. It flows
and meanders so effortlessly that it seemed no longer than the other
seven selections, most of which are between four and five minutes in
length. Unstructured and free, this is one of my favorite tracks. I also
really like the title track, which is even more abstract and
unstructured. The tone is of searching and moving forward. "End of the
Line" is my favorite on this album. Very introspective and
contemplative, this seems to be a very personal piece. It is the most
somber track, but one still senses hope despite the ending of something
dear and important. Or maybe its simply the end of "the journey" and
the dread of returning to "real life" - I feel this way on the last day
of my vacations! It is a wonderful and moving closing to an excellent
album.
The companion songbook is expertly
transcribed and engraved by David Shenton of New York Music Publishing. The layout of the music is clear and uncluttered, and the notation
includes pedal markings and dynamics that allow the pianist to express
the music as closely as possible to how Isadar played it on the
recording. A few of the pieces are quite long and require a more
advanced pianist who is able to express the nuances that keep the
recording so interesting, but several of the pieces are well within the
capabilities of upper intermediate players. Some of the rhythms are a
little bit tricky, but the majority of the left hand parts are running
eighth notes, which make it easier. None of the key signatures are
difficult, and none of the chords have a reach of more than an octave,
making this music very playable for smaller hands. My favorite pieces
to play in this book are "Joyful Running," "Voice of God (Thanksgiving)," "Smoke Signals," and "End of the Line."
Isadar is an artist on
both Enlightened Piano Radio & Whisperings Solo Piano Radio, the
latter featuring some of today's biggest names in solo piano
music, including Ludovico Einaudi, David Nevue, Brian Crain, Kevin
Kern, Robin Spielberg, Michele McLaughlin, Philip Wesley and over 300
more...
Also available as sheet music in physical songbooks, digital downloads, as well as software for Yamaha Disklavier player-pianos.
For more information, visit his website at:
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.