Search - Ola Gjeilo, Johannes Martens, Tom Barber :: Stone Rose [Hybrid SACD]

Stone Rose - Lovely, Moving New Age Piano Music...NOT "DUB"

Miss B. | Los Angeles, CA United States | 08/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stone Rose by Ola Gjeilo



Ola Gjeilo's moving album, Stone Rose, heralds the arrival of a remarkable new talent in the New Age piano music world.



Gjeilo's pieces seem to float freely in their own time, sometimes playful, other times introspective. His gentle, sincere style is well-grounded in a musical pedigree that includes London's Royal College of Music and The Juilliard School of Music.



Entertaining and relaxing, this warm and reflective piano music is subtly accented by flugelhorn, cello and violin. Inspired by the cities, nature and people he loves, Gjeilo (pronounced Yay-lo) presents 15 tracks on this solo album debut, following his early success as a composer and concert performer.



Gjeilo is excited by the prospect of playing to small audiences in New York; a schedule of performances is soon to be announced on his websites. "I love New York with all my heart. It's almost like a person to me, it has a very strong identity and soul," says Gjeilo.



This unforgettable Hybrid Super Audio CD promises and delivers both spectacular Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound, recorded in an old church in Oslo by the Grammy-nominated Norwegian record company 2L.



See another rave review at (www)newagemusic.nu!

"

Breathtaking!

Kathy Parsons | Florence, OR United States | 09/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to say again what an incredible year 2008 has been for piano music. Just when I thought there couldn't be any more favorites for the year, along comes Ola Gjeilo's "Stone Rose" and blows me away. With the opening bars of the first track, Gjeilo had my full attention, and it never wavered throughout the album. Gjeilo's music includes a great deal of improvisation, making it spontaneous and fresh, but it is also very melodic and harmonically rich. More classical than pop with jazz influences as well, Geijo's debut CD is a force to be reckoned with. The Norwegian-born and New York-based Gjeilo (pronounced Yay-lo) started studying jazz, classical piano, and composition at the age of seven. He continued his studies at London's Royal College of Music and earned his Masters Degree at New York's prestigious Juilliard School in 2006. While studying classical composition at Juilliard, Gjeilo decided that he wasn't composing the music he really loved and returned to his beloved piano. The majority of the tracks on "Stone Rose" are solo piano, but Gjeilo is joined on several tracks by Tom Barber on horn, and Johannes Martens and David Coucheron on strings. I've listened to "Stone Rose" about a dozen times now, and love it more each time. I'm going to be hard-pressed to narrow down a 2008 Favorites list, but "Stone Rose" will definitely be on that list!



"Stone Rose" is one of those rare albums that has no weak tracks. Some of the fifteen pieces are quiet and meditative while others are more energetic, but all of them are wonderful. "Snow In New York" opens the CD with a burst of enthusiasm and joy that pulls you in immediately. Rhythmic and vibrantly alive, it provides an auspicious beginning! "North Country" takes the pace down to a peaceful calm that shimmers with beauty. "The Line" is one of my favorites and reminds me of Philip Aaberg's meditations on the wide-open spaces of Montana. Beginning very pensively, it gradually picks up the tempo as it evolves, opening itself up and revealing its lighter side as well. "The Hudson" is a delicate and soulful duet for piano and cello - one of my favorite combinations. "Roxbury Park" is one of the more pop-oriented pieces with a melody strong enough to support lyrics. The light, carefree energy is infectious. The title track is Gjeilo's favorite track, and was completely improvised. Very calm and introspective, it has an honest and intimate simplicity that speaks volumes. I absolutely love "January," a bittersweet piece with an incredible flowing quality that just takes me away. "Madison" is a delicate duet for cello and piano that has a gentle swirling motion. "Sienna" is another favorite - this time a heartfelt trio for piano, violin, and cello that is almost fragile in its delicacy. "North Country II" is a reprise of the earlier track that has been expanded to a trio for piano, cello, and horn - incredible! As its title suggests,"Serenity" closes the set with a peaceful sigh. This piece is a duet for piano and horn that floats along on a quiet stream, completely at ease.



If you don't mind my saying it again, this is one incredible album and I give it my highest recommendation. Check it out!!!"