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review by Bill Binkelman There are any number of things to admire about Wesley Clark's excellent piano and synth new age music/adult contemporary album River Walk, including his adroit use of synthesizers (showing restraint and precision in applying enough embellishment without overdoing it), his avoidance of layering in unnecessary drum programming and letting the melody's tempo itself showcase the natural rhythm of a piece, and the ease with which he gracefully navigates through a variety of moods, from melancholy (the overriding emotion of the CD) to subdued joy to wistfulness to a soulful jazziness. In short, River Walk impressed me to no end. I'm not used to hearing an independent artist recording in this genre (i.e. AC with a touch of new age) hit so many bulls-eyes! Hell, Clark's version of Pachabel's "Canon" even gets a fresh spin on its worn-out sound. With seventeen tracks in all, none of the songs is even four-minutes long, and this works in the music's favor, I think. By crafting short songs of varied moods and tempos, River Walk is a close cousin to George Skaroulis' latest outstanding album, Second Nature.(although, as good as River Walk is, it's not on a level with Skaroulis' release, which is one of the best recordings in recent years). However, this album (inspired by Clark's native city of New Orleans and the surrounding Southern Louisiana area) still contains a lot of pure listening pleasure if you're a fan of gentle melodic piano and electronic keyboard music. When I write "melodic," though, I mean it in the best possible sense. While there's no denying the commercial appeal and accessibility of songs like "Summer Rain," "Decisions," "When You Smile" and the title track (to name just a few of the excellent pieces here), Clark's compositional style is more closely aligned, at times, with the melancholic minimalists like George Winston and, believe it or not, Tim Story (on some tracks). What Clark does is bring those artists' repetitive simplicity (or economy, which is a better word choice perhaps) of melody and craft it into something a little more flowing and "mainstream." Don't expect overblown histrionics or syrupy melodrama (traits exhibited by more than a few other artists in this genre). Instead, you get the late night bluesy and somewhat sad "Last Call" (on which Clark is assisted by Don Turnipseed on tasteful saxophone fills) or the haunting "Lost Bayou" (one of the few cuts with percussion, this one with slow tempo hand drums). Clark's compositional savvy is illustrated in "Wish You Were Here." With a title like that, you'd expect a song dripping with romance and faux sentimentality. However, his lead piano line is more wistful than that, and his keyboard fills (strings and a solo flute line) add just the right amount of drama without crossing over into tear-jerker territory. Whether you favor the songs that feature synthesizers more prominently (such as the lush choral effects and strings on "Morning Call"), one of the few tracks that features more ensemble work (e.g., guitar, bass, and drums on "Dream Lover"), or the cuts that bring the piano front and center (either as solo or with sparse shadings on synths), such as "High Tide," there is a generous bounty of enjoyable music to be heard on River Walk. Frankly, if Wesley Clark's recording gets some exposure outside his regional area, I don't see how he won't garner a lot of attention. This is an extremely proficient and inspired collection of instrumentals and I recommend it to fans of the genre without any reservation whatsoever. |
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