Featured Artist: David Arkenstone, Loren Gold, Johannes Linstead
CD Title: Live!
Year: 2008
Record Label: Gemini Sun Records
Style: New Age
Musicians:
David Arkenstone, Johannes Linstead (guitar), Loren Gold (piano), Nicholas Gunn (flute), Jesus Florido (violins), Juan Estanga (drums & percussion), Paulo Gustavo (bass guitar), Omar Torrez (acoustic guitar), Emiliano Almeida, John Wakefield (percussion), Seth Osbum (accordion, keyboards, piano), Susan Craig Winsberg (flutes)
Review:
Flutist Nicholas Gunn, pianist Loren Gold and guitarists David Arkenstone and Johannes Linstead have aligned themselves as voices of plurality to record a Live! CD for the Gemini Sun Record Label. Recorded over 73 minutes of audience interaction, an accompanying DVD is also included. To be specific, Live has a light airy texture attached to its 15 tracks and is characterized as a jazz CD. Further scrutiny reveals a release that does not exactly fall into that category of influence. But what can be said about these four artists is that each one has contributed his talents towards a recording that highlights the influences of pop instrumentals, classical and Latin music, augmented by minute glimpses of jazz underlayment.
This release is Live! in every sense of the word and captures the spontaneity of the group’s overall performance. Narrated and hosted by Nicholas Gunn, the recording highlights the laminar flow of the artists’ music across varying lines of interpretation. As spheres of influence, Arkenstone, Gold, Gunn and Linstead have made distinctive contributions at all levels. As such is the case, Live stands as a testament to each artist’s unique talent. When examining the overall scope of this release, the album does exactly what was intended. They have recorded a dynamic introspective vision of new age jazz.
Although Live appears to be a jazz release, the CD is not far from what jazz music should be about historically. At various intervals the album is slow and mundane, while on other tracks, the four artists exude a high level of energy. At their best, David Arkenstone, Loren Gold, Nicholas Gunn and Johannes Linstead have all amassed a cadre of fans individually. With the release of Live, the door for more is surely opened. Without a doubt, this artist activated energy pact is a CD worth listening to, but for purposes of discussion, jazz is not the total message. As an easy listening, well-rounded album, the lows of this release are negligible. But what can be said about the musical landscape of these four musicians is the chemistry, imagery and visionary wisdom they exude as artistic impressionists.
Tracks: Desert Crossing, Falling, For My Baby, Sunnyside, Earth Bones, Elvis' Charm, Apasionado Uno, Breathe, New Day, Dance In The Desert, Gypsy Camp, Spanish Town, Ambrosia, Streets of Old San Juan, Djunga
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