In the movie The Tao of Steve, a character develops a philosophy of “being Steve.” We noticed that there’s a whole lot of Echoes music made by Steves. Here’s a five-hour uninterrupted instrumental soundscape exploring music made by Steves, Stevens, Stephens, Stephans, Stephanies, even a Stevin.
New music on Echoes from singer Heather Woods Broderick. She’s played with artists like Efterklang and Sharon Van Etten. We’ll also hear from trumpeter Jeff Oster’s new CD, Next.
Jeff Oster has taken his trumpet and flugelhorn into New Age and ambient directions over the years. On his new album, Next, he explores some ambient jazz. He talks about tone, funk and ambience on Echoes.
Nouveau Flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook came to renown with his debut album, Tempest, in 1995. At the time he road in on the coattails of Nouveau Flamenco pioneer Ottmar Liebert and bands like The Gipsy Kings, but Cook always had his own sound, one that that morphed and fused over the course of two decades and several albums. He’s taken his flamenco influenced guitar playing into new settings with every album. On One World he goes global and electronica in a studio infused album of journeys from the serene to the ecstatic. One world is the Echoes CD of the Month for August.
It’s an eclectic Echoes Top 25 for July with Heather Woods Broderick’s gorgeous album, Glider, our CD of the Month, at the top. Jean-Michel Jarre’s E-Project is also there and that album doesn’t even come out until October. I’m very excited to see Silencio in there at #3. This band includes former members of The Mandrake Project out of Pittsburgh. With Silencio, they create music inspired by director David Lynch and composer Angelo Badalamenti of Twin Peaks and other fame. Go down to #10 and you’ll see our Echoes CD of the Month for August, sure to be the future number one album.
Coming up on the next Echoes it’s new music from flute players, Sherry Finzer and Mark Holland who collaborate on an album called Flute Flight. We’ll also hear new music from Norway’s Erik Wøllo.
The Hang Drum is an instrument that looks like a flying saucer or two woks tuck together. With tuned indentations and/or bumps it makes the warmest most serene sound that’s found a following among world music players, jazz bands and New Age artists.
James Hood played drums with The Pretenders and recorded tripped out electronica as Moodswings, but his new passion is the Hang drum which looks like a flying saucer. He has a new double CD of Hang drum music called Pure Ceremony.
Ozric Tentacles is a band fueled by 60s psychedelia, initialized by 70s space rock and hyper-charged by 1980s rave culture.
John Diliberto brings us another Slow Flow Echoes, an all instrumental soundscape to put you into your dreams.