MALIBU, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Gemini Sun Records) - Gemini Sun Records, one of the top new age music labels, has released their first concert recording, appropriately-titled Live! and featuring four of the company's best-selling musicians -
David Arkenstone, Loren Gold, Nicholas Gunn and Johannes Linstead. In addition, the package comes with both an audio CD as well as a DVD containing a full-length film of the show.
This is Gemini Sun's fifth CD/DVD package in their 'Audio Visual Connect Series.' Distributed by Ryco/WMG, this two-disc set (and the entire Gemini Sun catalog) can be purchased at many record retail stores throughout the United States, and is available internationally at online outlets such as amazon.com and cdbaby.com. The audio portion can be purchased at numerous digital download locations including iTunes. For more information on this package, the artists and the label, go to GeminiSunRecords.com.
The 74-minute concert, taped at an intimate Southern California theater in front of an enthusiastic audience of fans, features the four 'Gemini Sun All-Stars' playing separately and together with dynamic backing from an eight-piece band of top pop, new age and world music musicians specially-selected for this show. While the four featured performers sometimes play a variety of instruments when they record in the studio, on-stage for this event they are spotlighted on their main instruments - Arkenstone on electric guitar, Gold on acoustic grand piano, Gunn on flutes and Linstead on nylon-string acoustic guitar. The backing band adds violin, accordion, bass, drums and a wide variety of percussion.
The resulting sound combines the best elements of both energetic new age and world music for a unique global fusion sound. Even though the 15 instrumental tunes presented here can be found on other albums in their original studio versions, this collection contains unique and special arrangements of the material that comes across with an energy and excitement that can only derive from a live concert.
One of the show's highlights is when Arkenstone, Gold, Gunn and Linstead all appear on-stage together with the full backing band for the concert climax - the seven-and-a-half-minute world-beat jam on Linstead's 'Djunga.' The recording kicks off with Arkenstone's eight-minute Mid-East-flavored 'Desert Crossing' with Gunn sitting in on congas. In addition, Arkenstone performs a Latin-inspired tune ('Gypsy Camp'). Other world music influences are evident throughout. Johannes Linstead is known for his Latin-style acoustic-guitar playing, but he also exhibits his versatility by showcasing Greek influences on 'Ambrosia' and Caribbean stylings on 'Streets of Old San Juan' and 'Spanish Town.'
Except for the finale, each featured artist gets his own segment in the spotlight. Nicholas Gunn begins with a short bamboo-flute piece 'Earth Bones' followed by the Grand Canyon-inspired 'Elves' Chasm.' 'Apasionado Uno' features passionate percussion (even Gunn lays down his flute long enough to join in on congas), and the tempo cranks up another notch on the fast-paced 'Breathe.' Pianist Loren Gold starts softly with 'Falling' (a piano-flute duet with Gunn), but cranks up the energy on 'For My Baby' where he shows his pop sensibilities, and the jazzy 'Sunnyside' with backing by the band as well as Gunn on flute. 'On the studio version,' explains Gunn, 'there was a piano and saxophone interplay, but for this concert we changed the sax to flute which gives you an idea of how different some of these tunes sound in this live setting versus the original recordings.' Arkenstone's portion of the show includes what he describes as the 'happy and carefree' tune 'New Day' and the complex, vibrant, rocking 'Dance in the Desert' (he says it is 'born out of my love of swash-buckler adventure movies').
In addition to the spectacular musical performances, the CD and DVD both include brief interview interludes that give insights into each artist's personality and music. Nicholas Gunn produced the music on Live! and Girshon Rutstein directed the film (they co-produced the visuals). Gunn also is the founder and CEO of Gemini Sun Records which during the past decade has become one of the leading new age music companies.
According to Gunn, 'Fans of our music are constantly asking us about performing concerts. By offering this Live! album as both an audio and visual package, we feel it gives those fans a very good indication of the experience of attending one of our shows. By offering the concert on CD and DVD, it makes it easy to enjoy the music anywhere, anytime.'
The first two decades of David Arkenstone's career includes garnering three Grammy nominations and millions of fans. His music is a modern orchestral amalgam of electronic technology and warm, earthy, acoustic instruments that create progressive sonic textures behind mesmerizing melodies. This multi-instrumentalist and masterful arranger debuted with Valley in the Clouds and over the course of 16 more solo recordings he has explored both the known universe as well as places from his imagination on a stellar series of albums including In the Wake of the Wind, Quest of the Dream Warrior, The Celtic Book of Days, Caravan of Light, Atlantis: A Symphonic Journey and his new Echoes of Light and Shadow.
Loren Gold began playing Beatles songs on the piano at age five and soon after started his classical training. But the classical world could not contain his exuberance and experimentation as he went on to play Mozart piano sonatas a la Fats Domino followed by jazz improvisation in the style of Keith Jarrett. Gold has composed pieces for films on HBO, Showtime and Cinemax. In the music industry he is known as a consummate professional backing pianist (and often concert music director as well) for singers such as Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, Taylor Hicks, Tiffany, Jeff Trachta and McKenzie BC. Gold has two contemporary instrumental solo albums, All Around Me and the smooth jazz Keys.
One of the world's best-selling flutists (more than two-million albums sold), Nicholas Gunn was born in England and classically-trained at Great Britain's prestigious Royal School of Music. After moving to the United States, Gunn embarked on his solo career with albums such as The Sacred Fire, Crossroads, The Great Southwest and Breathe. His awareness and appreciation of the importance of nature inspired him to create a series of beloved recordings based on the beauty of America's National Parks (with a portion of the proceeds donated to help preserving these landmarks) - The Music of the Grand Canyon, Beyond Grand Canyon, Through the Great Smoky Mountains, Journey to Yellowstone, and others.
Johannes Linstead has quickly become one of the most popular and best-selling acoustic guitarists in the nouveau flamenco genre. He was immediately acclaimed with the release of his first CD, Sol Luna Tierra. His Guitarra del Fuego was named 'Best Contemporary World Album' by New Age Voice magazine and his Mediterranea CD won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award for 'Best World Album.' Other CDs include Kiss The Earth, Zabuca and Cafe Tropical. Much of his inspiration has come from extensive traveling in Latin and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Mediterranean region. He performs regularly throughout the United States.
'It's interesting that all four of us started our careers playing in pop and rock bands, and we are all experienced live performers,' explains Gunn. 'By putting all of us into one concert situation, it really keeps the action moving. From artist to artist and style to style, there is lot of powerful music being presented in this Live! recording.'
