Gift From Janie

Janie Campbell (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 8, 2000)
• Original Release Date: January 4, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Metaxy
• ASIN: B0000479CG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,968 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from Solo Piano Publications, April 14, 2000

By 

Kathy Parsons (Florence, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Gift From Janie (Audio CD)

"A Gift From Janie" is a deeply personal, mostly solo piano album by Janie Campbell, a pianist/composer/dancer/healthcare professional. She founded Metaxy "as a method which incorporates music and dance as a process in which individuals can connect with their emotions, deal with them, and move forward to the next level in their life." Campbell performs this music solo and with a troupe of seven dancers, and The Metaxy concept has been embraced by many in the medical and therapeutic communities. As dance music, one would expect a lot of movement and rhythm, but these pieces are almost minimalist, and the silent passages are nearly as important as the notes. Campbell's piano is accompanied on some of the pieces by guitar (Rick Ruskin), violin (Daniel Kobialka), and/or cello (Joan Jeanrenaud), and the sounds of birds, water, and weather are woven between several of the pieces to soothing effect.

The entire album works as a wonderful whole, but the second track, "Journey" is a real stand-out for me. A duet for cello and piano (one of my favorite combinations), the mournful cello part borders on tragedy, but, somehow, the piano brings a feeling of hope and gentle strength and support. This powerful masterpiece is worth the price of the CD by itself! "The Gift" opens the album in the introspective tone that carries through the whole CD. None of the music can be called "jaunty" or "light-hearted", but it encourages reflection and thoughts of where ones life has been and is going. Emotions are deep and genuine, and come from someone who has experienced personal tragedy several times and grown from it. One gets the feeling while listening to this album that he or she is looking directly into Janie Campbell's soul. The liner notes and Janie's website give more insight into what she has been through and where she is going with her music, dance, and Metaxy itself. She is an inspiration on many levels.

The music on "A Gift From Janie" is often abstract, but listening with an open mind and a receiving heart can yield a powerful and moving experience - this is artistry borne of emotion and the need to communicate on a musical level. It is indeed a very personal gift.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outlaw in TX-, January 27, 2000

By 

RJH (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gift From Janie (Audio CD)

Am privileged to have one of the first 10 CD's of this artist.....she is filled with life and love, and nobody deserves this more than her. Thanks for my quiet time! love ya, rjh

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING!!, December 11, 2003

By 

Dawn Aiello (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gift From Janie (Audio CD)

I feel so very fortunate to work for an organization to which Janie contributes her special talent, wonderful personality, and VERY LOVELY MUSIC each December. We feel completely blessed that Janie offers herself for our Tree of Life event year year, and her music does so much to help our grieving participants and those in need. Janie's music is not only soothing, it's awe-inspiring.

This year's event (Dec. 2003) was even more outstanding than those of the past. Janie is now using her given name, Janie Horton, and this year's CD is called "Heavenly Whispers". Although I love "A Gift From Janie" and have given it a rating of 5 stars, I believe that there just aren't ENOUGH stars available in order to rate "Heavenly Whispers"!! Using Amazon's rating scale of 1 to 5 stars, I DEFINITELY give "Heavenly Whispers" a 10!!! This has become my favorite CD--not only of Janie's, but of ALL my CDs!! "Lullabye For Daddy" (the first song on the CD with a Reprise of it being the last song) is just amazing! The vocal accompaniment by Valerie Hayes, and the lovely harp by Verleen Schermer literally give me chills! THIS CD, I feel, is the TRUE gift from Janie ("gift" meaning "extreme talent"), and I hope that many more follow.

I wish to express my personal gratitude to Janie for all she does for Hospice of the Valley, and to reiterate how blessed and grateful we feel as an organization that Janie offers her talents to us as she does. But the important thing is that Janie also extends her talent so selflessly to the entire WORLD, and this allows EVERYONE to find their own comfort, spirituality and special blessings through Janie's extraordinary music and talent, and for that---we ALL thank you, Janie!