NewAgeMusicWorld.Com is always ready to present musicians who excel in a particular field of music and whether it is solo guitar, piano or compilation albums comprising the New Age genre, we are ready to help point our readers in an appropriate direction.

Ben Woolman is a solo guitarist from Minnesota specializing in finger style performances on steel string guitar who amazes his audiences by an ability to layer cross and counter rhythms in relative fashion to the primary melody which gives the impression of multiple performers at his side.

Performing with multiple artists is not the case at all here, in fact his blending of harmonies and counter rhythms at the solo level are also without the assistance of dubbing, making his individual abilities a much rarer find than many other guitarists in the solo category.

Many Moods is his current release that projects his unique abilities in finger style guitar and this latest is another fine example of his more expansive 10 total albums that Ben Woolman has produced during his lifetime.  In addition, his longtime repertoire while playing guitar encompasses many genre elements like Folk, Blues, Jazz, Neo Classical, Latin, Celtic, and African, fusing many interwoven components that attest to his proficiency at a complicated technique.

Excelling in finger style guitar is precisely what makes the signature style of Ben Woolman quite unique.  In a perfectionist blend of layered counter rhythms, the applause given at the end of any performance goes to Ben Woolman alone and his singular talent for mastering the intricate counter melody technique.

The University of Wisconsin is one of the only colleges in the United States offering a degree in finger style guitar and exactly where Ben studied under a cooperative program with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with honors in Guitar Performance which nicely enhance his natural composing and performance abilities.  

Many Moods features 11 songs that offer a nice variation in manner and perception with 8 original compositions that do attain the numerous mood variations this aptly named album suggests.  The 3 remaining songs are renditions of The Police, Blind Blake and James Horner, and the challenging task of incorporating Rock, Jazz, and Cinematic music forms into Solo Guitar is pulled off with ease.

 One Afternoon is the first song on the Many Moods album and one nice characterization of his individual style given the Folk with a light hearted feel similar in mood to Contemporary Sadie’s Smile.  Lighter images appear in a more contemplative Me, myself and You and faster paced Up and Back is a nice progressive piece, along with the briskly paced rhythms in Wicked Ascent. 

A more Jazz style orientation can be heard in Salamander Swing and then Blake Says is an upbeat Blues tune that is sure to make you smile.  Mazurka Dance is a World & Latin influenced piece and another bright number that highlights his proficiency at finger style guitar. 

The 3 renditions make great listening too, and this entire album is a fine introduction to not only a proficient artist, but a wonderful musician that kindly restructures his challenging handiwork into uncomplicated and relaxing moods on our behalf.

Visit benwoolman.net to sample / purchase or at his CDBaby.com page.  To find out more about Ben and view his full discography and song videos click here.

 Photo Copyright benwoolman.net courtesy of Rebecca Pavlenko

When you hear New Age Contemporary Instrumental music having great rhythms and a wonderful upbeat atmosphere expertly blended with beautiful electronic melodies, this may be a promising sign you are listening to one of many quality songs produced by Davol !

Davol has just released Good Sign which decisively aligns itself to symbolize my description above and become an encouraging assertion to those in the music world already familiar with his first name artist title they are indeed listening to someone known for producing top quality music.

Successful in many aspects of his life, after obtaining a Ph.D. in 1989 his earlier career as a medical researcher and microbiologist were judiciously shelved in 1996 when he began a commercial venture producing multimedia music. During the same year his debut Mystic Waters became another personal success and made it to # 15 on the Billboard New Age Chart, where it remained a lengthy 25 weeks.

The decision to pursue a full time music career was fantastic news to those who already knew of his premium quality melodies, plus the worldwide usage of his songs involving television, radio, video and numerous multimedia production scores has clearly magnified this proficient artisan to many more.

Good Sign is an album that upon closer examination is rapidly multiplying in popularity and already making waves with his fans since the April 2010 release date. ZMR has set at # 3 for the month of April, so another positive finding for the very latest from Davol.

The 4 additional albums A Day Like No Other, Open Book, Paradox & Nature Of The Beast are all relatives to his current yet each one is a natural variation that evolves into their individual class, each interrelated by a characteristic source of fascinating drama.

Davol has exceeded his artistic intentions with Good Sign and the early reactions granted to his progressive album does replicate the characteristic source of fascination one will find in his entire discography. Good Sign is symmetrical to Davol’s principal expression of innovative quality music accented with inspiring drama.

Scarborough Days is the first song of 8 tracks that gives you a clear indication of the momentum and direction of this definitive album, along with the resulting positive influences his entire discography symbolizes. This lively song highlights the optimistic upbeat feel and beautiful keyboard synthesizer melodies those who collect his albums know so well and treasure.

Good Sign ( Title Song ) is more moderate by a light ambient feel that will brush a dark cloudy day away for anyone and promptly replace it with a bright sunshiny day full of color simply by the rich interwoven keyboard melody.

Truth 2010 is an electronic Dance / Club influences remix featured during the popular online video now available on this album. A heavier percussion tempo prepares the groove rhythms before exploration into deeper shades of electronic intensity and is very much in time when comparing to his conceptual Truth Video which captures the superficial and unbalanced influences often portrayed in television media.

Nautikos is another favorite by displaying a natural sophistication and contemporary elegance given the positively upbeat keyboard melody blending notes to perfection. This song steadily integrates harmonic spectrums in sound while harboring the glowing standard of inspiration Davol can readily achieve, making this album and his entire music collection an exceptional find for anyone.

Those familiar with his captivating music have another reason to celebrate. Newcomers can experience this sweeping source of fascination for themselves and learn why everyone is so excited about this promising new discovery by Davol.

Visit davolmusic.com to sample / purchase or visit his CDBaby.com page. You can also find out more about Davol at his biography page and MySpace.com page.

Picture Copyright BigStockPhoto.com – Yakobchuk

Vicki Logan is a musician who not only creates great music, but every song she has produced over the years reflects her heart and true spirit within each piece.   Vicki can be defined as a New Age artist who incorporates Pop, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, and many other genre influences that blend into memorable works of music that many like myself find truly inspirational.

Enlisting the help of Randy Gildersleeve, Andy LaCasse, Peter O’Gorman, Matt Fink, and others to produce built with pride award winning music, every album has a personal touch I am certain you will find inspiring too.  The 4 albums that chronicle each advancing stage in her music career include, Chasing Dreams, Finding My Way, The Ride, & The Journey To The Places In My Soul, which is now listed in the Top 100 New Age Albums for radio play in 2009.

Vicki Logan is also a creative graphic designer and has been busy launching her new website lately, but plans are underway to produce another album before long, and many like myself are highly anticipating her next release.

If you have missed the chance to hear Vicki Logan’s music on our Stars Radio, we encourage you to visit her brand new website vickilogan.com to sample / purchase her music, or sample her current release The Journey To The Places In My Soul at CDBaby.com here.  There are 4 album reviews I have written, and our interview together can be read when you visit our pages dedicated to Vicki Logan.

Here is an Album Quote I wrote about Vicki’s inspiring music, and the video below of Don’t Be Afraid, is just one of many classic songs you will find memorable.

Vicki Logan is an excellent example of what can be achieved when a talented artist shares a part of themselves by putting their heart and spirit into the creation of their music.  Incorporating elements of New Age, Pop, Jazz, and R & B influences provides the listener a fresh perspective with each classic piece she produces.  After discovering the music of Vicki Logan, you will find yourself recalling her inspiring melodies over and over in your mind daily. 

Photo Copyright Vicki Logan

Close your eyes then imagine a gentle breeze and warm sunshine against your skin. Add in the beautiful sights, sounds, and pleasing aroma of your surrounding environment so that when everything is considered, makes a memorable day you could term sensational.

This scenario could easily place everyone in many favorite pastimes, but for one concert pianist who enjoys sailing the warm oceanic waters in Hawaii, this description closely matches the wonderful sensations realized while contemplating his next piano album.

Christopher Boscole is the classically trained pianist, composer, and musician where genre’s of New Age, Jazz, folk, and Neo Classical piano, are just some of the elementary influences of his inner expressions as a pianist finding new enlightenment while recalling his personal experiences.

Christopher’s educational achievements run deep, having a Bachelor of Arts in music as a professional music educator performing for over 20 years now that expectedly incorporates his scholastic abilities of quality. He is also a Master of Music in Studio Music, Jazz, and holds a Master in Teaching degree, also serving tenure as a piano teacher, concert band director, and church accompanist, all of which nicely reinforce his level of expertise.

Inner Voyages is the 2010 release by Christopher Boscole, where after the return trip home to his concert piano, inner recollections and creative observations from voyages of the day are transposed to sheet music for our enjoyment. These creative inspirations that are drawn from a favorite pastime greatly show original piano compositions as positive memories, and where his freestyle music readily equates these recollections a truly memorable experience for the listener.

A Melody in My Heart & Title Song Inner Voyages makes wonderful first preludes into the total of 12 songs showing inner expressions in a primarily moderate tempo recounted as an uplifting time of restful retreat and overall pleasing experience.

Heart of Romance share mid range moments of calming ambience with very upper octaves during the final touches, while Spanish Dreamer in a more stirring melody, closely matches the joyful atmosphere of the moment by classic chords journey up and down the note filled landscape.

Land of Sea and Sky gives breezier moments that smoothly glide in contrasting horizons of calm, where Sea of Spirits reflects leisurely back and forth steps in the scales in notes that give the feeling of time well spent by the song’s more inward introspection.

Cry of the Birds in lingering moments, nicely correspond with key notes that similarly mimic sound imagery of the environment, and Suite Sunrise, has pondering contemplations by a singular key melody paired with upper octave trills where by effect, give a shimmering tint to the open flight of his personal experiences.

Christopher Boscole readily shows much versatility by his prior piano compositions totaling 7 albums. September Songs & Land Of Music are Contemporary Instrumental, while Shimmer, O Christmas Tree, & Presents Of Angels are Solo Piano, with nominations in 2 categories at ZMR. His Jazz influenced album Natural Instincts combines talents with great performers in the Instrumental Jazz category, and is a nice selection too.

Inner Voyages is an album where calmer winds and tides prevail during Christopher’s recollections. You will find the audible sensations closely match expectations one would discover if they were sitting right beside this music professional while he navigates the warm calm waters of his sensational inner piano compositions.

Visit christopherboscole.com here and sample / purchase at his CDBaby.com page.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – palms

When searching by computer for talented artists in your favorite genre, a couple of simple search terms might quickly get you good results. If not, you can try searching the many recording labels to help you find talented artists, or at least point you in the right direction.

Lisa Downing is one name to search for, and Vision Quest Entertainment is another search term you can try. With either result, Lisa Downing’s name will appear since this business was originally her own record label and now a combined talent agency doing business as Vision Quest Entertainment, representing over 1200 musicians in Colorado.

Now that we know Lisa Downing as a businesswoman, let me tell you about her busy career as composer, recording artists, and concert pianist. Lisa performs in many concert venues including corporate and private events, along with conducting workshops and concerts with Liz Story and Joseph Akins, among many additional reputable artists.

Teaching piano along with her academic studies, Lisa attended the University of Colorado at Denver and Metropolitan State College to study music and piano performance. Graduating with a degree in Traditional and Nontraditional Music with Keyboard Emphasis in 1982, her educational pursuits appear to be nicely balanced too.

A Delicate Balance is her 2010 Solo Piano, New Age, Neo Classical release, in an album title that is pretty well equal to her business and creative endeavors as a Solo Pianist. What’s interesting about the inside cover of this CD is the special written diary about the thoughts behind each song’s composition which uniquely portrays Lisa’s intimate expressions during some rather personal moments in her life.

I did enjoy reading her diary of songs while listening and preparing for this review of A Delicate Balance since it meticulously brought her personal recounting for each composition into the picture, giving her piano melodies a conclusively heartfelt and well spoken reflection.

Without giving away all of the diary secrets, many songs like The Gift, reflect a wonderful positive expression by the classical phrasing leading to the uplifting feel given by full register piano runs. This song aligned in a moderate tempo made me think of the intrinsic treasures a gift giver feels and the unexpected joyful surprises a recipient receives.

The song Lost nicely portrays the first quiet moments in piano composition before well placed notes makes one realize that someone dear has lost their way, leading to deeper moments of pause and curiosity by her intonation. After bolder dynamic chords suggest a winding road of lost hope, an upbeat conclusive ending happily points to a more familiar direction, ending with a more moderate calming tone of security.

Indecision is a faster moving piece where treble runs are shown like racing thoughts of indecisiveness, and lower register chords lean towards equal balance in an affirmative way, reflecting the decisive moments in life that are pretty much universal to everyone.

No Matter What I Do involves a special dedication and meaning to Lisa and does reflect this by quieter phrases giving way to pause, leading to a wider path, where positive chords suggest a new resolve in this scenario, ending in a more relaxed contemplation.

Lisa’s prior albums Think On These Things is much like her current personal melodies with well timed moments of reflection, and her Holiday CD Christmas for Two are traditional holiday arrangements you will easily recognize and are easy to find CDs.

A Delicate Balance is a fine Solo Piano album with the personal Lisa Downing expressive touch. Reading her song diary while listening to her latest musical gift about finding many delicate lines during the search for perfect balance is sure to please everyone, provided they take the time to search and then find this talented artist for themselves.

Visit this Vision Quest Entertainment artist at LisaDowning.com to sample / purchase or visit her CDBaby.com page here.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – og-vision

If you are one in the multitude of dreamers with an ambitious goal in mind, permit me to tell you about one musician’s personal story for reaching goals since she is very much a trusted source of inspiration for those who already know and listen to her music.

Vicki Logan first began without formal music lessons, having only a dream of becoming an accomplished musician someday. Her spirited philosophy of believing in yourself, boldly taking the risks, and then dreaming big since anything is possible, has proved to be more than just a mere statement about turning dreams into reality.

Vicki is now an outstanding musician taking her own advice for years by creating a heartfelt 4 album portfolio where each album title and theme chronicles the subsequent chapters of her achievements along the way. Chasing Dreams began the first stage for her success and easily set a high watermark for future albums of Finding My Way, The Ride, & The Journey To the Places In My Soul, along with a much anticipated album now in progress.

Chasing Dreams reached nomination for Album of the Year in regional music charts, then her subsequent albums were established in NAR / ZMR Top 100 charts and abundant online radio airplay on AOL, Sirius Radio, and XM Satellite, grew to reach around 1000 station worldwide. Writing the original music along with playing piano, strings and flute, Vicki enlists several exceptional musicians with co-producer Randy Gildersleeve on acoustic guitar, banjo & mandolin, Andy LaCasse on bass & electric guitar, and Peter O’Gorman as percussionist.

Change is the only true constant in life. Instead of fighting it, we should always look for the advantages to change, and then use them to our benefit. In the end, dreams are only dreams unless you are willing to make them a reality.

Vicki Logan

Chasing Dreams is a 10 song classic storybook of concertos, with chapter one titled as The Only Way To Say Goodbye. This first song reveals feelings of hope for those who have lost a loved one by a moving piano piece that marks the first song notation as a memorable one. Respectful by turning each page with a soft finger to key touch, drama crescendos with every step until an emotional full chord melody is expressed, reaching a finale that I can only describe as heartfelt and poetic. The Reprise version offers another impression and moving portrayal of this exquisite melody.

An Epoch Of Childhood represents growing to adulthood by a wonderful piano opus enhanced with guitar entries and percussion, reaffirming the positive vibes one feels from her entire album collection. Highway 8 From Minnesota To Michigan is a piano and woodwind ballad that navigates at a mid tempo pace with flute passages describing the event as one of amazement, becoming one of your narrator’s favorites. Beautiful by the emotion rich drama, this song is composed to stay in your mind and I do find myself recalling it often.

Title song Chasing Dreams is another beautiful piece to bookmark. Soft wind chimes herald in a thoughtful piano and guitar duo that unite in refined stages until the deepest emotions emerge.

The classic artistry in chord phrasing is pleasing not only to the ear, but to the heart and mind, having a wonderful rhythm that conveys only positive sentiments. The Reprise version gives another chance to hear this pleasing song in the same key, yet in a slightly faster tempo defined by synthesizer background that sheds light on this new perspective and classically displays her artistic originality.

The Hopper Song is a lively number that showcases the skills of all musicians starting with an upbeat percussion that leaps into expressive piano chords, while mandolin and banjo strum their engaging scripts with confidence. This song reminded me that writing songs to inspire people is what Vicki Logan’s music is all about, bringing a smile to my face as I picture the multitudes of optimistic dreamers out there also becoming a success, in their own personal storybook of dreams.

Vicki’s story of inspiration can be read at vickilogan.com by clicking here. Visit her MySpace page to sample her music and find where to purchase albums here. Our pages dedicated to Vicki Logan have reviews for all of her albums, along with our recent Artist Interview, so discover even more about Vicki right here.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto.com – trebeb

If you are not color blind, the colors that we see in everyday life are interpreted as wavelengths in a portion of the visible spectrum. Specific frequencies of those wavelengths determine exactly which color our eyes translate the brain to perceive.

Contemporary New Age composing artist Lawrence Blatt, who emerged number 1 in the NAR Best New Artist and Independent Music Award finalist, paints a beautiful artist’s interpretation through a color spectrum metaphor. His album is inspired from a description of color relating to physicist Isaac Newton’s color circle titled Opticks.

Newton had compared colors of the visible spectrum to musical notes centuries ago. Almost as if holding a brush and an artist’s palette of paint, Lawrence defines his own present day theory in a representation of the audible color spectrum in an adaptation of Newton’s principas through his own vivid musical compositions.

Lawrence Blatt has his most recent album titled The Color of Sunshine, on the Blue Pie label 2009, displaying 14 songs as artistic strokes in a colorful exhibit of his music, visualized from his home in San Francisco California. Many music influences are represented including New Age Classical, Latin, Folk, and World, blending primary genres in this masterful rendition.

Lawrence paints a beautiful artist’s interpretation through a color spectrum metaphor.

Grammy Award winner Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records, lends his talented hand as producer of this vibrant album, also taking part during song recording sessions in guitar, vocal, and percussion roles.

Holding a brush and artist’s palette of paint, Lawrence defines his own present day theory in a representation of the audible color spectrum.

The Color of Sunshine can be defined as intricate acoustic guitar melodies fusing with orchestral instruments and numerous percussion roles, in a unique companionship, portraying a warm and pleasant atmosphere. Lawrence plays the guitars like a pro, easily certifying his abilities, having over 30 years of playing guitar.

The song Mar Azul begins with a serene moderate paced beginning and quickly advances to a faster tempo where Latin and World emerge near the outer edges of the color spectrum. Inspiration for this song was drawn from the Pacific Ocean, where the shade of deep cobalt blue waters contrast beautifully with the lighter pastel blue sky. The rays of lighter tones shine brightly by guitar strumming full of abundant runs and bounding rhythms. The characteristic warm sounds of Charango guitar and accordion announce their presence, while violin soon converge in perfect harmony, capturing the dramatic ending.

Violet Blue is a song that caught my attention from the very start, having a simple yet well defined ukulele tone melody full of emotion. The multiple classic instruments of South American Charango, acoustic, and nylon guitars, mix with piano and cello, lending to a heart felt melancholy touch to the piece. The rich sound of the exotic Charango captures the primary melody as each note lends itself to a memorable upbeat rhythm that includes light, perfectly times hand clapping that I found quite interesting and added the ideal touch to the overall effect of the theme. As it turned out, I ended up doing a little hand clapping of my own.

The Color of Sunshine is a beautiful album put to an audible canvas. Full of interest and creativity by the many talents put on display in this exhibit it shows, and it shows well.

You can find this musical exhibit at lawrenceblatt.com.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto.com – HelleM