Some albums to relax with

Now that the hectic period of the Christmas Holidays is finally over and the New Year is finally off and running on an optimistic note, it may do us all a wealth of good to do some easy listening with instrumental albums to relax with. Here are some of them:

Serenity Rush by Jim Chappell; When Robert De Niro celebrated his 50th birthday, the only artist he invited to perform at his party was pianist Chappell. The decision was probably prompted by a longing to move away from what was probably his pressure-cooker existence as one of Hollywood’s leading actors. And because relaxed is what any listener will be when he listens to the free-flowing melodies composed and performed by Chappell, I am sure that De Niro and his guests found themselves in one of the most relaxing evenings of their lives.

This guy paints the most heavenly images with his music. His playing soothes and warms the soul. And as the title says, this new album is a rush of serenity that we have such a great need of. Among the titles included are Water Spirits, Slow Rode to Heaven, Somewhere, Her Loveliness, Painting May, Candlelight and Lace, Mockingbird Days, Sweet Country and Almost Goodbye.

Beyond Words: The Music of Gary V by Various Artists: Gary Valenciano, pop idol, is also a composer of extraordinary talent. Here is proof that his music has acquired maturity and now transcends the vagaries of time. The album features instrumental versions of 14 of Gary’s compositions. And these are beyond words indeed. These melodies are so popular, there is no need anymore for the lyrics in order to appreciate the songs. All that they require are the heartfelt interpretations by some of the most talented musicians in town.

Included are Take Me Out of the Dark, Jay Cayuca on electronic violin; Sana Maulit Muli, Renato Lucas on the cello; Could You be My Messiah, Raul Sunico on the piano; More and Before, Noel Mendez and Cesar Aguas on acoustic guitars; Each Passing Night, Geronimo Marques on trombone; ’Wag Mo na Sanang Isipin, Eddie Katindig on vibes; Shout for Joy, Parliament Syndicate; Di Bale Na Lang, Tony Maigue on flute; What More Can I Say, Terry Undag on flugelhorn; Until Then, Tots Tolentino on sax; Laughter All the Time, Colby dela Calzada on electric bass and Mel Villena on blues harp; Look in Her Eyes, DJ Shytown; Eto Na Naman, the voices of Mon Faustino & Zebedee Zuniga; and Victory, Perf de Castro on electric guitar.

Salamisim by Albert Tiu: Salamisim is a strange title for an album with not a single work by a Filipino composer. But no matter. Tiu does each number pretty well and it is heartening to find a recording of well-loved classical pieces by an outstanding Filipino pianist. The Cebu-born Tiu received his Masters in Music from the Julliard School and has won many international competitions and performed all over the world. His album makes one feel like telling the world, "Hey, we can do this too."

The cuts included in Salamisim are Humoresque Op. 101 No. 7 by Dvorak; Waltz in A-flat, Op.39 No.15 by Brahms; The Swan by Saint-Saens; Widmung by Schumann; Clair de Lune by Debussy; Liebestraum No.3 by Liszt; Spring Song by Mendelssohn; Etude Op. 10 No.3 by Chopin and several others. None-classical music buffs should not be turned off by the titles. Listen to a copy of Salamisim and you will find that the melodies performed by Tiu are very, very familiar.

Goodbye, Maurice Gibb

Maurice Gibb, one of the famous Bee Gees, died early in the morning of Sunday January 12 at a hospital in Miami Beach Florida. His death was due to cardiac arrest, which happened right before he was to undergo emergency surgery for a blocked intestine at the Mount Sinai Medical Center. The Gibb brothers were born in England and grew up in Australia. They have lived in South Florida since 1978. A younger brother and solo pop star Andy died at the age of 30 from a heart ailment.

One of the most durable and most successful groups in pop music history, the Bee Gees was made up of Barry Gibb and his younger twin brothers Robin and Maurice. The name Bee Gees stands for the Brothers Gibb. Maurice played bass and keyboards for the trio. They have been performing together since the mid-60’s. Among their best-known works were the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever plus pop classics like How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, To Love Somebody, Tragedy and many others.