23-06-2015, 13:14
ALBUM REVIEW OF PLAYING WITH SHADOWS BY DAVID FRANKLIN
Pianist and acoustic-guitarist David Franklin made himself a promise when he was nine-years-old. He swore he would try to play music every day of his life. He says he has met that goal for the past 40 years except for a couple of sick days and once or twice when he was traveling and there was no instrument available. He also says the result of all that playing is his new album, PLAYING WITH SHADOWS, which will make you glad he did not take many vacations.
Franklin plays both guitar and piano on this CD, and he is joined on two-thirds of the record by the extraordinary bassist Michael Manring. These are simple, delicate and hauntingly-beautiful tunes. This excellent album has no synths nor drums nor vocals, just top-notch musicianship and some interesting instrumental along the creative highway. Somewhat reminiscent of a slower, gentler, more innocent time when good musicians could simply compose and play some nice melodies to general acclaim and everything did not have to be computer-corrected and heavily-multi-layered and produced with a pop sheen. This is living room music, like you had two or three friends over to play for you on a Friday night, and then you order in pizza and everyone sits around remembering the past with a rosy glow.
If you have been longing for awhile to hear some real music, look no further. The piano rings out and resonates like someone crashing into it during a barroom brawl while the fretless bass moans and whines like a banshee in the night. This is passionate, powerful, mood music. It sets the mood and all you can do is jump in , hold on tight and ride along with it. You will not be disappointed. The music can be purchased at all the usual web sales sites.
Pianist and acoustic-guitarist David Franklin made himself a promise when he was nine-years-old. He swore he would try to play music every day of his life. He says he has met that goal for the past 40 years except for a couple of sick days and once or twice when he was traveling and there was no instrument available. He also says the result of all that playing is his new album, PLAYING WITH SHADOWS, which will make you glad he did not take many vacations.
Franklin plays both guitar and piano on this CD, and he is joined on two-thirds of the record by the extraordinary bassist Michael Manring. These are simple, delicate and hauntingly-beautiful tunes. This excellent album has no synths nor drums nor vocals, just top-notch musicianship and some interesting instrumental along the creative highway. Somewhat reminiscent of a slower, gentler, more innocent time when good musicians could simply compose and play some nice melodies to general acclaim and everything did not have to be computer-corrected and heavily-multi-layered and produced with a pop sheen. This is living room music, like you had two or three friends over to play for you on a Friday night, and then you order in pizza and everyone sits around remembering the past with a rosy glow.
If you have been longing for awhile to hear some real music, look no further. The piano rings out and resonates like someone crashing into it during a barroom brawl while the fretless bass moans and whines like a banshee in the night. This is passionate, powerful, mood music. It sets the mood and all you can do is jump in , hold on tight and ride along with it. You will not be disappointed. The music can be purchased at all the usual web sales sites.