Summon the Wind
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley January 29, 2015
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Timothy Wenzel is at it again, creating alchemy from notes of music, ideas of the mind, the love of the wind, the earth and the storm, melding all these aspects together to bring together joy, love and relaxation in timeless harmony.
Once again he has managed to capture the essence of the outdoors; the primal elements of our earth and his fascination with the weather, blending them into an album which shifts and changes tempos seamlessly , each track being inspired by differing elements, with some almost a carryover from his previous albums.
As you listen and dissolve into the music a familiarity comes to the music on several of the tracks that could almost be considered as a thread of life, which allows the influences from his previous two albums to emerge in a different genre. This could be classed as his very subtle signature.
The earth influences have been captured in sound: Crystal Man is inspired by the men of Africa who dig in the hot, dry dessert in search of diamonds, but then moving on to ‘Whirlwind’ a little later which is inspired by the mystic of the shaman who could “summon the wind” or ‘still the wind’, or so they believed.
‘Elven Dance’, early in the album captures the mischievousness of these tiny little creatures as they go about their daily work. It does not have a lot to do with wind though it adds the underlying aspect of magic to the moods, something we all need to have a little of in our lives.
As a pianist his work focuses on this primary element but this album has been enhanced with the addition of harp, violin, cello and drums, a dash of percussion and guitar to add the slightly haunting dimension to the various tracks. Several of the pieces have also been blended with male and female vocalisation to create yet another element or layer to the music.
‘Edge of the World’ reminds us men have always gone to sea in search of the unknown. Moving on, ‘Mariners Lament’ acknowledges that while men have always enjoyed the sea in its many forms, it is not always a benevolent, claiming many lives.
What you choose to read into the music is up to you as, with all music, you will find something different each time you listen.
His final piece ‘Summon the Wind’ it is haunting, relaxing, refreshing and catchy, once again showcasing the talent of this leading new age composer as he takes the elements of our ordinary, everyday lives and weaves them into something magical, laced with love.