DAVID LANZ

A Cup Of Moonlight

Davidlanz.com (2003)

review by Michael Debbage

It has been a while since I have heard the "sweet melancholy" of David Lanz. Granted that the jazz format of The Good Life was a solid excursion, but not what the David Lanz purists were craving. Yes I really enjoyed The Good Life as a little jazz can give life a little pizzazz. But even with my ability to enjoy Lanz's mainstream effort, A Cup Of Moonlight really quenches my thirst.

Only available on the David Lanz website is not only splendid news but also equally sad news. Why would a major label not swipe up an album of this quality from an artist with this reputation? It is indicative of the current condition of the New Age market. As previously mentioned in another review, marketable outlets for this genre has become a risk factor. The profitability is meager to say the least, forcing even high profile artists like Lanz to make their product available on their website rather than attempting a grand scale label promotion. In some ways perhaps this was the artist's intent allowing him to simply put to tape music that appeals to him with no strings attached to any label. Irrelevant of the why, the bottom line is Lanz presents us with some of his intimate recordings that he has composed from 1999 thru 2003.

The most obvious benefit of this conclusion is reflected in the lengthy improvisational track "Heaven And Earth". Logging in close to 17 minutes long, the multiple musical movements are naked and given room to breathe. Probably not my favorite track as this format is better imparted by Lanz's former Narada label mate Michael Jones. Still, it is wonderful to hear David experiment and venture out.

The remainder of the album is the pure romanticism that Lanz's fans have come to love and adore. Some of the tracks may already sound familiar as they have already been made available as downloads on his website. One of the tracks that did appear on his site in the past is the fluttering and flirtatious "Butterfly". This is Lanz at his best allowing his music to live and play out its title. As he flitters over his keys softly one can only imagine the beautiful colors of a weightless butterfly floating gently in the soft breeze.

Meanwhile, there is the very bare title track "A Cup Of Moonlight" that physically and musically falls somewhere between the more accessible "Butterfly" and the meandering "Heaven And Earth". But if you are wanting the more overstated there is the gorgeously classical influenced opening track "Lover's Tarot" or "A Song Of Soul" that are geared more to the "Cristofori's Dream" era. And what a commercial and critical success that album was. In contrast, there is "In Stillness" that is more placid and would fit more with Lanz's very early recordings.

While some of you may judge this "book" by its cover due to the minimal black and white photography of a full moon dancing over a body of water, well that would be a major mistake. With Gary Lanz and Paul Speer assisting on the technical aspects, combined with David's ageless writing this is one of the best pure instrumentation projects in recent years. If The Good Life was not your cup of tea then brew up A Cup Of Moonlight and sip slowly and gently...it is good to the last drop.