Listen Here https://heartdancerecords.bandcamp.com/track/river-suite-part-1-into-the-clouds
River by Don Latarski is a Suite of pieces that take a River from creation in the clouds above delivering life giving rain, to its journey across the lands to culmination at the ocean; the completion of the circle, only to be absorbed once again, returned to the beginning.
Part I of the River Suite, Into the Clouds is a lovely reflective, gentle piece on acoustic guitar that allows the mind and soul to settle into a peaceful place: to begin the journey of reflection and contemplation, of being soothed as is often the case when spending time by the water. Gravity brings the power of the elements into the piece to create the beginning of the water source.
And so the journey begins; each of the pieces perfectly painting the journey of the stream, which snakes its way in a Serpentine manner towards a creek, eventually forming into a river full of eddy’s, with an Undercurrent formed on its March to the Sea.
A period of calm, as created in Eddify, is required, enticing the journeyman into a false sense of placid, but allowing time for Reflections and contemplation, a mood which changes as the flow increases in momentum, as the river moves ever closer to The Falls, a place where the water cascades down in a rich torrent of awe and power, to pick up the pace to journeys end; to come Full Circle.
The River Suite is something very special as the work has been created for solo acoustic guitar which is absolutely fitting and is a perfect medium to capture the many and varied moods of a river, which in turn can be peaceful, refreshing, rough, boisterous, fearsome and layered with texture and sound.
The final three tracks showcase a wider aspect of Latarskis’ style, with Tough By Nature a cheerful, jaunty piece that brings a lovely element of the outdoors within, whereas Fall From Place, a slower far more methodical, finger picking, composition is almost hypnotic in is singular beauty.
Bently , the longest track, running for 11:49 secs, encapsulates all that is nature, the beauty and the very freedom to be found, drawing to a conclusion a most peaceful and sensuous journey, a journey which gathers a free ranging collection of pieces, as does a river and ushers them into a vibrant, and glorious ‘gift back to nature.’
Better known for his Jazz and Blues work, Latarski has combined all of his talents in this, his first venture into New Age music, encouraged by his many journeys into nature as a photographer, kayaker and hiker.
Magnificent and majestic, River is an album that leaves the gentle ambience of the music wafting around the edges of the senses; long after the last note has been played.
Title: River
Artist: Don Latarski
Website: http://donlatarski.com
Distributed by Heart Dance Records
Don Latarski’s work can also be enjoyed as travelogues on You Tube and Facebook, another of the many talents he offers, which promotes and shares his love of nature, of music and the beauty there to be discovered and enjoyed.
Reviewed by Jan Mawdesley Bluewolf-reviews.com
