Customer Reviews

Echoes Of The Past

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This CD review first appeared in the publication entitled"Voice of the Wind", Volume 3, 1999, the InternationalNative American Flute Association's official publication. It is being reprinted here for informational purposes and with permission from the author and the organization.

This CD is not completely comprised of Native American flute music. Instead, according to the liner notes, it includes "the haunting tones of the Native American flute, bamboo flute, and the shakuhachi presented solo and accompanied by the gentle pulse of ethnic percussion and synthesizer in this meditative music shaped by the vast history and perspectives of the Southwest." Deborah Hopkins, a vocalist, is also featured on this recording. Phippen plays Native American flutes by Butch Hall and bamboo flutes and hybrid shakuhachi by Patrick Olwell.

This recording truly touched the inner recesses of my heart and soul, places that sometimes get overlooked and pushed aside in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Phippen's flute playing is overwhelmingly beautiful and enchanting. The music within this CD is some of the most gentle and heartfelt that I have heard. When I put this CD in my player, I just sat there and let it play until the end. I did not take notes like I usually do, because I was in awe of the emotions that were being evoked in me by the music. It seemed like there was a soulful message in every note sounded and I was compelled to listen to every thing that was being spoken. Phippen's playing is truly inspirational.

The character and mood throughout this CD is consistent, with only a few sparks thrown in here and there via a more upbeat tempo or through animated use of percussion. Sometimes when a CD is consistent from start to finish with regard to mood, atmosphere, and character, it can become monotonous. This is not the case here. The mood of this CD just captivates the listener and caresses both the soul and the mind. It does not bounce around from tempo to tempo or mood to mood, but interest is generated and maintained through the beautiful melodies and the varying ways in which the flutes are utilized. Phippen plays single melody lines and then plays them again in a duet or trio setting. His melodic ideas are melodious and organized, but not in a restrictive sense with regard to aural perception. The mind knows that the melodies are organized somewhere in the shadows, but the mind doesn't care because of the beauty and emotion that is being evoked. Interestingly, all of the songs except for "Days of June" are improvised. I was quite surprised when Phippen told this to me. I really could not tell that they were improvised.

In many recordings that I listen to, I am often bothered by overuse of synthesizers. I do not know if it is just my ears in particular, but an over indulgence in synthesized music makes my ears go numb. Even though synthesizers play many different sounds, the frequency of the electronic sounds never changes for me, until all I hear is a continuous frequency drone or hum. It eventually supersedes all other instruments, regardless of how beautiful the music. This may be my own peculiarity, who knows. Regardless, even though Phippen uses synthesizer in this recording, it does not become monotonous to me. It is used sparingly and in such a manner that the flute always remains at the forefront. On this recording, the synthesizer is used as more of a background musical coloration, slightly evident and mainly present to add musical depth to the recording. It flatters the evocative flute playing of Phippen.

Probably the most exotic and unusual song experience for me is "Emerald Mountain." I played it repeatedly because it was so stunning to my senses. It begins with a chordal drone on the synthesizer and then the voice of a woman enters. She begins to emotionally sing, almost like a musical keen, yet she is not enunciating words. She is singing vocables which are syllables with no definitive meaning. She goes from range to range in a fluid motion. To this ear, the melody that she traverses is a cross between Middle Eastern and Celtic in flavor. It is strange sounding, but so very compelling. The raw emotional power of her voice in combination with the flute is breathtaking. The only other word that I have left to say is, "Wow."

There are many, many excellent musicians out there, both trained and untrained. But, I have always adhered to the belief that there are only a few who have the power or ethereal essence that enables them to bring goose bumps to the flesh or hold the mind, body, and heart hostage. We all listen to music as a background to doing other tasks, but everyone is at times so captivated by someone's performance that they unravel themselves from the task in order to bask in the musical rays of a particularly gifted performer. I have been to thousands of silver flute recitals, since my major was classical flute performance in all three of my degrees. During these performances, I have witnessed perfect technique. I have watched performers play at excessive rates of speed without a mistake. However, those performances, to me, were often boring and uninspired. It is the performer that has that essence and fire and life in his or her playing that captivates me. He or she can even make a few minor blunders here and there, but as long as that spirit and emotion are in their playing, then I view that as a more successful performance than one that is technically flawless and uninspired. Peter Phippen's flute playing has this extra essence, and it is a bonus that his performances on this CD are technically wonderful. I congratulate Phippen on this recording. His musicality and presentation are outstanding! *

This music is really wonderful for a day of relaxing, and rejuvenating your spirit. It is a blend of both mellow and spirited songs that you are guaranteed to enjoy! Take a listen, and find out!

Peter is one talented player. Echoes of the Past is a must have CD. He can bend notes w/ the best and he can set up a wonderful musical ambience. This CD does a great job of allowing you to close your eyes and wander in the land of never-never or those rare and fragile times you experience in a magical moment. Here are a few of my impressions from this CD:

Masked Dance - this song transports me back to my visits to Southern Spain, the castles, and the moorish influence but does it in a smooth, soothing but haunting way. Makes me think of a gypsy dancer doing a very slow, hypnotic dance w/ the hands w/ castanets playing a rhythm and arms telling a story of the past. Very nice echo to the past.

Moonlight - have you ever stayed late at night when the moon is full and there a few light clouds crossing the sky? The serenity and the splendor is spellbinding. this songs takes me there.

Spirit World - ever had a dream of pixies dancing around a fire? this song takes me there in a nice ethereal way.

Daughter of the Mist - it takes me back to a dream of King Arthur's time and the ladies of the mist are doing a walk in a foggy night. They seem to be floating so majestically...

Days of June - this song is so uplifting. it takes you to one level, it makes sure you are still there and it transports you up some more and then after a while it lets you down easy. I can hear this song over and over...

I have known Peter Phippen as a fellow musician and friend for many years. When he asked me to come over to his studio and listen to his project "in the works" (Echos), I was both surprised and delighted. We had not seen one another for many years and I was just visiting our hometown when I saw him on stage at an arts fair in a local park...small world. As with all good musical friends, time and distance faded away in mere minutes.

I don't think "Emerald Mountain" even have a name at that time. Peter played the melody on the flute, handed me a headset and a mic and my vocal came direct from Peter's heart. It was one of those rare performance experiences that most musicians cherish...a creative bonding inspired solely by each other's gifts. But as far as I knew at the time, it was just a "jam" session...laid down in 2 takes. I had no idea Peter would use it on Echos...and I didn't hear the final product until almost a year later. What an incredible gift! Thank you so very much Peter (and Canyon) for the privilege of appearing on Echos.

And for you folks who may not have heard Peter's music, I can tell you that Peter has found his true voice in the vast array of flutes he has mastered. Peter is an unbelievably gifted musician...one who can pick up just about any instrument and be playing like a virtuoso within hours...but the flutes ARE Peter. So pick up Echos or sample some tracks and my personal promise to you is that you will meet one very special man with a heart as big as the universe he interprets musically. I like to listen on a clear moonlit night sitting out on my upstairs balcony looking out over the water. The way the flutes meld seamlessly with the chorus of tree frogs and warm, light breezes on my face transports me to the place my soul resides. It's a place we all have within us and vist too infrequently. Peter can take you there...I never knew his middle name...perhaps it is Pan!

His music is haunting. I actually got chills listening to it. I am learning to play the Native American flute and this gives me a dream to strive for.

This is a wonderfully enchanting cd. Very enjoyable.