Customer Reviews

Champlain Summer

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"Champlain Summer" is an unusual-but-wonderful mixture of relaxing and energizing keyboard instrumentals with strong celtic, folk and classical influences. Edward Stauff's original compositions are lovely, evoking a sense of time and place and emotional depth that's too rare in today's plastic music. Of course the classic tunes are haunting too (that's how they become classics, right?) and he performs them with authentic passion. Overall this CD leaves me with a feeling of calm contemplation, but some tracks make me feel like dancing too (or, more often, getting to neglected chores). I think people who like to meditate or fall asleep to music--as well as fussy babies--would love "Champlain Summer." (For what it's worth, listening to this CD relaxed my cranky old cat when she freaked during a thunderstorm. :-)

I was impressed by the range and depth of this album. I happened to hear it first during the Christmas season last year and it instantly displaced all other instrumental seasonal music as the favorite in our house over the holidays. It is an uplifting antedote for the somewhat melancholy corners that a lot of Christmas seasonal music can wander into. Now that Christmas is over, it ends up getting played quite often on my Mac as I work from home. I am consistently amazed at this album's streightforward substance, and positive attitude. As a listener, the production is so subtle and well done that its like having the artist in my home for a private concert. I can recommend this jewel to anyone without reservation. Give it a listen and pass the word!