Dancing on the Wind
By
Shoshana Michel
Written by
Steve Sheppard
One World Music Radio
Fresh from her success with Soul Whispers, Shoshana Michel is back with a delicious brand new offering called Dancing on the Wind and as I write this in mid-autumn, one could say this is quite seasonal.
The opening track is a real scene setter; I personally found this an emotional piece to listen to, it’s called When Leaves Dance. The rolling piano and melody creates an autumnal vista for us to watch, the delicate notes played by Michel are like those falling leaves themselves, as they drift down they get caught by the cold north wind and blown along a long lonely dusty road.
Shoshana Michel is a very passionate performer and on the next piece called Heather, Roses and Moonlight, you can not only hear that passion, but feel it too. This is a remarkable composition filled full of memories and once more touches the musical heart with the ease of a new sunrise. Note the changes here and the steady and almost cinematic style of construction, which is so very carefully built within this tender arrangement.
The title track is next, Dancing on the Wind, the theme is rich and full of colour, and the melody itself really reminds me in parts of the master David Lanz and Spiral Dance. We can listen to this beautiful solo piano piece and through our minds eyes; we can see the falling leaves from a late autumnal breeze, literally dance with the wind itself.
Once more the deeply moving segments in this fluent composition really bring forward Michel’s progression as an artist. The melody is outstanding and the power and poise of Love Everlasting is off the scale (no pun intended). The flowing nature of this arrangement is stylish, with a slight musical flavour of the dramatic as well.
As we approach the half way marker, we come across a stunning little number called, Finding the Light Within. There is a real shift here in style and performance, and perhaps venturing into a narrative of a struggle towards the right path and ever onwards to the shining light of what’s right. The melody contains a real longing and yearning for peace through many memories of a hard road and one that is finally achieved by the end of the track.
Pull back the curtains and look at the sparkling lights at midnight on A Night of Lights. The gentle performance here reminds me of the time as a child; I wandered around my uncle’s vast house and peered through the windows in the early hours to marvel at the stars up above, all wide eyed and full of wonderment. The narrative of this song would have been my youthful soundtrack of that moment.
Dear reader and constant listener of stylish music, you’re about to listen to a piece called Gently Flows the River Tranquil. The never ending movement of the river is beautifully drawn here by the artist, who has created a stunning and vast wonderland of musical art in this track. We can see the forest, we can see the curve at the bend of the river and we can watch the natural flow of life in what has to be one of the most graphic pieces Michel has ever produced.
From the bend in the river, we continue our Wandering. The sun dapples the brown leaves and creates a warm halo of a golden yellow across our view. The tone here has that distinct motif of movement, at a steady but onward tempo; Michel’s ever present autumn wind blows all around us as we go. This piece has great feeling and a wonderful emotive quality about it, dusted with a slight layer of mystery too.
As we move inexorably to the end of the release we come across a lovely composition called Wishing for You. This is so gentle and loving, one can feel the warmth of the piece with ease, the performance is so filled with love too, and there is a real sense of honesty throughout this track that creates such a positive tender energy.
The last but one pathway through Shoshana Michel’s latest collection of quality tunes is now right in front of us and as we take that musical road, we can listen to the penultimate piece called Dream’s Journey. A fast flowing river of a track that has a pace of determination about its construction, I adored the repeating motif here.
There can be no better way to reflect on something quite beautiful, like this album for instance, than to sit atop of a hill and gaze down at the wonderful green view of the valley below. There is an almost Celtic lilt about this piece, but its construction and manifestation has a real reflective nature about it. Quiet Valley is indeed the perfect ending arrangement.
Shoshana Michel has raised the bar and gone the extra mile by bringing us the ever eager listener of wonderful music, this collection of tender songs that we now know as Dancing on the Wind. This album is sometimes emotive, certainly reflective, at times emotional and yearning, and yes, simply put this album has something for everyone, whether you’re a fan of the genre of solo piano, or just a true lover of quality music, this most certainly is for you.