Dreams & Visions
Artist: Dennis Hendricksen
Label: Golden Flame Records
Release Date: December 5, 2014
Duration: 10 tracks, 1:09:48
Dennis Hendricksen’s 20+ year concept project to work a
Christian-based theme combining picture, story, quote and music in story
succeeds not only in combination but in the rarely witnessed inclusion of jazz
into Christian art – in this case a combination of jazz and fusion, rock and
classical.
Vibrant and electrifying, Dreams & Visions moves from
haunting melody to occasional raucous rock with foundationally solid percussion
and moments of intoxicating jazz all structured in a way to emphasize the story
also told by picture. The ‘art package’ comes in a stunning metal case holding
a pamphlet containing both related art, story, quote, and the CD, the
combination of which further the concept that the individual pieces are not
stronger than the whole.
The opener, “Dream, #1: Waves Flash and Sparks Turn to Wings”,
brings the listener to the stage making them part of the experience with energy
building on energy. A calm spaciousness breaking to funk / fusion with hints of
late ‘70s Jean-Luc Ponty. “Vision, #1: A
Shadow Falls On the Garden” gives a mid-eastern spiritual tone of
meditative theme giving way to adventurous guitar and solid percussion while “Hiatus,
#1: Reflection” has soft wondering, spiraling low notes leading to the next
segment.
As the first segment drifts to the second, “Dream, #2: Many
Waters, Many Colours” uses the flute to carefully craft colors while keyboards
and horns complete the wonderful picture. “Vision, #2: Scattered Stones” is
underscored by deep, eastern percussion accented early and late with an Alan
Parsons-like hook. “Hiatus, #2: Revelation” again gives the segment’s
reflective qualities clearing the ear for the last and third segment.
A wondering, meandering piano, joined later by strings and
horns lead the adventure which is “Dream, #3: The Wilderness Path Leads to a
Mountain”. The wonderful confluence of piano and trumpet lay the foundation for
“Vision, #3: Black Sky and Incarnadine Earth” begins with a dark, deep flute
pipe giving way to a hotter playful beat.
“Hiatus, #3: Restoration” has a new reflective tone with
clarinet and muted trumpet softly playing off each other leading to the finale
in “Dream, #4: The Radiant Abyss, Twelve Pearls and a Throne” with eastern
percussion underlying strings and the powerful addition of a pre-fusion Miles
Davis-like trumpet.
Dreams & Visions is a beautiful musical journey successfully
melding music and picture to story and quote. The combination is spacious,
wondering, climbing musically with a meld of jazz, rock, fusion, classical music
to Christian thought and story,
Scott S Mertens
3.5 tocks
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