Dragonfly Dreams [Import]

Product Description
Dragonfly Dreams is the ninth installment in Anthony Phillips' very popular Private Parts and Pieces series. Once again Anthony has teamed up with Enrique Berro Garcia on five of the tracks. Blueprint. 2003.

Dragonfly Dreams,Anthony Phillips,Resurgent,Easy Listening/Vocal,Popular Music,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Pleasant Surprise One of Ant's Better Works

Dragonfly Dreams Anthony Phillips Manufacturer: Blueprint UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Soiree Slow Dance Private Parts & Pieces 8: New England Field Day Private Parts & Pieces 4/Private Parts & Pieces 5 ASIN: B00000E74X Release Date: 2005-03-03

Tracks:

1. Openers
2. In the Valleys
3. Something Blue
4. Quango
5. Lostwitheil
6. Under the Ice
7. Sarah Blakeley's Evening
8. She'll Be Waiting
9. Still Time
10. Hills of Languedoc
11. Luigi Palta's Confession
12. Tears of Pablo Paraguas
13. Melancholy Flower
14. Night Song
15. Chinese Walls
16. Old Faithful
17. Summer Ponds and Dragonflies
18. Lost and Found

Album Description

Dragonfly Dreams is the ninth installment in Anthony Phillips' very popular Private Parts and Pieces series. Once again Anthony has teamed up with Enrique Berro Garcia on five of the tracks. Blueprint. 2003.

Album Details

Dragonfly Dreams is the Ninth Installment in Anthony Phillips' Very Popular Private Parts and Pieces Series. Once Again Anthony Has Teamed Up with Enrique Berro Garcia on Five of the Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Pleasant Surprise.......2006-08-09

Anthony Phillips has produced an enormous amount of output over his musical career. The releases can vary greatly in quality. It was with some mild reservation I purchased this CD wondering whether this would be "1984" (really bad) or "Geese & the Ghost" (really great) in quality.

"Dragonfly Dreams" is now one my favorites, not just from Ant's, but from my whole CD collection. I've heard almost all of Ant's CDs and this one is probably in the top five.

This CD of guitar and electronic music strikes me on several levels. It is consistently good.

I'll start with the guitar tracks. Compositionally, the guitar pieces are often brilliant. Give a listen to "Old Faithful" - wow! Enrique Berro Garcia is an amazingly good contributor. All of the guitar tracks (at least half the disc) are great. The sonic quality of not only the guitar tracks, but also the rest of the material, is the best I've found on any Ant CD, thanks to Chris Thorpe, who mastered this recording. Most have classical styling, but then you have a piece like "Quango" that has a 'Django Reinhardt' feel to it. Some of them have some synth string accompaniment.

There is only one vocal track, "She'll Be Waiting." It's a stunningly beautiful song sung perfectly by Terry Medhurst, and is superior compared with many of Ant's earlier vocal compositions.

I am not the biggest fan of electronic music, but "Lostwithiel" is my favorite track on the CD. "Under the Ice" is the companion track and the two should be listened-to together. I'll now have to rethink my preference for electronic music. The last track, "Lost and Found," is sort of a reprise of Lostwithiel, and is a stunningly beautiful end.

The only track I found slightly annoying is a track called "Night Song" which has synth voice and Roland JD800, and which doesn't seem to ever end. But this was the only one unlistenable track out of 18.

All in all, a great CD of pleasant relaxing music with Spanish/Classical styling and superb production. If you like any of Mr. Phillips' instrumental work, I highly recommend this one.

One of Ant's Better Works.......2003-01-07

One of the more recent installments of Anthony Phillip's 'Private Parts and Pieces' series, and one of the better as well,'Dragonfly Dreams' succedes in demonstrating both Ant's considerable talent as a guitarist as well as composer. The compositions are consistent throughout, capturing what is essential about Phillip's music, sentimental but possesing an underlying strength, taking the listener away on a peaceful little journey (one often feels like Ant's music opens up a little portal to some quietly peaceful forest where one might encounter the odd pixie...or at least a magical chipmunk:), and just washing away any stress that one builds up through the day.
Ant's guitar playing is, of course, central throughout, and as is typical of his work, the playing is carefully executed and the compositions are well considered and developed. The 'Private Parts and Pieces' series itself has it's ups and downs (the solo instrumentals 'Twelve' and 'Ivory Moon' are a bit on the unexciting side - Ant's best works are more varied instrumentally), but this is probably one of the three or four best discs out of the bunch. Definately recommended for fans of Ant's. and generally a recording that would appeal to many fans of progressive rock or new age.

Average customer rating: Shimanchu Island-hopping, Pacific Rim style BE-YU-T-FUL! Interesting mix A harmony that results in strong group cohesion & chemistry

Island Dreams - songs and lullabies carried on the wind Dragonfly Manufacturer: Koto World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Lullabies | Children's Music | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Oyasumi: Japanese Lullabies and Restful Melodies Best-Loved Children's Songs from Japan Isshin - Emerging: Music for Japanese Koto Rough Guide to Okinawa ASIN: B0002E5824 Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

1. Tinsagu nu Hana (Balsam Flowers)
2. Pupu Hinuhinu (Shiny Shell Lullaby)
3. MAHALO
4. Warabi Gami (Blessings from Heaven)
5. Tsuki nu Kaisha (Ocean Moon)
6. Tanabata no Uta (Song of the Star Festival)
7. Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani (My Flowers at Paoakalani)
8. Migumi (One)
9. When Pueo Flies
10. Akata Sundunchi (My Heart, My Home)
11. Kojo no Tsuki (Moonlit Castle Reflections)
12. Hatachi Miyarabi (Youthful Beauty)
13. Dreaming~Yume

Album Description

Recipient of a 2004 NAPPA GOLD AWARD! Dragonfly consists of singer Aiko Shimada and koto player Elizabeth Falconer (both of "Oyasumi" fame) with Mako, whose incredible voice and instrumental talent is introduced on this album. Mako was born in Okinawa and moved to Hawai'i at the age of eleven, and currently resides in Seattle. She performs the sanshin, a 3-stringed lute covered with python skin that is native to Okinawa, and sings in English, Okinawan, and Hawaiian, flowing easily from one style to the next. She is joined by the warm vocals and guitars of the award-winning performer Aiko Shimada, a native Japanese who has made a career in the states as a folk/jazz singer and songwriter, both in English and Japanese. With them is Elizabeth Falconer on koto, a classical Japanese instrument she studied in Japan for over a decade, an instrument she has composed and arranged for, told stories with, and collaborated with various artists on, for nearly twenty-five years. Together they are Dragonfly, creating fresh yet nostolgic music.

Customer Reviews:

Shimanchu.......2005-06-28

If I close my eyes, I can see the litle shops in Koza. I can smell yaki tori, and taste soki soba... the song leaves me wanting to taste melon soda and hear more Uchinaguchi.
Four stars, not five because I have a great love for the traditional sounds of Okinawa. I did, however, find this Dragonfly interpretation very pleasing... very soothing. I would definitely see Dragonfly live if given the opportunity.

Island-hopping, Pacific Rim style.......2005-03-24

"Serendipity" and "simpatico" are apt descriptions of the musical collaboration on Island Dreams. American-born musician Elizabeth Falconer's instrument is the koto (an intergral part of Japanese classical music and traditional culture), while Japanese singer/composer Aiko Shimada specializes in Western musical forms with a slight East Asian spin. The third member of the trio -- Mako -- is from Okinawa. Her main axe is the sanshin, a 3-stringed Okinawan lute. A series of happy accidents led to the group's members finding one another, and the decidedly eclectic nature of the cuts on this disc reflect the meeting of four cultures -- and three unique takes on music.

While many recordings fall into the "world fusion" category, very few live up to the name -- Island Dreams is a glorious exception to the rule. The cuts are a whirlwind tour of various Pacific islands (including Hawaii, where Mako grew up - also where she fell in love with one of the great local traditions, slack key guitar). There's a depth and intensity to the music that emerges after a few listens -- a true sense of cultures uniting, rather than colliding. You'll also hear instruments used in unusual ways -- Falconer's slack-key koto licks, for example.

It's impossible to pick favorite cuts (too many choices here!), but I'm especially fond of "Kojo no Tsuki / Moonlit Castle Reflections" (pensive and very Japanese), "Migumi /One" (Mako's tribute to her parents), and "Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani / My Flowers at Paoakalani, " written by one of Hawaii's most beloved composers, Queen Liliuokalani. In sum, this is one of the most unusual -- and delightful -- discs to hit my CD player in a long, long time.

BE-YU-T-FUL!.......2004-12-23

Wow. If you want a recording that just plain makes you feel soothed and joyful, this is it. What a beautiful blending of sounds and cultures! These musicians were somehow able to bring together lullaby-type songs from Southern Japan (Okinawa) and Hawaii and make them all seem familiar, even to someone who does not know much about those places. I am not surprised this won some awards --- it leaves me feeling warm and happy every time I listen to it.

Interesting mix.......2004-09-14

Some people propose that Japan was settled in the south in part by people with a Polynesian background. So it's interesting to hear a CD that combines Japanese pieces with some traditional Hawaiian ukele. The juxtaposition is appealing.

That aside, this is a CD of soft, lilting music that could serve as lullabies, as long as you like high-pitched Japanese-style singing. This isn't everyone's cup of tea--but with the upsurge in Anime music, you might find this quite interesting if you are getting into Japanese sound.

A harmony that results in strong group cohesion & chemistry.......2004-07-05

Musicians are always looking to collaborate with others who share their same vision, and the partnership of Aiko Shimada (guitar, vocals), Mako (sanshin, ukelele, vocals), and Elizabeth Falconer (koto) yields bountiful rewards with their arrangements of slower, melodic songs from Okinawa, Japan, Hawaii and Tahiti. Some original material is also included, as well as some English lyrics written for a couple of the other offerings. The contemplative and reflective nature of their chosen Asian and Pacific Island fare is largely a function of tempo, and a couple more songs like the moderate-tempo'ed Tahitian welcoming song, "Mahalo," would have been helpful to demonstrate that the wind can range from mere breezes and zephyrs to also flurries and gusts. Also, some additional liner notes with translation of their foreign lyrics would have helped build a stronger sense of audience understanding and community. All in all, the members of Dragonfly have mastered the art of listening to each other, knowing when to lead and when to follow for the trio's collective greater good. Their generous sharing achieves a harmony that results in strong group cohesion and chemistry. Despite their individual differences in backgrounds, preferences and styles, these three players have built a bridge - both figuratively and musically. With these songs and lullabies, they manage to transcend their separate relationships and fuse their musical spirits and Island dreams into a much larger whole. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)

Average customer rating:

Dragonfly Dreams Brimsek Brothers Manufacturer: The Orchard ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B00001IVNA Release Date: 2000-03-30

Tracks:

1. Sleep Little Sheila
2. Days Of Our Lives
3. We Were So Young In Life
4. Gloria Called Tonight
5. Spring
6. Pebble To A Stone
7. Little Cafe
8. Distant Clouds
9. Sister Dear
10. Dragonfly Dreams

Average customer rating:

Dragonfly Dreams ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music ASIN: B000FSMIDO Release Date: 2001-01-02

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