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review by Bill Binkelman Her first new release in five years, Suzanne Ciani's Silver Ship was certainly worth the wait. One of the formative new age music artists, Ciani once again invites some ultra-talented friends to accompany her on this recording: Paul McCandless on assorted wind instruments (oboe, English horn, soprano sax, clarinet), Matt Eakle (flute), Teja Bell (guitar), Michael Manring (bass), Michael Whalen (percussion), as well as Joe Hébert on cello and vocals from Valerie Wilson (on the dreamy closing title song-lullaby). What is almost immediately apparent is how selflessly Ciani retreats into the background and allows her guests to carry the weight on some songs. What a special and rare trait that is for a band leader. Ciani is to be commended for her willingness to share the spotlight, especially when it involves the musical talents of people like McCandless, who shines on six of the tracks. Truthfully, though, everybody plays with warmth, passion, subtlety and obvious virtuosity without ever crossing over into overt showmanship or flashy pyrotechnics. Silver Ship is an ensemble recording in every best sense of the word. Ciani has always been a romantic at heart, as well as being proud of her Mediterranean roots. Both of these characteristics surface on the CD, although there is a remarkable amount of diversity here as well, including a subtle return to the artist's earlier electronic music style. "For Lise" starts things off with a warm tender piano-led number, flowing gracefully and romantically in smooth waves of soft melody with well-applied string orchestrations. "Wine Dark Sea" shifts gears into world fusion with the emphasis on Teja Bell's acoustic guitar and McCandless' oboe and soprano sax, set off by a sultry Mediterranean beat courtesy of Whalen's percussion. Heck, this almost sounds like a Chris Spheeris tune, which is a big compliment coming from me. Ciani's piano comes into the picture later in the song and her playing adds yet another layer to the exotic number. "Stromboli" offers soothing warm piano, string orchestrations, as well as Eakle's flute and McCandless on oboe/English horn, and here the mood is wistful and nostalgic. "Capri" is a bouncy return to the percolating melodic electronic music that Ciani recorded back on albums such as Neverland. The song is playful and sprightly, and besides the electronic elements, there is a lilting flute line that colors the tune in bright colors. There are ten songs on Silver Ship and those above are just the beginning. "Open Seas" captures the mood of its title perfectly through rolling piano, bobbing and weaving flute, and Manring's recognizable bass lines. "Snow Crystals," one of my favorites on the CD, opens with twinkling synths set off by a somber plaintive oboe, while later piano dials up the drama a bit so that the tune eventually carries a faint air of optimism within its lovely melody. "Sargasso Sea" has a palpable mournful sad feel to it. This is a cello and piano duet and Hébert's cello cries softly in hushed tones, never straying over into meldodrama, while Ciani is the bedrock of the music's emotional core. Closing out the disc is the simply too lovely-for-words vocal lullaby, "Silver Ship." Teja Bell's guitar plucks delicate soft notes and Ciani's keyboards are like gossamer thin yet velvet soft blankets. Valerie Wilson's voice is so amazing that, I kid you not, I'm listening to this track right now and I have chills running up and down my spine. Talk about ending an album on a high note! If this song doesn't melt your heart and send your spirit gently soaring, you need to hug a loved one and let something crack through your icy veneer. Silver Ship is a perfect album, literally. Engineering, production, performance, composition, track sequencing, mix, graphics, liner notes...hell, it's all there! I take my hat off to Suzanne Ciani for delivering her best album in years and for doing so with such selflessness, grace, charm and beauty. Kudos also to the guests on the CD too, whether they are members of Cian's group, The Wave, or just "stopping by." Silver Ship earns my highest recommendation and is unquestionably one of the best recordings that will be released this year. |
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