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review by Michael Woodhead For a relaxing hour some evening, Rhythms... fits the bill. Four lengthy compositions offer quiet, flowing ambient melodies to help you unwind, relieve stress and insomnia, ease pain and in certain circumstances, increase productivity, particularly on a creative level. Using electric piano, harp, temple blocks, tambourine, recorder, and strings, Ken weaves "Autumn of Tranquility" that contains Native American rhythms. "Reflections of Winter" uses a combination of piano, bass strings and oboe to create an American-flavoured composition. Desiring an Oriental touch on "Showers of Spring," Kaufman utilizes strings, kyoto and machu pitchu. And, on "Serenity of Summer," he creates a tropical mood through the use of electric piano, xylophone, bass, shakers, guitar, strings and flute. These musical numbers form the background for Kathleen Swann's Seasons of Serenity, a relaxation CD also available, in which she uses guided imagery and positive suggestions along with progressive muscle relaxation to calm the body and mind. Although all four pieces are quite beautiful in their originality, I found "Showers of Spring" to be somewhat tedious after a while - the result of the back-and-forth modulation between two chords, but perhaps this wouldn't be so obvious with Katheleen's narrative. However, one could also argue that such musical monotony helps to induce the required relaxation. Nonetheless, the overall presentation of all four compositions, even without the guided imagery, creates a soothing and relaxing atmosphere. "Ken Kaufman is Western New York's most prolific composer, having penned hundreds of jingles, several musicals and two feature films. From his studies at Eastman, to his years in 'The Road,' and as organist for the Sabres, Ken brings his eclectic talents to his jingle company Adsongs." &endash;from the inner sleeve My Favourite: "Serenity of Summer" CD Length: 53:47 minutes |
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