Big Sky

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Christine Costanzo’s acoustic guitar-based songs are interpretations of her experience of life and living seen through the eyes of emotion. If emotions were the sea, her words and music would be the creatures that live therein.

Originally from a small Ohio college town embedded in the Appalachian foothills, Christine evokes a sense of place at once lost and yet inextricably bound to experience. The Appalachians crop up again and again on her first full length CD, "Big Sky". From the county road in the opener "Appalachian Sky" where she’s "still goin’ 55" to "those hills where we first started" in "Send Me Back to Ohio", this is the place of youth and innocence. In "Jesus Was A Kind Man", "those eastern woods" become the place of redemption "where all our goodness survives" and in "Huck Finn" this landscape is transformed into the departure point for adventure with the exclamation "I’ll hop the Ohio, the Missouri will take you far/ we’ll meet up and head out to the sea!"

Now residing in Madison, WI, Christine came to music by way of poetry. She began performing in the Madison and Chicago areas and released a three song EP in 2002. The self-produced "Big Sky" contains songs spanning the past seven years. Very few take the plunge and are willing to be so candid in expressing to others what they have discovered. Christine does so with a folk-rock "Cohenesque" flavor. Her debut CD , leaves no doubt.

Album Description
"Think Gillian Welch, think Joni Mitchell, think Eva Cassidy alive and well, and you're still nowhere near. Appalachian-spawned, Wisconsin based Christine Costanzo does sparse, acoustic-folk fragility like all and none of the above...Play "Big Sky" in a pitch black room and you're immediately transported to horse-land praries, windswept wide-open highways and grassy foothills..." Splendid.com, 3/1/04

"Madison soloist Christine Costanzo evokes the bygone whisperings of Joan Baez, Neil Young and even the Dead with her debut CD, "Big Sky"...her dreamy, poetic songs effectively weave the genres of country, folk and rock without getting mired in the land of neo-hippie cliche." The Shepard Express, Milwaukee's Weekly Newspaper, 4/22/04

"Costanzo's playing and singing have the starkness of Gillian Welch...with an introspective streak a mile wide...she lets her music invite you into her world." The Green Man Review, 9/03

Big Sky, Music, Christine Costanzo, "Think Gillian Welch, think Joni Mitchell, think Eva Cassidy alive and well, and you're still nowhere near. Appalacian-spawned, Madison, Wisconsin based Costanzo does sparse, acoustic-folk fragility like all and none of the above"...Splendid
Big Sky
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Awesome Project
  • The Isaacs' "Sky" Embraces Modern Country
 Big Sky
The Isaacs
Manufacturer: Spring House / EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Country | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000O77KVG
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

  1. Big Sky
  2. Through the Valley
  3. The One I'm Dying For
  4. I Bring It To You
  5. Barbie Bandaids
  6. Love Is a Cross You Bear
  7. Walk On
  8. That's Alright By Me
  9. When a Broken Heart Heals
  10. Umbrella

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Awesome Project.......2007-06-13

Well after "Heroes" this is what I expected. I knew that after their successful Heroes album in 2004 that they would change their sound. On this project I think they have changed for the better. Even thoug I am a long-time fan of The Isaacs I still think "Big Sjy" is one of their greatest projects. But I do think they should be careful who they choose as their producers. I just hope they don't switch from gospel to country. Even though Sonya is known for country music; The Isaacs are not. But I love the music and the great work they are doing.

4 out of 5 stars The Isaacs' "Sky" Embraces Modern Country.......2007-05-17

Prime Cuts: Barbie Bandaids, I Bring It to You, Love is a Cross You Bear

The Isaacs is not your typical Southern Gospel act. When they sing about "the Great Big Sky," they incarnate the very words they sing. Never constricted by the manacle of genre, "Big Sky" finds the family-sextet extending their musical forays from bluegrass to gospel to contemporary country. Part of such all-encompassing foresight is engineered by the album's producer Mark Bright. Bright who has been the sonic architect behind the mega successes of Racal Flatts and Carrie Underwood, varnishes this new disc with a more polished Nashville sheen in lieu the more rustic ambiance of their previous efforts. Similarly, the themes of these 10 paeans canvas a larger scope: from songs that address Christian themes and the Almighty to family-oriented devotions to tributaries to romance.

Just like their previous CDs, the vocals are evenly divided among the family members. Ben Issacs puts his canorous George-Strait-like tenor to great effect on the Hugh Prestwood's "Love is a Cross You Bear." A moving tale of a wayward wife of a preacher who finally repented of her flagitious ways is couched in an acoustic guitar driven ballad that is just a piece of art. While Leslie Satcher and Kent Blazy's "That's Alright By Me" is a blatant love song with Becky Isaacs' vocals punctuated by some gentle-sounding mandolin. Of the Isaacs' siblings, Sonya Isaacs has the greatest vocal charisma calling to mind the aforementioned Carrie Underwood. And Sonya is right in Underwood's territory with the popish big ballad "I Bring It to You."

But Sonya does have her more folky moments when she belts out with attitude and confidence on the bluegrassy "Walk On," an inspirational anthem about not being defeated by life or the devil. "Umbrella," though a beautiful meditation on God's companionship in hard times, is let down by its quirky and somehow nebulous melody; one that often morphs along some unusual chord changes. Much better is the ballad "Barbie Bandaids," a "soup for the soul" for mothers struggling with the tension of nurture and letting go of their children. Sonya's delivery is passionate yet delicate enough to let us feel her motherly warmth. The title cut, which is also the current single, is about escaping the cares of city living. Its pretty nondescript lyrics and its over-eager to please radio production are regrettable misfires.

For the long-time fans of the Isaacs, "Big Sky" may sound too slick and at times too contrived in order to encompass contemporary country fans. However, such an overarching attempt also works positively as the various themes, tempos, styles of these compositions make the listening experience even more engaging. Definitely for this faith-oriented family, they are not only unafraid to sing about their Savior, but they are also able to express His love in various circumstances of human interactions, be it the family or marital relationships.
The Big Eyeball in the Sky
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Amazing!
  • more like 3.75 for an amazing combination that doesn't always click together
  • Wow this is soooo under rated. What a jam of an LP
  • I want to knock that eyeball out of the sky...
  • PRIMUS SUCKS!!!!! Oooops, this is not P r i m u s
 The Big Eyeball in the Sky
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains
Manufacturer: Prawn Song
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002VJW92
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

  1. Buckethead
  2. Thai Noodles
  3. Tyranny Of The Hunt
  4. Elephant Ghost
  5. Hip Shot From The Slab
  6. Junior
  7. Scott Taylor
  8. The Big Eyeball In The Sky
  9. Jackalope
  10. 48 Hours To Go
  11. Ignorance Is Bliss

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Amazing!.......2007-02-13

I really loved this collection of extremely odd songs, from the Colonel and friends. Many reasons, first Claypool's bass is so thriving and jumping and jossling around in every song, that its hard for me to contain myself, but i will. anyway, i just love the musicianship of all the musicians taking part in Claypool's side project, I've never really listened to Primus before, but im a huge Bucket, Brain, Bernie fan and i can easily say that there at their best in this. Claypool gives the songs a lot more vibe and great tone, the production is very good i might add too. Though many fans don't like this one, i just can't see how they don't like it, it's so amazing and "different" from anything i've ever heard any band play on any cd i own, i just love it. highly recommended for fans of Buckethead, and fans of avant-garde weird fusion rock funk.

4 out of 5 stars more like 3.75 for an amazing combination that doesn't always click together.......2007-01-21

Follow this math:

75% of this group is 60% of the Praxis lineup that probably made one of the most amazing albums of ALL TIME--_Transmutation_. Combine this with 1/3 of Primus, and you get Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.

Just listing the RELEVANT resumes of the lineup of this group would take up far more space and time than I'm inclined to write right now. Fair to say that the names connect to such bands as Primus, Funkadelic, Guns 'n' Roses, and all of these guys have hooked up with Bill Laswell at one point or another, but one thing that is clear is that you have a LOT of groundbreakers. Aside from the way Les Claypool reinvented the whole fretboard and possibilities of bass, and how Bernie Worrell brought keyboards into the space age, and the fact that anthropologists will still be studying the Buckethead phenomena for centuries, these four (including Brain) sound like a dream combination. And for songs like the phenomenal instrumental "Elephant Ghost" and "Tyranny of the Hunt" and the incredibly redneck "Hip Shot from the Slab," they all come together for unbelivable sounds.

But sometimes the personalities step in the way of the playing. Claypool, bless his heart, has an affinity for promoting the myth of Bucketheadland, but it lets the KFCed one setp out a little too much from the group, and the song becomes disjointed. In the Praxis days, Worrell, Buckethead and Brain fused into and amazing sound that used the best of everyone while letting no one take away from the essence of the song, but Bernie Brains can't quite retain the same magic.

5 out of 5 stars Wow this is soooo under rated. What a jam of an LP.......2006-06-16

This LP is sooooo under rated. This is where Les Claypool takes off after primus and other projects after that. The whole band works so great together. Bernie Worrell - Keyboards is out standing! Buckethead working the Guitar is trippy. Long time pal Bryan "Brain" Mantia from Primus thumps out the tones on drums. Along with good olde Les on bass. This (Elephant Ghost) song is so toe tapping it's head bobbing and dance grooving. This is one great jam that the greater of the world should hear. Hell I cant really get past Elephant Ghost(Bernie Worrell - Keyboards is toe rific!). I listen to it over and over. Get one of the live cds' too c2b3live.

4 out of 5 stars I want to knock that eyeball out of the sky..........2006-04-29

I got what i wanted with this purchase: great music from great musicians. This is a supergroup that is into the music more than the money. But I really enjoy their live music available at c2b3live dot com, which is stupendous. I have a copy of their live show at The Catalyst and it's real and it's spectacular. Not to dis this fine ensemble of jams including the origin of Buckethead, Thai Noodles, and Tyranny Of The Hunt. I love The Big Eyeball In The Sky b/c it speaks the truth about big brother media inc. Great anthems for dubya-haters (Junior, 48 hours) on this disc, but I still recommend downloading a live show or ten. In all, this is a superb, funky jam. Can't really go wrong with these guys. Their music is refreshing, fun, and unique: I laughed, I cried, I wet my pants.

4 out of 5 stars PRIMUS SUCKS!!!!! Oooops, this is not P r i m u s.......2005-11-29

Actually, this group is probably what Claypool assembled to get HIS best sound out. As we all know who Clayppol and Buckethead are. For the reviewer who described the the band, and naming Bernie Worrell "The Organist" (and spelled it wrong too!). Bernie Worrell is the BUZZ behind P-FUNK! GET IT RIGHT, SON!!! Good music, Buckethead is a good guitarist (uh oh, I can just feel those KFC heads clucking @ me). Everyone has talked about Claypool and Buckethead, Buckethead and Claypool. Les is a phenomenal bassist. When you hear that slaping, you know it's the Colonel Claypool. 4 out 5 ain't bad!
Cinderella Man
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • The Soundtrack to Cinderella Man is great
  • Another good score from Thomas Newman.
  • Very nice
  • Why...
  • A fairly conventional score for Thomas Newman, but enjoyable nonetheless
 Cinderella Man
Thomas Newman
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0008ENHX0
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

  1. The Inside Out
  2. Shim-Me-Sha-Wobble
  3. Mae
  4. Change Of Fortune
  5. Weehawken Ferry
  6. Cold Meat Party
  7. All Prayed Out
  8. Tillie's Downtown Now
  9. Three Bucks Twenty
  10. Corn Griffin
  11. Shoe Polish
  12. Londonderry Air
  13. The Hope Of The Irish
  14. Hooverville Funeral
  15. Fight Day
  16. Good As Murder
  17. We've Got To Put That Sun Back In The Sky
  18. No Contest
  19. Pugilism
  20. Bulldog Of Bergen
  21. Big Right
  22. 9, 4, 2 Even
  23. Cinderella Man
  24. Turtle
  25. Cheer Up! Smile! Nertz! - Eddie Cantor

Amazon.com

For this movie about 1930s boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe), director Ron Howard interrupted his longtime collaboration with composer James Horner and teamed up with Thomas Newman. It's a wise decision: Newman has a lighter touch and his somber palette emphasizes the fact that Cinderella Man is more thoughtful drama than mere brawling flick (even a track titled "Pugilism" eschews obvious punchiness in favor of ominous, rolling tribal-like percussion. Elsewhere, "Weehawken Ferry" illustrates Newman's ability to write swelling, majestic music that's not bombastic. Typical of the subdued approach is Paul Giamatti's version of "Londonderry Air," which he delicately whistles. The score is interspersed with a few lovely Depression-era tunes such as Chicago tenor saxist Bud Freeman's "Tillie¹s Downtown Now," Roane's Pennsylvanians' "We've Got to Put that Sun Back in the Sky," and especially Eddie Cantor's wonderfully biting "Cheer Up, Smile, Nertz" ("Our judges are queer/Our banks disappear/And all the while they tell us to smiiiiile"). --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars The Soundtrack to Cinderella Man is great.......2007-01-11

Cinderella Man is one of my favorite movies of all time. And the soundtrack does not disappoint. They have all of the powerful songs heard on the DVD. It even has the songs that you could barely hear in the movie because they were simply background music to the scenes. For instance, when Mike Wilson and Jim Braddock sit down together after work and have a drink and discuss the troubled times their nation was facing during the depression, you can faintly hear a song called, "We've Got to Put that Sun Back in the Sky" by Roane's Pennsylvanians. That song is on here in its entirety.

The other example is found in the scene where Joe Gould is seen driving off after just speaking with Jim about his hopes of getting him another fight after Jim had defeated Corn Griffin. Joe is trying to leave before Mae can see him because he knows she would not approve of his talking with Jim and the potential of another fight for her husband. Anyway, just as he gets in the car, and as he drives off, you can here Bud Freeman's "Tillie's Downtown Now" being played--another great song from that era.

Every sound of Cinderella Man is found on this soundtrack. The lone downside to this CD is that the songs are not found in the order they appear in the movie. The first four songs are in order and the last five or so are in order, and the rest is thrown in the middle. They are all there, but as is typical for most soundtracks, they don't all coincide with the order presented in the picture.

This soundtrack is a terrific purchase for any fan of this movie. You will not be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars Another good score from Thomas Newman........2006-11-07

Thomas Newman is becoming quite the composer. He has such a unique style, but is able to use it to compliment the movies he scores without the music sounding out of place or out of period. The tracks "Turtle" and "Pugilism" are fun to listen to. The first track is short and yet somehow moving. There are enough songs from the period to lend the right flavor to the soundtrack (including a track of Paul Giamatti whistling "Londonderry Air"). This one's definitely worth having if you're a fan of Thomas Newman.

5 out of 5 stars Very nice.......2006-08-03

I suppose this would have been better, like another reviewer said, if some of the tracks had been more than minute-long cuts of the music from Cinderella Man. Still, it's a fantastic soundtrack!--I don't know what "conventional" meant when someone called it that, but if you like sad and somber music, you'll certainly like this. Try it. It's almost better than the movie itself, and the movie was great. After this, I have to hear Thomas Newman's other work.

3 out of 5 stars Why..........2006-07-11

I dearly loved the movie, "Cinderella Man," and the music in it. However, why on earth, on the CD, did they play only a minute, or less, of some of the best music? Like, "Hope of the Irish," I liked that so much, but 52 seconds dosn't do it. In the film it was at least 3 minutes or more. I have decided not to buy the soundtrack simply because of this.

3 out of 5 stars A fairly conventional score for Thomas Newman, but enjoyable nonetheless.......2006-03-25

Cinderella Man is, in a way, a return to conventional scoring for Thomas Newman. For a long while we've heard world instruments and percussion banging it out before stopping to allow beautiful themes to grasp our souls, but in Cinderella Man the effort is more restrained. It is largely a score for piano and strings, and fans of Thomas Newman will have heard the sound before. But, all the same, it is an enjoyable score for Newman fans of both kinds, and while it does take a while to get into a full expression of the story, it is definitely worth the wait.

The piano is used a lot in the score, making appearances across most of the tracks, including the gentle "The Inside Out" or in "Mae", appear with the delicate strings that we have come to expect from Newman. "Pugilism" makes use of pizzicato movements, whereas the two Irish influenced tracks, "Hope of the Irish" and "Turtle", bring back some more unconventional instruments as one would expect. But largely, the score meanders in the background, establishing a delicate tone and texture, but never really taking a forefront. Of course, I must make mention of the wonderful "Weehawken Ferry", which presents a crisp walking movement of strings, similar to what was heard in Shawshank Redemption. However, it is not until the final few tracks that the music finally free's itself from it's subdued nature and reaches out. "Big Right" explodes with blaring french horns and sharp strings, until it finally fades off and allows the highlight track, "Cinderella Man", to come in. This track is Newman at his best, with his typical soaring string arrangement of the main theme introduced in "The Inside Out", before finally reverting back to quiet woodwinds and piano near the end.

Cinderella Man is by no means an innovative or groundbreaking score - it's a fairly conventional drama score. The same adjectives could be applied to the movie as well. Is it worth the pick-up? Definitely, if you are looking for more Newman goodness. However, if you're looking to get into the world of Newman with a more colorful score - try "Angels in America" or "Road to Perdition".

- prasanth1111@gmail.com
Big Beautiful Sky
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Big Beautiful Voice
  • SLIGHTLY QUIRKY, COMPLETELY BEAUTIFUL
  • One of the must-have albums of this century
  • Fill me up with sound
  • Somewhat Disappointed
 Big Beautiful Sky
Venus Hum
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008QSCG
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Tracks:

  1. Hummingbirds
  2. Montana
  3. Soul Sloshing
  4. Wordless May
  5. Alice
  6. Lumberjacks
  7. Beautiful Spain
  8. The Bells
  9. Springtime #2
  10. Honey
  11. Sonic Boom
  12. Bella Luna

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Big Beautiful Voice.......2006-06-04

I first heard Venus Hum on radioparadise.com, which has been a source of good music for me lately.

The singer has a great voice and very appealing attitude. You really should see their "Hummingbirds" video. She is awesome in it.

If you like singers like Cranberries, Vienna Teng you will definetely like this CD.

4 out of 5 stars SLIGHTLY QUIRKY, COMPLETELY BEAUTIFUL.......2005-12-18

This is such a great album. Amazing vocalist, unusual yet very appealing voice. Very recognizable as well, I believe. I think that I have heard her vocals on a number of other non-Venus Hum songs, such as "Southern Sun" on Paul Oakenfold's album Bunkka (Am I right? I don't have the physical CD or insert/sleeve for Bunkka, I downloaded it from iTunes) The music on this album, Big Beautiful Sky, is itself equally dynamic and fantastic - also unusual, but accessible. The result? Perfectly matched vocals and music.

I have had this album for some time now, a few years maybe, and love to listen to it fairly regularly. The front half of the album is my favorite - Hummingbirds, Montana, Soul Sloshing, Lumberjacks and Beautiful Spain are my favorite tracks on this album, particularly Soul Sloshing - such a funky, odd, feel-great track. This CD is worth its bargain price for that one track alone. The rest of the album is great as well, a little more downtempo than the first half, but I find myself routinely gravitating to the songs listed above and tend to have those on repeat more often than those bringing up the rear.

Give this one a listen, then pick it up. Also check out their EP Songs for Superheroes, which is equally fantastic. I look forward to listening to, and purchasing, all of Venus Hum's future efforts.

5 out of 5 stars One of the must-have albums of this century.......2005-09-16

Absolutely stunning! If you like ethereal female singers with really good near-operatic voices like Kate Bush, Lana Lane, Tarja Turunen of Nighwish... although my list might confuse you 'cause this is not pop-metal but rather trip-hop-dance-pop. Anyway, comparisons to Bjork are not very good, IMHO - this is not Bjork, not at all! - this stuff is really much more accessible and enjoyable.

Anyway, getting on with the review. What is amazing here is that almost every song (with only 1-2 exceptions) is really really good and very professionally produced. Hooks abound! Jumping, throbbing, trip-hoppy comtemporary dance-pop with simple lyrics which is ultimately hundred-percent redeemed by not only beautiful but oh so very sincere voice of Annette Strean.

Now for the songs. "Hummingbirds" was the first one I heard and it was simply love at first sight (no wonder that a snippet of it was used in a TV commercial). "Montana" is very good, although I liked some remixes of it more than the original. Then come "Soul Sloshing", "Beautiful Spain", "Wordless May" and "Bella Luna" - all first-class. Others are good but they are somewhat obscured by the hits - not to mention that some of them sound almost the same and this is something that guys from Venus Hum should think about when doing their next full-length record.

By the way, I am not sure why they have already released three EPs: "Hummingbirds" and new "Songs For Superheroes" and "Switched On Chrismas" but there is no new LP... what's up with that? some problems with their label, perhaps? Also, how on earth are people supposed to listen to these new songs if they are not even available anywhere? weird...

Anyway, as I said before, this is a record which is without any doubt, $15-worthy... I want to come up with a better sounding (or looking) term but am stumped for now. Go and buy it now!

5 out of 5 stars Fill me up with sound.......2005-09-16

Good music is like a good book in that it has the power to sweep you away to another place. When I listen to Venus Hum I'm taken back to a place of innocence, happiness, sunshine, and unconcern. There is music I listen to when I want to be pouty, or angry, or serine; but I listen to this album when I want to feel joyful and lighthearted.

Yes, this album does have a spiritual undertone and she does mention Jesus in a song; being a not-so-religious person, this is a slight antipathy. However, I respect other people's beliefs and think it is beautiful when they can express them in a non-preachy way with alluring music; and Venus Hum does just that. In fact, the song that mentions Jesus, `Wordless May', is one of my favorite tracks. It's just a beautiful song.

Annette has such an amazing voice. She has passion mixed with innocence in her voice. The music just swirls into your ears and after a while you can't get it out of your head. You'll find yourself throughout the day humming the melody.

I actually just happened to come across them here on Amazon, and I'm very happy I did.

2 out of 5 stars Somewhat Disappointed.......2005-09-04

Like a lot of people, I first heard of Venus Hum when Annette Strean (Venus Hum's lead singer) sang "Feel so good" on the Blue man group's "Complex rock tour" (a gread DVD). They announced her as Venus Hum. She rocked the house down and was the highlight of the show. So I figured that was the kind of music Venus Hum played. It's not. They're more like Techno-pop or something.
The first few songs are kind of catchy, hence the 2 stars; but it drops off quickly after that. Guess I should have listed to the short audio clips on Amazon first.
Big Blue Sky
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Big Blue Yes Indeedy!
  • Perfection
  • He's awesome
  • I'm not disappointed...
  • An evolving sound, an absolute delight!
 Big Blue Sky
Bebo Norman
Manufacturer: Essential
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
Christian Contemporary MusicChristian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005ABMZ
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Tracks:

  1. I Am
  2. Cover Me
  3. You Surround Me
  4. Sons And Daughters
  5. Perhaps She'll Wait
  6. Tip Of My Heart
  7. Underneath
  8. Break Me Through
  9. Big Blue Sky
  10. All That I Have Sown
  11. Where You Are

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Even though he has a long independent release history, Bebo Norman is quickly establishing himself in the larger Christian music arena as a songwriter extraordinaire. In his latest, Big Blue Sky, Norman writes and sings of a God never more alive and ever-present than in the rich lyrical imagery this burgeoning talent presents. In the catchy opener, "I Am," we're reassured that the Creator is "in the center of your storm / I am in the fire / I am in the flood / I am in the marrow and the blood / When you cannot stand, I am." Both "Cover Me" and "Underneath" also stand out with jangly, airy guitars that massage Norman's messages of hope and restoration. And you can't miss the moving tribute to mothers everywhere on the ending track, "Where You Are." Big Blue Sky is an impressive release full of reflection and resonance. Much credit for this should go to producer Ed Cash (Caedmon's Call), who puts Norman's earthy vocals and brilliant songwriting in a tasteful wrapper. --Michael Lyttle

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Big Blue Yes Indeedy!.......2007-03-08

This was the first album I heard by Bebo so I'm a little biased to it. Other reviewers stated that they liked the more folky, stripped-down music of his prior albums, but I prefer the more fleshed out ones here. Big Blue Sky reeks of an artist coming into his own. Buy it you little freaks!

5 out of 5 stars Perfection.......2006-04-26

I've been listening to this CD for 5 yrs know and it's simply perfect. Consistent from beginning to end with solid lyrics, emotional vocals and an open, singer/songwriter pop sound that makes you want to listen again and again but won't rot your teeth. Sincere and confident delivery from an artist that needs to be an "A" list CBA artist---sales talk---buy this CD! The best in his library (and I'm a fan--got em all)

5 out of 5 stars He's awesome.......2003-06-01

I can't get enough of Bebo. I have all of his CD's.

5 out of 5 stars I'm not disappointed..........2003-03-01

Usually when musicians have an amazing first album such as Bebo did with "Ten Thousand Days," it's hard to follow it up with another one up to par. Bebo however does not have this problem. "Big Blue Sky" is great CD with some really great songs on it. My personal favorites are "Cover Me","Underneath", "Tip of My Heart" and "All That I Have Sown." This CD encompasses many different styles of music. Bebo brings it all together with his awesome lyrics and melodies. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

5 out of 5 stars An evolving sound, an absolute delight!.......2002-10-08

I definitely saw a noticeable difference from "Ten Thousand Days" to "Big Blue Sky," but it's not a bad change at all. In the earlier album, Bebo's sound is much more natural and acoustic, the lyrics more poetic and soulful. On this CD, there are still strong traces of the acoustic balladeer in several songs, like "Sons & Daughters" or "Perhaps She'll Wait" (my personal favorite on this album), but also a bit stronger showing of the more pop sound that peeked out in "Stand." This is most evident in the opening few tracks, with lively tunes like "I Am" and "Cover Me," and the very witty and spritely "Underneath."

I can't say that Bebo's sound really changes, so much as his balance or emphasis tends to tip more in favor of the more "rockish" style that I already knew was lurking in him, just waiting to come out. Still, I think the balance on "Big Blue Sky" is a bit of an improvement over the nearly unbroken folk sound of "Ten Thousand Days." Either way, this guy has an awesome talent and a great heart for the Lord, and I doubt there will be many listeners who aren't delighted by what they hear.
Joan Tower: Instrumental Music
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent music, excellent performers
  • Strongly recommended
 Joan Tower: Instrumental Music

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by TowerAll Works by Tower | Tower, Joan | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
4-for-3 Classical4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Violin Concerto; Rituals
  2. Tower: Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman
  3. Joan Tower: Silver Ladders / Island Prelude for Oboe and String Quartets / Island Rhythms / Music for Cello and Orchestra / Sequoia
  4. Joan Tower: Concertos
  5. Black Topaz - Joan Tower

ASIN: B000A17GHY
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Tracks:

  1. In Memory - Tokyo String Quartet
  2. Big Sky - Joan Tower
  3. Wild Purple - Paul Neaubauer
  4. Holding A Daisy - Ursula Oppens
  5. Or Like A...An Engine - Ursula Oppens
  6. Vast Antique Cubes - Melvin Chen
  7. Throbbing Still - Melvin Chen
  8. Island Prelude - Richard Woodhams

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent music, excellent performers.......2006-03-17

Joan Tower's "Island Prelude" has long been a favorite of mine. The work unfolds with an absolute mastery of control and exquisite orchestration. Choosing between its version for oboe and string orchestra and this version for oboe and string quartet is like choosing between full strings and quartet in Barber's "Adagio for Strings". When you have the Tokyo String Quartet playing, as you do here, you don't miss the warmth of a full flank of string players and you get the added bonus of hearing a lot more detail. The quartet also shines in Tower's "In Memory", one of my favorite works of hers, period. Indeed, the works on this disc are all extremely strong. The piano piece "Throbbing Still" is a stunning tour de force, and pianist Melvin Chen holds nothing back in this great performance. Despite raising their prices to now midprice level (remember the $5.98 Naxos bins?), kudos must be given to the label for generating this recording featuring amazing performers and outstanding American repertoire.

5 out of 5 stars Strongly recommended.......2006-01-07

Dr. Tower is a well-known American composer and a performing pianist. Her thoughtful music is always filled with interesting melodies and tinged with just enough modernistic dissonance to add interest. I first discovered her music on the Sharon Isbin (classical guitarist)album Nightshade Rounds, where the composition Clocks appeared. Fascinating music, listen to it if you can.

Since as of this writing Amazon has not listed the tracks, I will:

1. In Memory (string quartet)
2. Big Sky (violin, cello & piano)
3. Wild Purple (solo viola)
4. Holding a Daisy (solo piano)
5. Or Like a...an Engine (solo piano)
6. Vast Antique Cubes (solo piano)
7. Throbbing Still (solo piano)
8. Island Prelude (oboe & string quartet)

In Memory is a poignant piece about grief and death, inspired by the loss of a close friend and the 9/11 victims. The one movement piece is string quartet writing at its finest. Big Sky, on which Ms. Tower plays piano, is every bit as deep and contemplative as In Memory as is the very beautiful Wild Purple whose themes make extended use of the viola's lowest string. The piano solos are filled with interesting sounds and vary greatly in mood. Island Prelude features an oboe weaving its way among the strings, and, like In Memory, it is performed by the famous Tokyo String Quartet. Also, like all of the string pieces on this recording, the tempo is andante or slower.

With a tremendous variety of instrumental combinations, this CD is a delight and one that I will enjoy many times. My only complaint is with Naxos who skimped on the quantity of music and gave us only 58:26 minutes of pleasure.

Strongly Recommended

Redgecko
Moondog
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Admirable communion with life
  • F_kin' Hardcore
  • Eccentric Centrist
 Moondog

Manufacturer: Ojc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
Minimal TechnoMinimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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  1. Moondog 1 & 2
  2. More Moondog/The Story of Moondog
  3. Viking of Sixth Avenue
  4. The German Years 1977-1999
  5. Sound Grammar

ASIN: B000000Z63
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

  1. Caribea
  2. Lullaby
  3. Tree Trail
  4. Death, When You Come To Me
  5. Big Cat
  6. Frog Bog
  7. To A Sea Horse
  8. Dance Rehearsal
  9. Surf Session
  10. Trees Against The Sky
  11. Tap Dance
  12. Oo Debut
  13. Drum Suite
  14. Street Scene

Amazon.com

Louis Hardin, known to pre-Watergate New Yorkers as the blind street musician Moondog, is also a fascinating and sui generis composer. This disc collects 1969 recordings of his orchestral works and 1972 small-group recordings of the two-minutes-and-under "rounds and canons" that are his most influential work. Janis Joplin covered his "All Is Loneliness," you can hear foreshadowings of Stereolab in his "Madrigals," and you only need to hear "Theme" to hear how profoundly he influenced Michael Nyman. Simple and beautiful, Moondog's rounds owe as much to the swing he heard on the radio in his youth as to Bach's canonical structures, and they vary as little and as much as roses in a row. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Admirable communion with life.......2007-04-26

Blind he is our Moondog, but he does not bark for pity. He listens to and reproduces what he can capture with his ears. That means his work is a tremendous compilation of sounds from the real world, animals or just insects, his own baby and his own wife, or just some beating on a drum, or the frail dancing of a pipe along with a frog and a cricket. It is this extreme patchwork of sounds, voices, noise and music under the light enchantment from the moon that our artist is imagining in his eternal night. At least for him the moon never sets, never disappears over or behind the hills. "Surf Session" is the only piece that has some real length. The sea surf, the sea waves, the breaking of these waves we imagine along some pebbly seaside give a strange depth to the very both Asian and tremendously romantic music that manages to float forever over the rather powerful vortex of the sea, the ocean. The nearly Chinese constant grace-notes give the music a charm that is both discrete and so strong we seem to be able to imagine some Last Emperor advancing in the Forbidden City just before defeating his beleaguered wife and sons under the sign of some golden flower. The "Street Scene" is less fascinating because it is aimless, it lacks a direction and a destination? "I must never follow you and you must never follow me." He is roaming on and on, around and around, in that incessant, menacing, mechanical noise that comes up from the New York street locked up in between the walls of surrounding buildings. Can that be life? And what can it sound like to a blind man? Is it worse or less violent than what the famous Arthur Miller's Salesman felt, heard and experienced in his trapped two storied house in the middle of surrounding skyscrapers and under the crushing noise of thousands of motor vehicles? We will never know, except if we decide to do what dipus did when he realized his criminal inability to see the fate that was his. And he lived ever after like a dog in the eternal night of his blindness remembering the moonshine and the sunshine, tolerating the insults and petty assaults from those whose yes are not bleeding dead.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

5 out of 5 stars F_kin' Hardcore.......2005-12-06

Louis T. Hardin did not graduate from the Juliard. He went to a school in Iowa and Memphis, but was mostly self taught. Listen to this with your eyes closed.

5 out of 5 stars Eccentric Centrist.......2003-12-14

Odd-ball individuals are more common than geniuses, but Moondog is both. Harry Partch had the highest regard for this blind graduate of Julliard, whose fantastic get-up of skins, furs and horns might have detracted from the impact of less seminal music. Since he was immensely tall, he made quite an apparition. Moondog's primitivo get-up was odd, to say the least, but since Moondog was blind, one wonders who put the costume together. Moondog, like Harry, invented most of the instruments he played standing on the corener at the Avenue of the Americas. His music reaches back into prehistory in its effect, and has a kindness to it, if that may be a reasonable thing to say. Later, Moondog became sort of a darling of the avant garde, and composed for traditional instruments, but the earlier the recorded work, the more deep down and pure it was. The later work is slicker, but just as intelligent.
Dragons in the Sky
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Dragons in the Sky

    Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B0000038J7
    Release Date: 1995-02-08

    Tracks:

    1. Dragons In The Sky
    2. I. Fangare
    3. II. Fugue
    4. III. The Chase
    5. Quinter For Four Horns With Tape
    6. Section
    7. I. Little Feet
    8. II. Big Feet/Fast Feet
    Introduction to Canadian Music
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Best Comprehensive Survey of Canadian Music Available
    		 Introduction to Canadian Music

    Manufacturer: Naxos
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Forsyth, MalcolmForsyth, Malcolm | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    EtudesEtudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    MarchesMarches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    OverturesOvertures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    CompilationsCompilations | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B0000014C7
    Release Date: 2006-03-01

    Tracks:

    1. Marche Indienne - Hannaford Street Silver Band
    2. Fiesta: Vif Et Bien Rythme - Neil Chotem
    3. The Contented House - Mario Bernardi
    4. Carnival Overture - Kazuhiro Koizumi
    5. Fall Fair - Uri Mayer
    6. Harbours - Nimmons 'N' Nine Plus Six
    7. Andante Allegro - Orford Quartet
    8. Fast And Frenzied - Robert Aitken
    9. Mont-aux-Sources - Mario Bernardi
    10. Allegro - Robert Silverman
    11. Allegro Vivace - Lento - Franco Mannino
    12. Giocoso (With A Touch Of The Absurd) - Janina Fialkowska
    13. Thunder Dragon - Espirit Orchestra
    14. Romance For Brass Band - Steven Chenette
    15. Akasha (Sky) - Bramwell Tovey
    16. Elan - Walter Boudreau

    Tracks:

    1. Magnus Dominus - Patrick Wedd
    2. Hodie, Christus Natus Est - Elmer Iseler Singers
    3. Feller From Fortune - Elmer Iseler
    4. Soleils Couchants - Patrick Wedd
    5. Ave, Verum Corpus - Vancouver Chamber Choir
    6. Notre Seigneur En Pauvre - Saint John String Quartet
    7. Pemoengkah - Robert Aitken
    8. Quarks - Judy Loman
    9. Toccata For Flute And Soprano - Robert Aitken
    10. No.2 - Valerie Tryon
    11. African Funeral Song - Nexus
    12. Chanson Du Matin - David Kent
    13. Six Themes-Solaires - No.1 - Piano Soleil - Richard Raymond
    14. Le Jeu De Telephone - Ensemble Koln
    15. Alma Chillin - Mark Duggan
    16. Dripsody - Hugh Le Caine
    17. Big Bang II - Marcelle Deschenes
    18. Nadir - Douglas Perry

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Best Comprehensive Survey of Canadian Music Available.......1999-01-19

    This anthology of three Centuries(!) of Canadian music was assembled by a former producer from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation who now works for Naxos Canada. This producer is also active in the Canadian music world, so he knows whereof he speaks (or selects, as in this case). Liscensing the best performances available from major Canadian and International labels, this is the best collection of, and introudction to, the entire Canadian music scene that I have ever come across. The booklet is informative and is as enjoyable a read as is the 2 CD set is to listen. I doubt there will ever be anything quite like it again. If only NAXOS would now start recording Canadian music on top of the Canadian artists they already record, than they will truly have one of the finest and most comprehensive classical catalogues in the world. As for now, don't pass this one up.
    A Melody from the Sky
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Jan Garber & his orchestra, also Jan Garber "A melody From The Sky"
    • A Melody From The Sky
    		 A Melody from the Sky
    Jan Garber
    Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Classic Big BandClassic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B0001EMM1U
    Release Date: 2004-05-25

    Tracks:

    1. My Dear
    2. I Want To Be Happy
    3. Baby Face
    4. The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
    5. All I Do Is Dream Of You
    6. Rain
    7. The Object Of My Affection
    8. It's Easy To Remember
    9. In A Little Gypsy Tearoom
    10. I Feel Like A Feather In The Breeze
    11. I'm Shooting High
    12. Moon Over Miami
    13. A Beautiful Lady In Blue
    14. A Melody From The Sky
    15. A Rendezvous With A Dream
    16. Did I Remember?
    17. Just A Memory
    18. Serenade In The Night
    19. That Old Feeling
    20. Avalon
    21. Romance In The Dark
    22. Bambina
    23. Concert In The Park
    24. Soft Shoe Shuffle
    25. You're Breaking My Heart
    26. Jealous Heart

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Jan Garber & his orchestra, also Jan Garber "A melody From The Sky".......2007-01-13

    I found both cd's excellent, both in content and presentation.
    Highly recomended to the lovers of music of that period.

    5 out of 5 stars A Melody From The Sky.......2005-05-16

    If You Like Big Band Music, This One Of Jan Garber, Is One Of The Best In My Opinion!!! His Style & Arrangements Of The Songs Are Perfect!!! This CD Has Some Of The Most Wonderful Songs Such As " AVALON,MY DEAR,BABY FACE " And Many Others!!! The Sound Quality Of The Songs Is Superb In Comparison To Hearing Them On The Old Original 78rpm Records. If You Purchase This CD, Trust Me You Will Not Regret It And Have Some Of The Greatest Music On This Earth By One Of The Best Jan Garber!!!

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