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One of the first connections that I made at Ambient Visions
was with a label that specialized in oriental music. Up until I listened to
many of their albums I had only the vaguest sense of what I liked about eastern
melodies and compositions but after hearing a few of their albums I walked away
with a true love of the melodies and songs of the east. On The Blue Rose Al
Conti manages to deliver a delightful set of songs with a thread of the orient
running right through the heart of each and every song. The album is based upon
an old Chinese legend, The Legend of the Blue Rose which has at its core a
story of true love and of perseverance when it comes to getting what you want
out of life instead of settling for something that is contrary to the very
essence of who you are.
The Blue Rose consists of 10 songs that follow the story of
this legend from the beginning starting with track one which is called The
Princess and the Emperor and ending with true love found on track ten which is
the title track of the album The Blue Rose. All the music on this album was
composed, arranged and performed by Al Conti and the only other credited
performances goes to Ann Licater who played flutes on Bamboo Night Garden and
Hannah Beth Crary who played fiddles on the Painted Vase and Last Suitor. As
you might expect the music has deep emotions running through all of the
compositions as the songs and the story progresses from a feeling of despair to
the triumph of a relationship based on truth as it emerges in the end. Al’s
keyboard work conveys these sensitive melodies with a light touch that adroitly
communicates these emotions and leaves the listener truly feeling the story in
their hearts as they are carried along from song to song. The sounds of the
Erhu and the Pipa can be heard throughout this album and they lend an air of
the orient whenever they manifest. The album notes do not specify as to whether
these are the actual instruments played or whether they are electronically
created but either way they fit seamlessly into the overall landscape that Al
is painting musically on The Blue Rose so in the end it doesn’t matter. They
work.
It is obvious that Al is deeply passionate about the music
on The Blue Rose and it shows in each and every composition on this release.
His fascination with the music of the orient and with ancient legends has
combined in this album to immerse the listener in lush soundscapes that offers up
the inherent delicate beauty of the orient. The music allows the listener to be
in a reflective mood for the journey ahead as they consider the story that is
musically laid out before them. It is readily apparent that Al knows what he
wants to communicate through his music and is more than capable in the studio
to deliver a top notch album that takes what he feels in his heart and translates
those emotions into the songs of The Blue Rose. The captivating flow of the
music moves the narrative of the legend forward with each song building on the
one before. Al was able to take his own love for the stories from faraway
places and ancient times and create a deeply personal expression of them on
this album. One of my favorite songs on this album was Heart In Bloom which was
the beginning of the triumph of a deeper kind of love over the misleading loves
that came before and the music is uplifting and inspiring albeit in a subdued
kind of way but still the song leaves you with a feeling that everything will work
out for the best in the end.
After listening to The Blue Rose several times I am left
with a sense that life isn’t so much about what happens to you through no
choice of your own but rather how you choose to live your life in spite of
circumstances that are beyond your control. The music of The Blue Rose takes the
listener through a range of emotions during the course of the album all the
while telling the story of the princess and her quest not to marry for any
other reason than love. The listener will ultimately walk away from this
journey satisfied for the time they have invested in Al Conti’s musical vision
of this ancient legend. The music is enchanting and stirring and sees the
melding of eastern and western sensibilities in one album that is the best of
both worlds. Of course the journey is never over with a good album because like
a close friend you will always want to visit with them again and talk about
what they have been up to lately. The Blue Rose is like that good friend and
you will take the journey again and again with each time revealing the nuances
that you might have missed the first time through. Good music can never be
taken in with a single listen and The Blue Rose is good music. Shadowside Music. Enjoy.
Reviewed by Michael Foster editor Ambient Visions
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