Review of Beneath an Autumn Moon CD
Review by Matthew Forss
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)
New York pianist and composer, Brian Kachejian, traverses a fine line between classical and new age with all of the lush embellishments of contemplative and memorable music. The fourteen-track release is mostly led by piano, but there are some other orchestral achievements that incorporate other instruments. Still, the entire release is wholly instrumental and very akin to Vangelis or Steve Halpern.
“Cumberland Road” begins with a pensive piano melody that is melancholic, but it accompanies some light keyboard washes and a few percussive ticks. The ticks are metallic and brief. There are a few echoing swishes and eerie atmospheric embellishments that eloquently accompany the moving piano melody. The soft keyboard pads and drippy, yet tinny percussive inflections are not intrusive at all. The symphonic melody is somber, yet hopeful. This is an ideal new age song with cinematic charisma and timeless qualities.
“Searching For The Rising Sun” starts out with a few keyboard washes and soft piano keys that grow a little louder with each progression. The twinkling piano melody elevates the music to new heights that are anything but dull. The combination of the piano and aural washes makes a good composition great with delicate playing and adventurous melodies. The rather slow progressions are highly contemplative and memorable.
“Harry From Sunnyside” opens with a symphonic wash and cinematic embellishments that are serene, bell-like, and cinematic. A piano melody ambulates along with classical brilliance and new age ambiances. The instrumental tune does not contain many instruments or different sounds, but the crystalline tones and cinematic washes connote the end of a sad film. However, there is nothing sad about this composition.
“Charlemagne’s Sister” opens with a few pensive piano notes and blurby, electronic infusions of sound. The watery sounds are piercing, floating, and punchy. There are light atmospheric washes and other gurgling sounds of electronic beauty that signify an experimental, yet edgy result. This is the most non-classical song on the album. The electronic additions are very delicate, but necessary.
“Waiting On A Lady” opens with a swishy percussion set and effervescent piano melody that is pure happiness. The sound is reminiscent of MIDI music, but the result is something more in-depth. There is a classical vein to the song. The melody is very fitting for a wedding or other joyous celebration. The atmospheric embellishments are crystalline, symphonic, and bountiful. The overall sound is very uppity and memorable.
“Song For Dad” opens with a tinny, guitar-like strumming sound that is angelic, raw, and earthy. A symphonic wash accompanies the first few chords. Additional sounds and instruments are not present early on, but a soft piano kicks in. The progression is relatively slow, yet contemplative. A few of the piano notes are spritely, while a majority is sporadic and somewhat somber. Regardless of the connotations, the music is emotive and expressive throughout.
The new age or classical experimentation of Brian Kachejian is not weighed-down by gimmicky chords, cheap electronics, or boring musical progressions. Instead, Brian exemplifies new age melodies with creative instrumentation, voiceless tunes, and innovative piano styles with an inherent understanding of great music. The fourteen tracks represent a moderate array of new age tunes and serene melodies that are unforgettable and blissful. There is an absence of negatives here. Anyone with an interest in new age, experimental, instrumental, classical, jazz, and avant garde music will appreciate the beauty that graces the album. Fans of George Winston and Will Ackerman will be pleasantly surprised. Don’t miss out on this one!
Beneath an Autumn Moon CD Review
Review written by Michael Hunter "CD Baby"
On April 15, 2013, Long Island composer and musician, Brian Kachejian celebrated the release of his new CD entitled, Beneath an Autumn Moon. The Beneath an Autumn Moon CD completes the trilogy of piano based new age style albums that Brian Kachejian has recorded starting with the 2009 release of Mood Piano and his subsequent Mood Christmas CD. Listeners have had difficulty in defining the style of music found on the Beneath an Autumn Moon CD. Some writers have defined the music as eliminating the boundaries between jazz, pop, and classical music. Regardless of classification, the music take the listener on a journey that embraces the heart of human emotions. The CD’s beautiful melodies orchestrated with lush synthetic textures extend the boundaries of the new age genre. Perhaps, the best way to describe the music on the CD is to define each selection as a mini soundtrack that enhances the spiritual aspect of the human conscious. Simply stated, the music makes you feel good.
The album’s first track, “Into the North,” sets the tone for an album filled with music that invites the listener on an aural journey into the unknown. The sound of the native flutes driven by a haunting string line, paints a landscape of a world in which past explorers braved harsh conditions in search of a better life. The music’s mysterious melody line and subtle percussive rhythms transition towards an uplifting coda that celebrates the bravery of the world’s pioneers.
The second track on the album completes the initial journey set in motion by the opening number. The music on the track “Soaring,” presents a blend of jazz induced ninth chords played in sweeping fashion as synthetic textures circle a complex piano performance. The “Soaring” track is an early indication that the music on the cd offers many surprises and stretches far beyond the new age genre.
In the album’s third selection, “Farewell Eyes,” the listener is exposed to the stylistic piano grooves of Elton John and Billy Joel merging within the intensity of a John Williams’ Star Wars style movie soundtrack. The music begins as a solo piano piece. The sound of glockenspiels fill the second verse as a gorgeous cello line serves as counterpoint to the central melody. The middle section of the composition takes a dramatic turn from the original theme as the string lines play in unison to the piano and bells. The main theme returns in a dramatic finish propelling the music to new heights echoing within the halls of hope, glory, and triumph.
The composition, “Song for Dad,” begins with a beautiful guitar line that sets the stage for a piece of music that has been a fan favorite for over thirty years. Written in 1977, and performed thousands of times live, “Song for Dad,” delivers a stunningly beautiful melody line that touches the heart. In an album filled with many beautiful mesmerizing pieces of music, “Song for Dad,” was probably my favorite track.
“Jamie’s Song,” continues the album’s expose of three minute cinematic compositions that sound like Hollywood soundtrack themes. In fact, “Jamie’s Song,” and “Into the North,” have already been used in several televised documentaries. The music of “Jamie’s Song,” recalls the melodic style of early twentieth century Gershwin. The classical based composition is arranged as a nineteen seventies style ballad. According to Brian Kachejian, “Jamie’s Song.” was a piece of music originally written for one of his piano students. The song became extremely popular during live performances which enticed the artist to record the song for public release.
The song “Cumberland Road,” pays tribute to early American history and the first roadway that gave birth to the nation’s early domestic trade route. The song departs from the sweet melodies of the previous compositions and offers the listener a glimpse into the turmoil of early American society. The contrast between the rock style piano playing and unnerving string lines that circle the composition resonates as an audio portrayal of an early culture first taking root.
The album’s title track and centerpiece “Beneath an Autumn Moon,” serves as an epic composition blending the styles of classical, pop, and rock into a beautiful heartwarming piece of music. The music’s strong thematic melody line produces an aural landscape that captivates the listener’s imagination. Ten years ago, Beneath an Autumn Moon had been recorded as a single with a beautiful vocal by Danielle Hoffman. However the depths of the music’s melodic composition warranted the song to be re-released as a spectacular instrumental.
One of the most interesting tracks on the album, “Charlemagne’s Sister,” pays homage to the Steely Dan fuzz box guitar sound heard on their Grammy award winning album The Royal Scam. Fans of the Steely Dan album will understand the song title’s reference. However, Kachejian’s composition is a refreshing original work that easily attracts the listener because of the music’s unique creative scope. The music’s diminished chords and eerie lead guitar sound retain a somewhat hypnotic feel that creates an uncertainty over the music’s final destination.
“Waiting on a Lady,” is a track that could easily have been a hit top forty pop song. The music’s Beatlesque addictive melody line is embraced by a wondrous original chord progression. The song’s title is taken from a Humphrey Bogart line in the movie Casablanca. In one of the most poignant scenes of the film, the piano player known as Sam, attempts to convince Bogart to go home and retire from a long night of despair over an ill-fated reunion with an old romance (Ingrid Berman). However, Bogart rejects Sam’s plea explaining that he is “waiting on a lady.” The song “Waiting on a Lady,” is the one track that does not seem to fit in with the stylistic feel of the rest of the album. It probably is the reason why such a strong song would be placed towards the end of the CD. However, the song’s inescapable melody line warrants the songs inclusion as a substantial composition, and further promotes the album’s reluctance to follow any traditional music genre even within the CD itself
The music on the Beneath an Autumn Moon CD is at times breathtaking and awe-inspiring. What is noticeable about the Beneath an Autumn Moon CD is that there are no loops or programmed play enhancing the tracks. All the music seems to be recorded live. The real time playing brings out the emotional aspect of the music and contrasts with the auto tuned music that currently fills the air waves. In one retrospect, the Beneath an Autumn Moon CD sounds like it could be from any era based on the melodic compositions and arrangements. However, the high fidelity recording helps it stand out among the finest sounding recordings of the modern era. If you are looking for salvation, inspiration, meditation, or simply want to spend a little time listening to some beautiful music, I highly recommend Brian Kachejian’s Beneath an Autumn Moon CD.