THE ROSE REVIEW: Music

Ray Charles? Rock Icons? even John Lennon and Yoko Ono?
Yeah , yeah , yeah!

OK, maybe I regret that last line, but you won't regret getting these discs. Those names above are the subjects of 3 new 2005-released DVD's from the vaults of "The Dick Cavett Show", one of the great TV talk shows of the 60s-70s era, or any time for that matter. What other guy could talk to Groucho one minute, then have the Stones or Bowie bowing the next?

Wonderful collections... guaranteed regifting-proof.
Take a trip back to when music actually had melody. You will dig it.

THE BLACK CROWES recently took time out from their tour to record a cover of an R&B holiday song, "Back Door Santa." This marked the band’s first visit to the studio since the recording sessions for 2001’s LIONS album. They rejoined forces with producer George Drakoulias, who worked with them on their first two albums. Don’t look for “Back Door Santa” in stores, as it won’t be sold commercially; instead it will be available as a free download on their website (www.blackcrowes.com), and you can bet the band will play it at their first-ever headlining show at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve.

Sapphire Recording is celebrating the life and music of John Lennon on Thursday, December 8, 2005 by offering a free download of the first movement of their new compact disc, “Imagine: A Flute Serenade."

While it has been 25 years this December 8th since John Lennon has lived an earthly existence, his music is continually reborn as a cultural touchstone. In this spirit, Sapphire Recording is releasing “Imagine: A Flute Serenade” by Michael Rose, which incorporates Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Give Peace a Chance” into an instrumental tribute. And from December 8, 2005 until January 2, 2006, visitors to www.SapphireRecording.com can download the complete twelve minutes of the 1st movement, Imagine, for free.

Taking a cue from the ethereal piano introduction of John Lennon’s original recording of “Imagine”, Michael’s flute spontaneously weaves peaceful, meditative and moving improvisations on the melody and chorus of the song. His music has been called ‘ambient’, even ‘New Age’, and fans have used it for meditation, relaxation, highway traveling, as well as background music for massage.

This unusual musical composition is a complete Serenade based on John Lennon's Imagine and other famous songs for peace. This is a completely instrumental collection, woven with spontaneous flute improvisations on these themes with powerful backgrounds of piano, synthesizer, tambura and tables. The form is actual classical with distinctive related movements, and repetitions and variations on the various themes in each movement. The second movement (Larghetto) is This Land based on the ubiquitous Woody Guthrie song along with its Russian equivalent, Meadowlands. The Third movement (Trio/Scherzo) takes off on the melody of John Denver’s Calypso and other sea songs by Gordon Bok. The last movement (Andante) is a world music rendition of Give Peace a Chance With tablas providing rhythms that move seamlessly from 4/4 to 5/4 to 7/8 calling forth a dreamlike state. One can almost imagine Dave Brubeck and Ravi Shankar sitting in on the performance.

While the basic outline of each piece was conceptually composed by Michael Rose, he spontaneously recorded the actual melodic and improvisational flute parts without notes or written music. Sapphire Recordings invites the listener to become a co-creator of peace while listening these melodies. As the liner notes to the CD say, “Let your own listening be a way to bring love, healing, and energy to the planet. It's one small way for you to help the world to give peace a chance.”

Imagine: A Flute Serenade is available through:
www.cdbaby.com/rosemichael
www.amazon.com
www.internatural.com

The theme of Sapphire Recording is:
Music for Meditation, Music for Dreaming, Music to Open Your Heart

Soon to be released will be Amazing Grace, another flute serenade that soars from the traditional Appalachian melody to eastern European chants and hymns from India. And for children, there’s Doggie in the Window, a collection of flute instrumental lullabies “for babies, puppies, and sleepy mommies and daddies.” Michael Rose recorded amazing Grace live at an Earth Healing concert, and his Doggie in the Window has even been used on subliminal tapes for dogs.

About the artist, Michael Rose:
Flautist Michael Rose began learning flute at the age of 9 from his father. By the time he was 13 he was studying with Arthur Goldring, who had played under the great conductor Toscannini. Michael also learned recorder from Arnold Grayson in Coconut Grove, Florida. At New College he studied jazz with the legendary jazz trombonist, Buster Cooper, and also took lessons from North Indian Classical music virtuoso , Roop Verma. He remembers the first Beatle’s releases in the USA and the screaming girls, as well as the rumbling of “A Day in the Life” from Sgt. Pepper knocking him off his feet. When John Lennon’s first album came out, he remembers dancing with his friends in the fields of Canada singing, “One thing you can’t hide is when you’re crippled inside”. A serious student of music theory and world music, Michael Rose uses all of his background to create a complete cycle of unique improvisations in the Flute Serenade, Imagine. Michael’s artistic philosophy is summed up by his favorite poet, William Carlos Williams who said, “I believe in the power of beauty to right all wrongs.”