Byron Metcalf, Jennifer Grais marvelous majestic musical beauty Byron Metcalf, Jennifer Grais – THEY WERE HERE: It was right at a year ago that I was introduced to Byron’s marvelous and majestic musical creations, and reviewed him in Contemporary Fusion Reviews… he is a master of percussion, and on this new release, has combined forces with vocalist extraordinaire Jennifer Grais to bring you some of the most powerful music you will ever hear! I was particularly impressed with pieces like “Near & Far Away“, co-authored by Byron and Jennifer… Byron’s slowly progressing percussion gives Jennifer ample room to explore the distances between notes on this wonderful 8:06 tune, and her vocal just soars; with the addition of some “vocal duet” sections, this becomes one of the most magical pieces of music you will hear in 2018!
“Womb of the Serpent” is another superb aural adventure; this one also features Dashmesh Khalsa reaching down deep into the strings of your heart on Didgeridoo… the incorporation of the Didg is pure perfection… subtle, yet recognizeable…. the string sounds (arranged by Ron Oates) really enhance the listening experience… be sure you have your headphones on when listening to this piece, at least for the first sitting… you’ll hear the spirits speaking to you on this 9:39 musical gem.
There are only seven songs on the album, but you get over an hour’s worth of inspiring music for your listening pleasure… I can tell you right now that you will find yourself listening to pieces like “Opening to Freedom” over and over again… this should be the theme song for those lined up against corporate entities who are ruining our lands and wounding Mother Earth.
It’s not always the longest composition that gets my pick for personal favorite, but in this case there was no doubt that “Run” (clocking in at 14:09) was the one… Ron’s string work floats and weaves in & around Byron’s percussion, and Jennifer takes you on an audio journey like you’ve never experienced before! I give Byron, Jennifer and their musical cohorts a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.99 for this superb suite of songs. (Editor’s note: I predict that this album will win MAJOR awards in several categories)! You can learn more on Byron’s page for the release. Rotcod Zzaj
