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Holly Burke - Nature Girl (2014)

Posted By: mark70
Holly Burke - Nature Girl (2014)

Holly Burke - Nature Girl (2014)
MP3 320 kbps CBR | 54:18 min | 127 MB
Genre: Jazz, Vocal Jazz, World Fusion | Label: Holly Burke

Sensual, wild, creative and evocative, Nature Girl infuses moving lyric content with exciting instrumental improvisation. Enjoy this pristine recording with surprises for the ears, and an underlying sense of magic and mystery for the soul.

“Nature Girl“

I recorded “Nature Girl“ with the idea of combining musical elements from world beat, fusion jazz, avant-pop, ambient, and some forms that transcend genre. My musical influences include; Paul Horn, Joni Mitchell, Claude Debussy, J.S Bach, Bill Evans, Sting, Ian Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Dianne Reeves and Roland Kirk.

The compositions in this project include some songs with lyrics and some exciting, thoughtful improvised instrumental soloing over several irresistible grooves performed by my killer band, “The Naturals”, which includes some of Canada’s best musicians. Bill Runge’s thoughtful arrangements bring fresh harmonic content to a recording that I hoped would convey a pervasive sense of magic and mystery.

I would like to acknowledge my inspired collaborators Bill Runge, Ken Burke, and the Studio Band, each of the amazing musicians and engineers who were co-creators in the making of this album. The collective creative pool in the room at any time was a phenomenal source to draw upon. Let’s do it again! To my beautiful Family, Friends and Soul Companions along the way, you are my treasure. Thank you, for all our adventures and the feelings you inspire in me. That’s what this music is all about.

Seraphina – The story of a flute. Seraphina is the name of my beloved flute. Wherever I travel, she is my passport to all good things. This tune was born out of a fascination with an eleven beat rhythmic pattern I stumbled upon one day at the piano. It’s a musical fairy tale complete with a handsome prince who appears in the B section. Think of tinkling wind chimes and floating gossamer flutes, swirling notes and orchestral layers.

Serengeti – thanks to Bill, this tune evolved from a yearning Celtic melody into a heroic Afro-Cuban adventure, with visions of blue wildebeest, zebra and Cape buffalo galloping headlong over the grasslands, primal and powerful. Soar with the soloists as we launch out over “ the endless plains.”

Nature Girl – this is a new arrangement of Eden Ahbez’s ‘Nature Boy’, from the female perspective. It begins as a quiet stroll through an enchanted forest, at dusk. The scene suddenly changes into a tempest driven by Randall’s powerful drumming, leading to a dramatic climax and re-statement of the essential message, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return”. Bill’s tenor saxophone is reminiscent of John Coltrane’s spiritual period.

Transcendance – this one is dedicated to my son Zander Hunt, who grew up on a skateboard and knows all about getting air. Bill and I play parallel harmonies for the melody. Chris Gestrin’s synth work is interwoven with my Valkyrie chorus to great effect with Bill’s free playing. The male voices add an interesting texture and provide a springboard for the final evolutionary leap.

First Snow on Cypress – I can see Cypress Mountain from my apartment in Vancouver and its always exciting to see the first snow fall. I love cross - country skiing on Hollyburn. This piano miniature is a little treat between the larger pieces.

Inner River – my anthem to love’s endurance. The message touches on human suffering and the paradoxes of life. Imagine an allegorical river, whose confluence with life merges all our loves into one living stream.

River of Stars – Bill’s masterful arrangement carries you away on gracefully inter-twining, sonically satisfying flute and horn lines over a phosphorescent ocean. The flute solo drops into the Asian heartbeat of this magical tune.

The 12th of Always – perhaps the closest to a pop tune. I never planned to have guitar on this project, but Laban Giraldi’s Stratocaster rhythm track brought a different feel to the tune and I liked it. Then Darryl Jahnke came in for a guitar solo that is lean, clean and sharp.

Happy Organ – propelled by Randall Stoll’s exuberant drums, Bill sounds gleeful on alto saxophone. Chris rocks a Bruce Hornsby-ish rolling piano riff, making this
a very happy tune indeed.

Foreign Correspondent – for my dad Stanley Burke, who was happily present at a couple of our studio sessions. This is another piano miniature, full of musical news.

Hypnotique – this one is like trying to bottle mercury, it goes places you won’t expect…a unique sounding concept including a ‘lonely guy’ bass clarinet solo from Bill. The lyrics are partly derived from a hypnotic induction I had with Collin Rosati.

A Leaf Falls – more inner scenes…western Europe…lakes, bare trees, stark sun…and we go inside, a child’s room, a simple melody going round and round…

The family music box – This is Gounod’s Faust waltz. I have many happy memories of dancing to the wind up music box at our house in France. My brothers and I were fascinated by its tiny moving parts, the paintings of cherubs and the inevitable unwinding effect.

“Holly has woven a complex musical story here, these samples from a complex heart. Her strength is her emotions, which are strong, unvarnished, and pure like her tone. Her strength is in her firm hand with her arranging and her obvious rapport with her band mates – so tight, I have seen them live several times and they really listen and communicate, which is so rare these days. Holly Burke should be proud, she has produced a gem.”

Brian Powell – Brian Powell Photography

“Nature Girl marks Burke as an original“ Tom Harrison – The Province

"Holly Burke is an original voice and she makes the flute shout and weep" Gabriel Mark Hasselbach
2012 Smooth Jazz Award Winner

“Holly Burke is a brilliant musician and performer. Her sound on the flute is like an arrow to the heart. With symphonic skill and Ian Anderson - like verve, this wild - woman improviser wraps you up in her music.”

Clark Burroughs – The defining Voice of the Hi-Lo’s Los Angeles CA

The Musicians:

HOLLY BURKE – flutes concert and alto, all solo piano pieces, vocals, tambourine
BILL RUNGE – saxophones, clarinets synth, B3, alto flute on Nature Girl
RANDALL STOLL – drums and percussion
CHRIS GESTRIN– piano, synth, B3
DOUG STEPHENSON– electric and acoustic basses

with
Laban Giraldi –Stratocaster guitar on 12th of Always
Dino DiNicolo – bass on 12th of Always, throat singing on Transcendance
John Korsrud – trumpet and fluegelhon on Serengeti
Ian R. Browne – bass voice on Transcendance

Recorded and mixed by Ken Burke @ Bluewave Studios in Vancouver, BC
Additional sessions @ Crying Light with Kris Siegers. Mastered by P.B.

www.hollyburke.com


Tracklist:

01. Seraphina (5:28)
02. Serengeti (5:23)
03. Nature Girl (4:46)
04. First Snow On Cypress (1:06)
05. Transcendance (6:05)
06. Inner River (4:50)
07. River Of Stars (4:41)
08. The 12Th Of Always (4:25)
09. Happy Organ (6:50)
10. Foreign Correspondent (2:40)
11. Hypnotique (3:41)
12. A Leaf Falls (4:25)