Archive for the ‘Live New Age Music’ Category

On Domo Music Group’s newsblog you can see pictures from Kitaro’s recent concert in Singapore. And a 13 seconds long video (!!!) has also been posted… I guess you have to be a diehard fan to enjoy that one.

But if you want a somewhat longer video of Kitaro’s new live material, take a look at this one.

On Saturday March 20 you have the chance to experience Master Musician / Healer Constance Demby live in Malibu, CA. It is one of the final events in the series of presentations at Sound Currents Healing Temple. Constance Demby gives this presentation:

In almost every culture and religion, one finds a special significance accorded to the Vernal Equinox. Owing to the dramatic change that it brings about in the environment, when day and night are approximately equal in length, the Vernal Equinox has become a religious and cultural symbol representing the triumph of good over evil, of light over darkness, of life over death.

It sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? Read all about it on constancedemby.com.

After Gandalf’s successful Sanctuary tour last year, three new concerts in Germany and Austria have been announced. The places and dates are:

Sa, June 12th, 20h
Schwaz/Tirol – Germany
Woodroot-Festival

Fr, July 16th, 20h30
Gutenbrunn/NÖ – Austria
Bühnenwirtshaus Juster

Sa, November 20th, 20h
Pressbaum/N.Ö. – Austria
Sacre Coeur

And if that wasn’t enough, Gandalf has this exciting news to his many fans:

Currently Gandalf is working on the composition of a new orchestral project which is planned to be released on CD and performed live in Vienna on the occasion of his 30th Anniversary in 2011.

So yes, Ganfalf fans has a lot to look forward to! And while you are waiting, see the excellent video below from last year where Gandalf is performing together with  Merike Hilmar (cello) and Christian Strobl (percussion), who both also contributed to the recording of Gandalf’s album Sanctuary.

See more on Gandalf’s homepage.

It is such a joy to be a Tangerine Dream fan! There is just so much material still being released, so many excellent concerts to attend and such a fantastic community. The latest edition is a recording of TDs live performance in Japan in September last year – which has been released today, March 10.

On September 5th, 2009, more than 20.000 people pilgrimaged to the tropical peninsula of Izu on the Pacific shore about 130 miles off from Japan’s capital Tokyo. On the occasion of the immensely popular “Metamorphose Festival” TD performed some of their highlights accompanied by an enthusiastic young Japanese crowd. A fantastic warm summer night out in South East Asia.

The DVD also contains three clips from “BEHIND THE SCENES” which will give you an intimate insight of TD backstage, the streets of Tokyo and a bit of Japanese culture.
Here is a presentation of the tour, which still is on the road. London in April will be BIG.

See the track listing on the Eastgate Shop.

We recently told you about the band Fadalack , who did their version of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. Another interesting project that is soon out on the road is Daniel Holdsworth and Aidan Roberts’ Tubular Bells for two. Their two-man version of the classic comes to life utilizing acoustic and electric guitars, two pianos, three synthesizers, two drum kits, bass guitar, mandolin, glockenspiel, and of course, tubular bells!

So if you are in Australia on the 13^th of March you have the chance to experience a rare and special Tubular Bells performance. Read all about it here.             Source: Tubular.net

Be sure to read the responses from people who attended Constance Demby’s recent music event. Here is one of them:

From everything I am, I deeply thank you for the wonder, the magic, the love, the radiance. You are a divine gift to this world and all of
Creation! Thank you for being here and sharing your beauty, your love, your vastness.

Constance Demby’s music is truly magical. You can check it out on Amazon if you don’t believe me – or the concert response above.

This is to our Australian friends; next week you have the chance to experience Terry Oldfield and his wife Soraya and their wonderful Sound Journeys. They weave a rich tapestry of healing sound and music with flute, crystal bowls, strings, symphonic gongs, percussion and voice. Terry is well known for his nature recordings, which always give the listener a profound sense of connection to Mother Earth. The seminar’s goal is to transport the audience to a space of deep relaxation and peace. It is in this space spontaneous healing can occur.

Terry writes:

Throughout history the power of sound through music has been used to move people to states of inspiration, joy, meditation, wellness, grief, war and stillness. Sound bypasses the intellectual mind and goes straight to the feelings center. Music can make us dance, laugh and cry; music is ever present in every celebration of life from birth to marriage and finally death.

Read more on TerryOldfield.com

Some pieces of music will live forever. One such title is without a doubt Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. I am sure this groundbreaking album will be played 50, 100 or 500 years from now.

A sure sign of the quality of TB is that it is being played live by other artists too. Below is the group Fadalack at a concert in Alicante, Spain, performing TB live. Here are more pictures and a presentation of the band in Spanish.

What a great performance! Still, one can’t avoid being impressed too by the very young Mike Oldfield who composed this and played most of the instruments himself… Source: Tubular.net

Time and time again Tangerine Dream proves that New Age Music is live music. No one is better than Edgar Froese & co on stage.

The below video is from the One Night In Space DVD, recorded at the Frankfurt opera on October 7th 2007. Have you ever seen a happier drummer?

The video is available at the wonderful Eastgate Music Shop.

And while we are talking about live new age music, we must tell you that the Grammy-winning duo Tingstad and Rumbel is now out on the road again. Twenty-five years of their music collaboration has produced 19 albums. They began performing and recording together in 1985, and their debut album the following year, The Gift, became a holiday classic.

For two decades their music has earned praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post and Billboard magazine – and now NewAgeMusic.nu! They’ve performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall, and they received a Grammy in the New Age category in 2003 for their album, Acoustic Garden.

You can check out their tour plans here – and while you are at it, listen to their music too!

We love live new age music here at .nu – and what we can present for you today is probably the most exclusive and intimate live event of the year! New Age Music super star Constance Demby invites you into her home recording studio in Malibu, CA. She says:

“I’m really excited about what’s coming up the weekend of Feb 20 & 21: Special Salon Concerts performed in my home recording studio in Malibu, CA. There’s room for about 35 people, so these will be intimate events, as you’ll be just a few feet away from me as I perform and channel the Music of the Spheres. Each concert is always unique, because regardless of the music I prepare, once the concert starts, a palpable energy fills the space, an energy that has been seen by those who have the sight to see into realms beyond the third dimension.”

Read all about it here – and be sure to buy your tickets today because they will all be gone in 1-2-3…

Good news to all Steve Roach fans: his upcoming album, the 2-CD Live at Grace Cathedral, is now at the factory! It to be ready by mid-February – and will also available at iTunes at the same time. About the recorded live performance mr. Roach says:

The opportunity to perform at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral a while back was a dream come true in many ways, and a high point in my live performance memories from the last decade. It’s a fitting release to commence the times. This will be the first live recording I’ve released with the natural reverberant sound of the performance space predominant in the mix. The expansive reverent ambience of Grace Cathedral was absolutely the perfect environment to experience this music within. To honor this space, I built a set that offered me options to directly respond to the unique acoustic properties I knew I was heading into.

And more:

I gathered a set of options ranging from the eras of “The Magnificent Void”, “Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces” as well as new pieces that would later become “Dynamic Stillness”, “Arc of Passion”, and beyond. The influence of the massive space and the spirit it contained acted like an unseen collaborator holding the music and all of us in a dynamic embrace. From my performance location, I could best describe the sensation as hearing and seeing the sounds constantly blooming outwards in the space hovering above the audience, collecting energy and then receding away within the expanse of the cathedral.

I am sure this will be yet another fine Steve Roach release – the first in his fourth decade as a professional artist!

Visit SteveRoach.com

2010 is well underway, and artists are beginning to announce their tour schedule. This is the case with Tangerine Dream, and so is it also with new age music superstar Jean Michel Jarre. He will in March focus exclusively on Germany.

But Germany is not the only place where there are many Jarre fans. Armenian club of JMJ is organizing a photo exhibition called “CITIES IN CONCERT” in Yerevan, Armenia. You can see pictures from the exhibition here (scroll down).

While in Germany J. M. Jarre will perform in:

Braunschweig – 3/03/10
Volkswagen Halle 20:00
 
Hamburg – 4/03/10
Color Line Arena  20:00

Berlin - 5/03/10
Max-Schmeling-Halle 20:00

Oberhausen – 6/03/10
König Pilsener Arena 20:00

Stuttgart – 9/03/10
Porsche Arena 20:00

Leipzig – 11/03/10
Arena 20:00

Bamberg – 12/03/10
Jako Arena 20:00

München – 13/03/10
Olympiahalle 20:00

Mannheim – 14/03/10
SAP Arena 20:00

You can get tickets through Eventim.de

Isn’t it fun that the first and most influential band in our genre still is the most active too? 2009 was a very good year indeed for Tangerine Dream fans; we saw the release of the four albums Springtime and Summer in Nagasaki, Autumn and Winter in Hiroshima, the awesome Views from a Red Train and Hyperborea 2008, plus the live album London Eye Concert 2008 (plus several re-releases of previous albums too!). Yes, 2009 was a busy year! And now TD soon will be out on the road again, this time in Europe!

These are the dates and cities:

• Lisbon (25th March),
• Barcelona (27th March),
• Paris (28th March),
• Zoetermeer/Amsterdam (30th March)
• London (1st April).

Links for tickets to the Amsterdam concert is ready – for the other concerts, follow updates here.

What is there to say? Only one thing; there are no one better! TD forever!

Picture Copyright by Andreas Mueller, Tangerine Dream

JeanMichelJarre.com has received a massive face lift in preparation for the 2010 world tour. After this years’ success, which debuted six months ago to full houses in the United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Holland and Poland – it is easy to see that J. M. Jarre’s millions of fans have a lot to look forward to in 2010. The show continues with concerts in France, Belgium, Germany and Czech Republic. See all the tour dates here.

You only have to click the link to be taken into Jarre’s world of sound and light. The opening video gives a great impression of how it is to attend one of his concerts. If you sign up to the newsletter, you get a free mp3 live recording of Oxygene 5.

After having just completed his critically acclaimed 50 city tour in the USA and Canada, Yanni returns to Mexico for his first concert tour in over 5 years.

He will be touring four cities, October 11–20, 2009. Here are the venues:

• Puebla Auditoria Siglo XXI 10/11/09
• León Poliforum 10/15/09
• Guadalajara Auditorio TELEMEX 10/16/09
• Mexico City Auditorio Nacional 10/19/09

Like on the US tour, Yanni will be joined by “The Voices” crew; Nathan Pacheco, Chloe, Ender Thomas and Leslie Mills, who will give a new life to some of Yanni’s classical compositions with voices that will leave the audience awestruck. And in Mexico City, they will be joined by special guests José José, Lucero and Cristian Castro.

According to Yanni.com the maestro himself says: “This is the best show that I have ever toured with and I can’t wait to share it with the great music fans of Mexico”.

For our many Mexcian readers and listeners; you can buy your tickets here.

One of the best live recordings of new age music is without a doubt Planet Passion by Ancient Future (although the band prefers the genre name world fusion music and not new age music). A remastered version of the original album was released in February to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Ancient Future concert.

Planet Passion contains both songs by Ancient Future and more traditional songs, all played with the same joy and passion. Nineteen artists from all over the world, from India to Cuba, from America to China, participate on the album. It is truly a global fusion.

Planet Passion is a classic that no new age music collection is complete without. Feel the passion

But don’t take my word for it – sample the album on Amazon or your favorite digital music outlet! Or check out this long list of rave reviews.

Peter Kater & Dominic Miller start their summer 2009 tour on July 23rd at McCoy Studio Theater at Maui, Hawaii. Two days later they are in Colorado, and after that in New Mexico, Arizona, Washington DC and the tour ends in Virginia.

See all tour dates and get information here.

Peter Kater has received 5 Grammy nominations in the last 6 years and has scored over 100 television programs and films including 11 Off and On-Broadway plays. Now you got the chance to see him performe live!

Marshall Styler is holding a concert Fredericksburg, Texas Wines, this Saturday between 1pm and 5pm. Here you can hear Marshall play songs from his new album Seven Falls, as well as some favorites from his other CDs.

And while you are waiting for the concert to begin, why not check out our review of the Seven Falls album?

On Saturday 18th July 2009 you have the chance to see Llewellyn & Juliana live in concert.

The event takes place at the Paradise Theatre in the city of Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, UK, and doors open 7.30pm.

And Llewellyn of course has Juliana with him on stage.

If that was not enough, a free Llewellyn CD is included with every ticket!

Read more here.

The newspaper The Bellington Herald has an interview with David Lanz in connection with his upcoming concert on 17 July in The Amadeus Project concert hall in Bellingham, Washington.

This is also the city where the popular pianist lives.

In the interview David is asked about how he works:

For me, laughing at one’s self and not taking things too seriously is really the best approach to life. Focus and dedication make for a serious musician, but laughter and light heartedness bring joy to life.

And about his upcoming recording:

I am planning on previewing music from my upcoming project at the July 17 concert, and have been keeping this recording under wraps, which means you will have come to the show to see what is next!

So this will indeed a concert not to miss if you are in the area.

Read the interview here.

Picture taken from DavidLanz.com

Below is a picture of Maggie Reilly performing Mike Oldfield’s Moonlight Shadow on Norwegian TV2’s sing-along program Allsang paa grensen. It sounded almost as good as when it was the legendary second track on Oldfield’s Crisis (1983).

Peter Buffett has just re-launched his Spirit: The Seventh Fire website to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the production, which is a Native American-inspired theatrical show with live music, video and an all-Native American cast of performers.

The Seventh Fire tells the story of one man’s journey of reconnecting with his heritage.

After first being aired as a successful PBS Pledge Special, the show embarked on a nationwide tour in 1999. 10 years later, Peter is in talks to revive the production overseas in China. The new website features a background on the production, photos, video from the show, behind the scenes footage, and much more. Check it out here.

Be also sure to check out Peter Buffett’s Ning forum, where you can sample fresh tracks from the upcoming album and interact with other fans and even Peter Buffett himself. The next meeting with him will be Tuesday, August 4th at 8pm EST. Fans can log onto www.peterbuffett.com/ning to request an invitation to join the community in order to participate in the event and discover what Peter’s next big announcement will be.

By the way, selected songs from Spirit: The Seventh Fire have been among the most popular on New Age Stars radio for several months now.

Picture taken from spirit7thfire.com.

When it comes to live inspirational new age music, Terry & Soraya are in my opinion the best in the business. On August 1st between 6.30pm – 8.30pm Terry Oldfield and his wife Soraya hold their Sound Journey Concert in Brisbane, Australia.

They give this inspiring description of the concert:

Sound Journeys are a relatively new concept in Australia. Throughout history the power of sound has been used to move people to states of inspiration, joy, meditation, wellness, grief, war and stillness. Music is ever present in every celebration from birth to death. Sound bypasses the intellectual mind and goes straight to the heart of the matter. It can release deeply held feelings, allowing a sense of inner freedom, and awaken joy. Healing Sound can take us directly into a state of being that nourishes body mind and spirit.

And more:

 
Bring your Yoga Mat and you can lie down or sit for this Sound Sensation. There will also be chair options. Followed by Tea.

If that is not the very essence of live new age music, I don’t know what is! It is a statement of Terry & Soraya’s mission; to create and commutate music for the heart & soul. Read about the upcoming concert here.

Below is a sample of Terry Oldfield’s powerful flute:

At the Cordoba Guitar Festival 2009, Spain, everything has just one objective:

… to pay tribute to an instrument that has become a key piece in such different styles as flamenco, blues, rock or even new age music.

And more:

From 1 to 11 of July the guitars of Tomatito and Manolo Sanlúcar, and the voice of Enrique Morente and Miguel Poveda will be heard, along with the fusion of Ojos de Brujo and the dance of Lola Greco and Amador Rojas all sharing a bill with international stars such as John Fogerty, The Pretenders and Al Di Meola.

So all guitar lovers, Spain is the place to be this summer! Even for new age music

Read more about the festival here.

We have previously reported how Yanni’s recent concert in at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, was totally trashed by a reviewer, calling the show “a soup of overwrought sound washing over an increasingly stupefied audience”. But other reviewers have a quite different opinion about the show. Serene Dominic for the Arizona Republic writes:

It is my duty to inform you that having held no predetermined love for Yanni going into Sunday’s concert at Jobing.com Arena, this was a brilliantly staged, wonderfully played concert event, on par with something you’d see in Vegas by some other one-named artist.

She also notes an interesting truth:

But while we remember Michael Jackson and how his music has touched the world, let’s not forget that just behind Jackson’s The Making of Thriller, the biggest-selling music video of all time, there is Yanni Live at the Acropolis. Nine million units sold.

Read the rave review here. The ending about “old and new” Yanni is hysterical

Tangerine Dream’s second release this year is a live recording of The London Eye Concert from London-Kentishtown on 1st November 2008.

Here is the presentation from the band’s homepage:

London’s and TD’s soundscapes are so unique like a score to a movie. The British influence in TD’s music within their 40 years’ development most people may have recognized. For those who couldn’t join the concert or like to relive it again: Here’s the full cut of their beat show at the Forum in Kentishtown (including a nice booklet). A kaleidoscope beginning with the new title Trauma (Autumn In Hiroshima) and ending with the breathtaking live interpretation of the TD classic Cloudburst Flight.

The album contains nearly 3 hours of music! TD’s already impressive live discography is getting better and better. Check out the track listing here.

Andreas Vollenweider and The Deep Breath Orchestra is on tour in Europe with material from his new Air album. Next two stops is Murnau in Germany on June 28th and Gleisdorf in Austria on June 30th.

There are also plans for South Africa for August, though no concert dates are official yet. See information about the concerts here.

 

On the picture you see The Deep Breath Orchestra’s rehearsals for the first concert, at the Casino Theater in Zug, Switzerland. Artists are Daniel Kueffer, Stefanie Peter and of course the one and only Andreas Vollenweider (photo by Beat Allgaier)

The Air album was, as far as I can see, released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in February and United Kingdom in May. There are as of now no news about the US release.

The new blog on J. M. Jarre’s homepage gives a good insight in his current concert tour. Now you can read updates from the concert in Zurich.

The pre-sale of tickets to Kitaro’s Love & Peace Planet Music Tour 2009 in Japan is now underway. Below are the tour dates and locations. Click the picture to get tickets (Japanese only).

The new album from Marshall Styler, entitle Seven Falls, is now in stores. It is also, by the way, his seventh album. About the new album Styler says:

I was looking forward to taking a break, but all of a sudden I heard these melodies in my head, and I’m not one to question it. I played them on the little piano, in the house, and then moved into the studio with a few songs to develop. This album took a little over two years, and as you’ll see in the liner notes, it’s dedicated to all the fantastic mothers in my life.

Styler had just released A Face in the Clouds in 2007 when this urge to create new music came over him . Styler is perhaps best-known for his Red River Trilogy of albums inspired by places around Texas. About Seven Falls Styler says:

Listening to it now, It sounds like a culmination of what I’ve been striving for in my music – for the listener to feel what I felt writing it, and for the music not to overwhelm the emotion. Based on what I hear from my listeners, that emotional element runs quietly and deeply throughout my music.

A live piano performance by Styler is set for June 20th @ 7 pm, on the patio overlooking scenic Lake Travis at The Crossings resort and spa in Austin, TX. So if you are in the area, this event is not to miss!

The album has a wonderful cover:

Sample the album here.

We will soon post a review of the new album, and selected songs from it are playing on New Age Stars.

It is not the first nor the last time a reviewer will trash Yanni. Either you like him and his music, or you don’t. You might even hate everything Yanni. On the homepage of newspaper The Columbus Dispatch is a review of Yanni’s recent concert at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH. Reviewer Margaret Quamme writes:

Yanni has accomplished what few would believe possible: He’s upped the melodrama on his already none-too-subtle concert extravaganza by adding four supercharged voices. The result is a soup of overwrought sound washing over an increasingly stupefied audience.

But there are some comments that are at least a little positive:

The singers added their own, sometimes pedestrian lyrics to Yanni’s possibly mesmerizing and possibly annoyingly repetitive melodies. Most successful was Nathan Pacheco, in part, perhaps, because his lyrics weren’t in English, and so couldn’t be criticized, and in part because his operatic arias played off Yanni’s simple melodies and basic rhythms, rather than following them slavishly.

Read the whole review here.

Be also sure to check out the comments by readers that also attended the concert. They have another opinion about the concert.

Jean Michel Jarre is currently blogging from his In Doors-tour. On his page you get exclusive behind the scenes from the tour.

Also check out the video below from his recent concert in Malmo, Sweden, where you can see how the concert unfolds, from beginning to end.

On June 6th Mercury Records is holding a special event to celebrate the re-release of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. The event will take place at the British Music Experience, O2, in London. According to a press release, The Hand Bell Ringers of Great Britain, Europe’s largest Hand Bell and Chime Orchestra, will descend on the British Music Experience for this completely one off event. In addition to playing extracts from Tubular Bells, they will also play selections from their own repertoire and be running workshops so audience can learn about this instrument. Legendary ambient artist The Orb will also participat and perform a unique Orbular Bells DJ set!

Here is a description of the show:

This will be an afternoon of bell ringing, interactive workshops, visuals, and ambient music – as eclectic as Tubular Bells itself and an amazing experience for all the family! The BELL IS BACK afternoon is included in the price of admission to The British Music Experience – the world’s first fully interactive music visitor experience. Kids go free! Anyone entering between 2pm and 6pm can bring their adult ticket to the box office to claim their free child’s ticket.

Read all about it here

One thing is certain though; this event will create a lot of sound. Both the bells and a high number of ears will start ringing…

Jim Brickman will perform in Greenville, SC, at Peace Center For Performing Arts tomorrow, 05/14/09, at 7:30 p.m. On 05/15 he will do two concerts at the Newberry Opera House, Newberry, SC, at 3 and 8 p.m.

Here you can see Jim Brickman’s tour plans – and you can get tickets. But if you cannot make it to any of the concerts, you can still check out the video on the page and see Brickman’s incredible piano performance.

On pittsburghlive.com is a presentation of Yanni’s upcoming concert in Pittsburgh, PA, on May 12th. There is a also small interview with the artist.

You can get tickets here.

Boston.com has a review of Yanni’s concert on Agganis Arena last Sunday. It is not entirely positive, but still the reviewer, Marc Hirsh, gives this conclusion:

At the heart of it all was Yanni, smiling broadly amid the pan-global pop music he created in the hopes of making everyone happy.

Read the review here.

Tangerine Dream is perhaps the best live band in our genre. They have given many incredible concerts, and quite a few of them have been recorded and released as albums. My favorite live Tangerine Dream album is Logos, Live At the Dominion , but Encore is also great.

But the show is not over! Tangerine Dream will perform live in Berlin on 30th August and in Paris on Saturday 12th September 2009. There will also be a show in Northeim 29th August.

You can order concert tickets for the Paris show here (scroll down to find the show). This is indeed something for all TD fans to look forward to!

Yanni’s US Tour is well under way. Now, for a limited time only, you can buy two tickets for the price of one! 

To see the cities that are currently participating in this promotional offer, go here.

If you want to read a review of the show, you’ll find that on the blog Shake That Salt. It is very positive indeed.