Customer Reviews

Turning

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Turning is Suzanne Ciani's first studio album of all new material since 1995, and it is wonderful! Long one of my favorite composers to teach as well as listen to, it has been fascinating to see and hear how Suzanne's music has evolved and changed with her own life changes. Now settled into a home on a cliff over the ocean enjoying married bliss, this new collection offers a decidedly serene mellowness that comes from deep within. Turning also offers Suzanne's first recorded song with words - a new phase that she plans to pursue. She teamed up with Taiwanese pop-star Chyi-Yu and composed "Turning" to fit her ethereal singing style. This song has already reached the top of the English-speaking charts in Taiwan, and is being touted as Suzanne's most radio-friendly piece since "Velocity of Love". Chyi-Yu also composed "Bird and Fish", which Suzanne arranged for her band, The Wave - as beautiful and stirring as Chyi-Yu's vocals. Paul McCandless' reed instruments and Matt Eakle's flute add their own magic to many of the tracks, and I was delighted to see cellist Joe Hebert's inclusion on four pieces as well. Bassist Michael Manring and guitarist Teja Bell round out the Wave, and join Suzanne on many of the twelve pieces. "The Enchantress" is the only piano solo piece, but Suzanne's elegant pianism rings clearly through the ensemble work. Synth washes as well as sound samples of the ocean are added to great effect. Along with the title track, I really love "Waltz for Julia", which is a little darker than the other pieces - just a little - but it still soars on the wings of the flute and oboe! "Yang Ming Shen", named for a national park in Taiwan that Suzanne visited in her Asian travels inspires with its musical depiction of the majesty of misty green mountains."Midnight Rendezvous" offers a bittersweet closing, with McCandless making the sax weep in tune with the gentle sadness of the piano. Suzanne's fans will not be disappointed with this very personal and satisfying collection of work. It was well-worth the wait !

It's here and well worth the wait. Suzanne Ciani's 11th album, "Turning" offers a variety of expressive musical offerings. Joining Suzanne on this album is the return of her super jazz band, the Wave. They were featured on her last album, Suzanne Ciani and the Wave - Live! Her band includes Paul McCandless of Oregon and the Bela Fleck band, Matt Eakle from The David Grisman Quartet, bass legend Michael Manring, and guitarist Teja Bell. She is also joined by violinist, Steve Kindler and cellist, Joe Hébert. This album was recorded at Suzanne's Ocean Avenue Studio. Lets take a brief tour of this impressive album.

There is no doubt that the most powerful song on this album is the title track, "Turning." This is Suzanne's first song that is based around lyrics and vocal. Taiwanese pop superstar, Chyi-Yu provides the vocal for this song. Suzanne's first song with lyrics is about the circles of relationships and the quest for love and commitment. It is a powerful piece of music. There is an instrumental version (Track 11) on this album too.

Her next song, Ocean Avenue is like taking a peaceful walk along a seaside town. You may want to pop that song into your Sony Discman. "If I could" is another nice song on this album.

Yang Ming Shen (my favorite) is a very beautiful, heartfelt song. Steve Kindler's violin really tugs on your heartstrings. The mood of this song is very moving and nostalgic. My wife and I found ourselves in tears after hearing it.

I Believe in Love could be a sequel to several Ciani love songs. It has the elements of Velocity of Love, Love Song, and Time Stops all rolled up in one song.

This high-flying song, Soaring shows the chemistry and harmony between Suzanne and her band. A lot of imagery can be found in that song.

Suzanne's only piano solo, The Enchantress is very captivating and mystic. The sound quality is interesting. You can lightly hear the "thumps" of the damper and sustain pedals on her piano. You can close your eyes and almost vision a very petite woman playing passionately on a grand piano.

Bird and Fish is another interesting piece. The music sounds like a motion picture soundtrack from an Asian epic.

The song, La Mer captures some echoes from the past. Those of you might remember Suzanne's first album, Seven Waves. She began producing this historic recording in a small studio in New York City twenty years ago. Just like the songs in Seven Waves, La Mer captures the beauty of the waves.

When I heard A Waltz for Julia, it made me think about the beauty of winter under a cloudy sky.

The last track on this album, Midnight Rendezvous is another moving song. It reminded me about a moment in time when I gave a final embrace to a special person before departing our separate ways. Not knowing if I would see that person again.

See what this album will do to you? It helps bring images from the past as well as the present. The only part that I miss on this album is her liner notes on each song. That is minor, compared to the quality of the music that is offered on this album.

Suzanne's new musical style reminds me of a group that was really popular in the last seventies. The Paul Winter Consort released a song that got a lot of radio play called "Icarus." The magic of that style is found in most of her songs. Ciani fans as well as new listeners will cherish this album. This recording has the caliber of a Grammy winning album compared to her third album, Neverland.

Purchase this album and you will find yourself "turning" and "yearning" for more.

This is the most BEAUTIFUL CD....I had the opportunity to hear it the first time at my 4 year old daughters ballet class the beginning of January....it would be impossible not to feel peaceful and graceful just listening! When life gives you lemons listen to Suzanne Ciani's Turning....even without the need for escape or relaxation.....this is incredible....I wish I could find someone to lay around on a Sunday afternoon and escape with me! BUY IT - YOU'LL LOVE IT!

I listened to this CD for the first time with great anticipation. I've followed Suzanne's recordings from her first "Seven Waves" and have carefully watched the evolution of her style over the years. With Dream Suite in 1995, I was thrilled to see how her style had matured and become diffused with classical influences, the spotlight being on the piano, by far the strongest vehicle of her talent. (Check out Pianissimo or Pianissimo II to see what I mean.) With her live recording, however, I was dissapointed to see her style taking yet another turn: this time more toward jazz. Her previous recordings had featured an occasional jazzy tune ("Driving," "Eagle," "Hotel Luna"), but jazz tunes were few. On her live recording, her superb tunes were still there, but "The Wave" brought a jazzy improv flavor that was new to her music and style.

Don't get me wrong. "Turning" has some beautiful, haunting music on it. The title Enya-like track with vocals is simply superb. But it appears that Suzanne has shifted the showcasing of her superb music from synthesizers and piano to a jazzy instrumental ensemble like The Wave. Most of the songs on his recording are dominated quite heavily by jazzy flute, violin, clarinet, and electronic bass; in fact, on many of the songs, Suzanne's beautiful piano playing simply gets lost in the background. As a result, each song sounds strangely like the song that came before it. Gone is Suzanne's signature synthesizer sound (listen to "Anthem" or "The Velocity of Love," for examples), which catapulted her to where she is today. Flute, clarinet, violin, and guitar are beatiful together; but their constant use as the primary musical vehicle wears thin by the end of this recording. The saxophone in "Midnight Rendezvous" is an example of the jazzy flavor dominating this recording.

For Suzanne's outstanding synthesizer music, pick up "The Private Music of Suzanne Ciani" or "Hotel Luna." Her exceptional artistry on the piano can be heard on "Pianissimo," "Pianissimo 2," and "Dream Suite" (my personal favorite).

Incredible work. Suzanne Ciani is one of the few musician I know that makes REAL music. "Turning" is one example... every track is balanced to perfection, every theme has his own feeling. If you listen to the track "Bird And Fish" you will get in touch with the soul of Suzanne... This is a MUST HAVE for anyone sensitive to music... be aware, this CD can make you cry.

I have all of her CD's and enjoyed this one immensely. She is classic and elegant with soft whimsical and lyrical melodies that you catch yourself humming after the music is done. It is relaxing and calming. I enjoyed this CD and felt her music is maturing and improving

Suzanne Ciani's Turing is music that touches the human spirit. It is both reflective and inspirational. It carries the listener toward the inner sanctum of the soul and the infinite potential of the creative mind. Her 11th album might not have been created if she heeded the words of her mother who said, 'The world does not need another album'. Indeed we need this one! This CD is very timely because, as the talented Ciani says, she makes this album ". . . with the human desire to communicate with whomever will listen, to move perhaps from the very personal to the universal". In this work she has accomplished just that! (quotes are verbatim from the CD jacket)

'Turning' was a 1999 Grammy Award nominee for best new age album, and deservedly so. Featuring Ciani's work in combination with a rather stellar cast (Paul McCandless from the group Oregon, Matt Eakle from the David Grisman Quartet, Michael Manring on bass, guitarist Teja Bell, violinist Steve Kindler, and cellist Joe Hébert. ?Most musicians would give their eyeteeth to have that kind of support, and the interplay between the musicians is only slightly short of spectacular (try 'If I Could' for starters).

This isn't Ciani's first album with this group ('Suzanne Ciani And The Wave Live!' came out in 1997) and they are clearly at ease with each other (listen to 'Yang Ming Shen'). There is one first on this album - Ciani's first song. 'Turning' is performed by Chyi-yu, a well-known Asian singer. It is a simple, romantic song with an endearing melody. Catchy enough that it is also presented as an instrumental in another cut. In a strange way it reminds me of a new age 'Greensleeves,' but it definitely works.

I could go one for quite a while - there are no bad tracks here. This is the first time I've encountered Ciani's music in ensemble and I'm genuinely impressed. Just as I was unexpectedly delighted by her ability on acoustic piano. Ciani really is talented, she has plenty of professional recognition, but has not always enjoys the popularity of some of her peers. 'Turning' is one of the albums she has ever done.

I've been an admirer of Suzanne Ciani since her pre-Seven Waves days, when she first graced the cover of Contemporary Keyboard in 1979: a very attractive 32 year-old, covered in a spaghetti of patch cords, ribbon controllers, battery packs and tuners, against a backdrop of the bizarre Buchla Electric Music Box, and speaking inside with a language that few understood at the time. As a college-age keyboard musician myself, I found Ciani alluring. She was also truly a pioneer, yet her musical journey was a long one that would eventually come full circle. Classically trained, and as a impressionable college student taken under the spell of the somewhat older but decidedly eccentric Don Buchla and his idiosyncratic views of music, she apparently rejected her musical upbringing and education, and took to the synthesizer with a vengeance. By her own admission she did not play the piano again for at least a decade, preferring to create sounds without reference to the instruments of musical scale, eventually settling on a career of producing sound for television, film and radio productions... little of which could be called music, but was certainly quite lucrative.

Evidently, by her late 30s she had an epiphany of sorts, as she released The Seven Waves, a New Age album in 1982 - this was indeed music and reflected brilliant composition and her own use of a variety of keyboards. She followed this with The Velocity of Love and several piano pieces for the Private Music label, which established her musical base. Several other works followed, some live, and as life takes it's own turns, I lost track of her career. I discovered Turning only recently, although it was released in 1999.

The title track, as other reviewers have noted, is reminiscent of Enya-like vocals and is a beautiful tune in the style of which Ciani is famous. Indeed, the cover and other art shows her in quite attractive form as well at age 53 in 1999. Sadly however, musically the remainder of the album is disappointing, considering the bar she set for herself with her earlier releases. Many of the tracks seemed to be lost in space, unable to find their way, meandering aimlessly without a clear agenda, or even attempting some semblance of cohesion. Others are re-phrasings of her prior music (listen to The Enchantress for some familiar riffs). Some of the songs show great opening promise - Ocean Avenue and If I Could are examples - yet the melodies are allowed to languish and drift while the listener eagerly awaits a more satisfying avenue or conclusion. Midnight Rendezvous successfully inspires a mood in the listener, but fittingly it is a melancholy one.

As a typical New Age album, Turning is a solid and satisfying example of the genre. But as a Suzanne Ciani album, it does not quite reach the expectations of her considerable past prior achievements. Her style of composition has always been nothing if not passionate, and perhaps this album reflected an ambiguous and possibly less upbeat time in her life. And in that, it has value for her fans. For the rest, buy the download single title track and enjoy.

I love the songs on this CD. I have 2 other CDs by Suzanne Cianti and I love all of them.