Search - Tom Barabas :: Journey Back to Sedona

Transcending

Eric | Anchorage, Alaska | 05/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tom Barabas is a new entry to my collection, and 'Journey Back to Sedona' will be placed in my top 5.Barabas shows mastery in creating an album that captures your soul, cradling it while being taken on a journey. The masterful work is more the work of movements than song.The only negative comment to this work is the reproduction. The recording appears to be slightly tainted with EQ problems at the source. The movements lack the spritz of the performance due to muddy lows (or lack thereof) and other mix related issues. Whether this is from mic selection, placement, or studio reference monitors during finalization, it does distract from the master musicianship. If an EQ adjustment is made to account for the muddiness of the piano in 'Journey', then selections later in the album appear to conflict with earlier adjustments. Overall, the mix is comfortable.The entire album is a joy to listen to. Tom's piano work, along with the accompanying performances of other instrumentalists blend together to create an overall movement worthy of spending hours listening to.Ratings:
Transcipt: 10
Performance: 10
Recording: 8"

Magical music reminicent of 'Sedona Suite'

Michael J Harrington | Phoenix, Arizona USA | 02/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Without copying 'Sedona Suite', Tom Barabas has created a new set of soothing, spiritually refreshing compositions of music that captures the magic of Sedona without diving into the realms of 'tacky tourist music' that pervades the music one might hear around the shops of Sedona.Tom is a master at the piano, as he has created several CD's of music that show his impressive talent. This particular CD takes you on yet another trip around the magic that is Sedona, however we do not get a 'Volume 2' - we get some carefully composed works that further capture the magic of Sedona, as well as others that are 'related' (in other words, personal works with the CD), and they stand well on their own despite the association with 'Sedona'. My main point here is that Tom is a great piano player, and his works (as he has proved to date) are well beyond the 'let me play my piano and give you my impression of a rock somewhere' - he is in the leagues of Lanz, Winston and others - he has just not pursued their route to date.I give an enthusiatic 5 stars for Tom's efforts here, as he creates a magic with his music that is lost amongst many of his 'new age contemporaries'. In other words, he truly blows them away - look out Lanz and others like you, as TB can really play his piano!"

Repeat Success

Marc Ruby? | Warren, MI USA | 11/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One can't really look at one recording as a sequel to another, but as much as is possible, Journey Back to Sedona is in the same vein as it's predecessor Sedona Suite. Both feature Tom Barabas' piano work, backed by electronics, harp, strings, etc. Surprisingly, the albums do not really sound like one another - even staying in the same genre, Barabas manages to stay original, which is saying a lot.



My favorite on this album is a very fine rendition of After The Rain in which Barabas plays a duet against a horn section. He shows strong classical roots in his performances, carefully avoiding the meandering new age style that is so prevalent. A piece like Visions recalls the traditional concerto form, full of very strong pianism. It is the kind of work that would be just at home on an auditorium stage as it is in my CD player.



This album is a bit better recorded than Sedona Suite, at least to my tastes. It leans less on various tone-processing technologies like reverb, and brings out the acoustic side of the instrument better. But it is still overworked a bit. Barabas' playing is excellent, as is his compositional skill. I can't help but thinking that he would really shine in even the simplest acoustic environment.



But I'm nitpicking. This is a great album to kick back and listen to, with a musical depth that is often missing in contemporary music. I've enjoyed it for years and am quite sure you will too.

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