Customer Reviews

Miles Beyond

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If we take variety and skill into account Suzanne Teng may be the world's premiere flutist. She plays just about every flute known to mankind and plays them with a mastery that every master would envy. While Suzanne Teng's first album, Mystic Journey, was excellent, this CD, Miles Beyond, is a true masterpiece of World Music. Suzanne Teng's third release, Enchanted Wind, is more geared to meditation music.
There are elements of diverse musical traditions woven into a rich tapestry of sound on this CD. These include: folk, classical and (middle) eastern music. Also, a wide variety of instruments are used: besides many different types of flutes, we hear a sitar on one track and a didgeridoo (instrument of Australian Aborigines) on another.
This is a CD that you will want to listen to again and again. It's soothing, inspiring and fascinating. Highly recommended!

"Miles Beyond" by Suzanne Teng and Mystic Journey has become one of my favorite CDs--it's the kind of music that you can never tire of....authentic, soulful, a great mix of textural sounds and innovative rhythms. Everytime I listen to it I hear something new. My two favorite tracks are Medicine Wheel and Chicoy...all of the tracks, each recorded with a different flute and percussion mix, take you on a unique journey...uplifting, meditative, heartfelt. I have given this CD as a gift to many family and friends--everyone loves it. Suzanne's flute playing is stellar...no wonder she has won so many awards and praise....she and her band get my 5 stars!

Suzanne Teng plays nine different kinds of flutes on this album, so if you like flutes, this album is perfect. By playing different kinds of flutes and changing musical styles throughout the album, it's kind of like a journey around the world by flute. "Babylonians" has a strong Middle Eastern flavor, "Sitara" follows with the sounds of India, then "Motherland" begins with a Chinese sound, but as African-sounding drums become more prominent later in the song, it becomes a fusion of world sounds.

These three tracks are my favorite ones on the album. The rest of the album is good too, with a slow tempo and sounds that produce a peaceful and relaxing mood.

The music is consistently high quality throughout. With a variety of sounds all mixed together, from Native American to Asian to African, blended perfectly to create a fresh mixture of sounds, this album is both relaxing and interesting.

Compared to a flute
All riches are alike a melted snow
Which is flowing away
Accompanied by tender tinkling
of thaw.

What is special in this music that makes me play this album over and over again? These divine harmonies that are flowing easily without any strain and effort, wakening the mind and filling the heart with an elation. This is the heady music which celebrates the life itself, holding nothing back, keeping nothing in reserve. All of it is here, in this very moment. And you find yourself to be grasped and carried by it to the boundless ocean which name is Life...

You feel as if you are among the old friends of yours. This meeting brings a lot of pleasure and ecstasy over the divinity that is present in everybody. And your friends are eager to share with you the best things they possess. And the best one is Life...

Suzanne Teng plays different flutes (ocarina, bass flute, alto flute, ney, bamboo flutes, Native American Flute and many others) with virtuosity. Friends of hers from the Mystic Journey group back the performer up in different manner and at the same time with solicitude. The musicians create the unique milieu, joining together melodies of different cultural traditions and inventing the unified all-earthly music. The Mystic Journey consists of Gilbert Levy (various percussion, bells, cymbal, gong and many other unique instruments), Barry Newton (string bass) and Fritz Heede (guitar, saz and sitar). Also in recording the «Miles Beyond» album such original musicians as Armen Chakmakian (keyboards), Naser Musa (oud), Andrew Werderitsch (didgeridoo) as well as of many other very interesting performers.

Without any doubt this joy that is brimming over is caused by the birth of Suzanne Teng's and Gilbert Levy's desired child - their son Miles. It's delightful that it helped musicians to create such an album which is an integral one and is like nothing on earth.

Not so many real things remain in people
Who reached the earth to be enjoying life
And do creative work.
And all the rest is lie and falsehood
That was invented by somebody
With secret lust of power.
So many real things that still exist,
And everything around us is Life.

The music from a new album by Suzanne Teng and the friends of hers helps to shake off a grey shroud of commonness and realize that a person comes into being to enjoy life and create. Without such music the life on this planet will mean absolutely nothing.

Let all the world
Which was involved in lie
Die.
We shall be dancing
And enjoying life,
Rejoicing
That we are together.
Because there's nobody here
But us...

Serge Kozlovsky
web site: [...]

P.S. Translated by Tatyana L. Permyakova.

Suzanne Teng's music is indeed heavenly. I could listen to it all day long. Such soothing and pure flute music. Its amazing how she can play so many types of flutes with equal ease and beauty. I'm so glad to discover her! She should team up with Yo Yo Ma!

Heard something from this artist (another CD) on my Pandora New Age Music station, loved it, so ordered both of her CDs. This is the only one that came, and it was not what I expected, very disappointed -- nothing on here I care to hear again. Makes me wonder if I want to try getting the other CD another time.