Wind
and
Wire
- John Pedersen
- 1924 Sheridan Ave. #13
- Escondido, CA 92027
Keyboard player John Pedersen's third album, while retaining the artist's likable and warm melodic compositional style (from his previous releases, White Owl and Legend and Landscape), veers solidly and confidently into adult contemporary music territory. Since John's strengths as a composer and artist have always been his music's accessibility and his catchy way with a hook, this means that When Sun Broke Through is a hugely enjoyable collection of tunes, perfect for cruising in your car or for afternoon or early evening listening at home. Peppered with a variety of styles, moods, and tempos, the songs on the CD still have that "Pedersen" feel to them. As with Legend and Landscape, I liked it from the very first listening. Besides being a great album, the album is also deeply personal. The recording's title is taken from the near-miraculous recovery of John's son from a tragic car accident. The liner notes explain it in more detail, but I can see how an event like that could inspire a musician. Beginning with the uptempo "New Horizons" which may evoke remembrance of the late '80s/early '90s electronic music from Narada for some listeners, When Sun Broke Through immediately establishes the breezy, unpretentious sound that fills every cut on the album. Mixing his keyboards with dexterity (synths, some strings, a Fender Rhodes, and even a Hammond B3 at times), John once again demonstrates his ability to master a variety of moods and textures. "Nocturne" (a romantic yet somewhat sad ballad-like number featuring Andy Machin on plaintive acoustic guitar ) is followed by the title cut, which begins as a down tempo number, with electric piano and a somewhat funky/bluesy rhythm to it, until the closing crescendo which is a depiction (in music) of the moment when John's son awoke from his eleven-day-long coma. "Dream Ride" is a lot of fun, with its heavy bottom (once again courtesy of accompanist Andy Machin on bass), pounding drum beat, jazzy feel and a tasteful acoustic guitar run (Machin, yet again). Other standout selections on the recording include "Skyway" (with snazzy laser-zap synths, Hammond organ fills, breezy keyboard melodies and propulsive drum beat), "Splendor of the Desert Morning" (which, while somewhat out-of-place compared to the rest of the CD, is a great example of John's compositional style from Legend and Landscape, melding his accessible music with subtle Native musical elements and desert textures), and the last two cuts ("Out of This World" and a remix of the earlier "Skyway"). These last two songs are John's foray into slightly different musical terrain, but not drastically so as to stand the album on its head. Placing them at the end, as he does, John allows the more, shall we say, "conservative" listener to skip them if he or she prefers. However, neither of these two songs visits jarringly different territory, so, in my opinion, they fit in with the rest of the album nicely, especially placed at the end as they are. "Out of This World" is peppy and has propulsive beats, with a lush underlying synth line, and the remix of "Skyway" (titled "Dancing Natives Mix") begins in a distinctively Native American flavor but eventually makes its way into overt electronica with a pumping synth bass, some mild breakbeats, and Berlin-esque synth runs. I enjoyed both cuts a lot. Ambient fans will doubtless regard a CD like When Sun Broke Through with a wary eye, since it's both accessible and solidly ensconced in the adult contemporary genre. Hopefully, fans of artists like Jan Hammer (meaning his more recent recordings, such as his under-appreciated album Drive), Chris Snidow, Michael Walthius, and other melodic keyboardists will discover John Pedersen's latest release. While striking out in some new musical directions, it also demonstrates a further maturation of this artist's talent. As such, I solidly recommend it to those who favor a catchy hook and a more accessible approach to contemporary instrumental music. Plus, the CD is a lot of fun, and who can't use more of that? review by Bill Binkelman |
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Keyboardist John Pedersen's follow-up to his recording of several years ago, White Owl, is a varied and polished collection of synthesizer-driven numbers that represents a big step up from his previous work. The keyboards themselves sound much better and John's songwriting is more accomplished and more adventurous. All in all, this is a triumph to say the least. Legend and Landscape is a musical portrait of the Anza-Borrego desert area of California. But don't come to this party expecting anything along the lines of Steve Roach or Biff Jones. Instead, this CD is full of catchy and melodic music that varies from an almost adult-contemporary/smooth jazz vibe to Jan Hammer-esque driving fusion to more relaxed warm synth-dominated songs (there is also guitar sprinkled throughout the album, courtesy of Andy Machin) and, of course, some tribal and ambient elements thrown in as well. With fourteen cuts on the CD, I can't highlight each one, obviously. There is the piano-led opener, "Arrival" which may echo Lanz/Speer's collaborative work for some (but not in a derivative way at all). "Rite of Passage" features a bubbly rhythm (featuring some quasi-scratches!) merged with interesting keyboard textures. "Wraith Galleons" has space music textures, albeit of a more active variety, with synth chorus, twinkling bell synth notes, and a nice floating sense to it. "Lost In The Badlands" is mysterious without being dark and is lightly flavored with some Native American touches, along with luxurious synth washes. "Racing The Wind" may remind some of you of recordings on the Spotted Peccary label (not surprising, since Howard Givens is mentioned specially in the liner notes). "Return of the Sky People" is another Native American-influenced piece, more overtly so than the previous song I mentioned. John is as adept at blending synths with these tribal aspects as another John is (and no, I don't mean Serrie). That would be John Huling. I think it takes a lot of talent to mix these two disparate elements together, but John Pedersen does it well. Legend and Landscape is the work of an artist who is really coming into his own. There is something here for everyone, yet the CD has a singleness of musical vision that is apparent after just two or three listens. This ability to have cohesion and musical diversity coalesce on an album is the sign of unique artistry. John Pedersen has arrived and is in the big leagues of electronic keyboardists now. Highly recommended for fans of melodic EM everywhere. review by Bill Binkelman |
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White Owl is a
well-done blend of genres (electronic, pop/jazz, new age,
and even some Native American elements) by John Pedersen,
keyboardist and percussionist. Centered around the fable of
the White Owl, this is a musical collage of sorts
that is less musically thematic than one might expect but it
still holds together remarkably well, owing to John's
keyboard skills. It has more of a pop/jazz feel than
label-mate (and accompanist) Mark Sarno's CD, Passages
Through and Beyond, which can either be seen as bad or
good, depending on your inclination. The title song has a catchy
refrain played out on synth wood flute and the song is
anchored by mid tempo percussion and drumming. Whether you
will think that the Native American fable elements have been
co-opted will depend on your politics, I suppose. But the
music stands well on its own as a nice collection of
tunes. Not everything here is
rooted in pop music esthetics. "Enchanted" is much more of
an electronic music piece, marred only slightly by
artificial drum pads and a cadence to the rhythm that I
didn't care for&emdash;until it swung into a faster tempo
mode. The abrupt change may jar some listeners but I was
grateful for it. "Essence of Spring" likewise is more of a
classic "new age music" piece than others here, as is "Free
Flight" although there is a characteristic lightness (as in
non-pretentiousness) sound to John's music. Recordings like White Owl
are hard to describe because unlike other subgenres,
this kind of accessible music that strays between pop, jazz,
electronic, and classic new age is very difficult to pin
down. A musician once chided me for saying his music was
"pleasant" but I can't think of a better word for music like
this. It's not music designed to get you heart beating
faster and it's not meditative. It's instrumental
entertainment. That term does not diminish it in my eyes.
Hell, I want music to entertain me sometimes. That's
something that White Owl does. It's a recording that
wears more than a few hats and does them all with flair and
style. It's nothing spectacular, but more than satisfying
enough for my tastes. review by
Bill Binkelman (this
review was originally published in Wind and Wire -
the magazine)