"I started listening to Bright Angel and could not stop. I love your music"
--Eddie Watkins Jr. - Director of Music Ministries Spiritual Life Center of Las Vegas (Sep 24, 2008)
"very beautiful, very meditative'
--Valerie Joi Fiddmont - Inner Light Music Director (Sep 17, 2008)
Review: Progression Magazine - Summer 2008
Harlan Mark Vale: Bright Angel
2008 (CD, 77:18); independent release
Style: Ambient/jazz/new age
Sound: **** Composition ** Musicianship: ***1/2
Performance: ***1/2 Total rating: 13
I'm always intrigued by musicians whose works are inspired by visual stimuli. In this case, pianist Harlan Mark Vale presents six lengthy, spontaneous ruminations on the Grand Canyon's majesty and serenity. Can Vale help the listener "feel and hear" what he sees? It's easy enough to go along with the notion of this album serving as a soundtrack to Mother Nature's special handiwork, but the beautifully introspective quality of this music should not be limited to one vista in the mind's eye.
Vale's compositions certainly conjure the feelings of awe and reverence, and occasionally (as during some of his more active "flourishes") joyous inspiration. Bright Angel most definitely carries a spiritual vibe, reflected in some of Vale's song titles (the title track of course, "Buddha Temple" "Intuition Suite"). But this is far from saccharine lullaby music; a certain transcendent honesty abides throughout, inviting serious introspection.
The three-part, 24-minute "Intuition Suite" closes this disc with some of Vale's more experimental/unstructured musings. Close your eyes, open your ears ... what do you see? - John Collinge
Brian Eno,
Bill Laswell,
Bill Nelson,
Peter Gabriel,
Claude Debussy,
Hildegard von Bingen,
Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares,
YES,
BT,
The Beatles,
Happy The Man,
Emerson, Lake & Palmer,
National Health,
Steve Hackett,
John Cage,
Herbie Hancock,
Charles Ives,
Miles Davis,
King Crimson,
Aaron Copeland,
Oliver Messiaen,
Igor Stravinsky,
Erik Satie,
Arnold Schoenberg,
Anton Webern,
Sun Ra,
Tangerine Dream,
Weather Report,
The Who,
Pink Floyd,
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,
Les Paul,
Todd Rundgren ,
Frank Zappa,
Art Bears,
Ozric Tentacles,
Buckethead,
Sarah McLachlan,
Kronos String Quartet,
John Alkins,
Mark Isham,
Vangelis,
Patrick O'Hearn,
Danny Elfman,
Jerry Goldsmith,
Ella A Robinson,
The Chipmunks,
Spike Jones,
Russell Larson,
Daryl Johanson,
Dave Brubeck,
Robert Moog,
Chick Corea,
Keith Jarret,
Don Ellis,
The Moody Blues,
Ennio Morricone,
There are probably more whose names I don't recall at the moment. But each and every one of these artists have helped me to form my musical identity. Thank you, one and all.
Harlan Mark Vale
Sounds Like
Brian Eno, Keith Jarrett, John Cage, Vangelis, Vladimir Horowitz, Claude Debussy
My name is Harlan Mark Vale. I am a musician. I live and breathe music. Without music, there is no life. I am also spirit. The journey that got me to this realization is also the journey that created the album, Bright Angel. The music I have created here is a free-flowing river of the Divine expressing itself through me.
My formal music training began at The Evergreen State College in Washington State in the 70’s, where I studied electronic music and audio engineering. Later, I performed with Trillium, The New Art Orchestra, and others creating free improvisational jazz and experimental genres playing piano, synthesizer and percussion.
After years of playing and recording electronic music covering many genres, I have finally returned to my beginnings; the piano. This is where my hearts speaks to me most clearly.
The album title, “Bright Angel” came about after spending time at the Grand Canyon. There is a feature in the canyon called Bright Angel Point as well as a trailhead by the name of Bright Angel Trail. These features are moving and inspiring by their very nature. While at the canyon, I discovered a baby grand piano on the mezzanine above the lobby at the El Tovar Hotel, situated on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was here that I gave birth to the music portrayed on the Bright Angel CD. These pieces are my attempt to capture the majesty and serenity I feel being and performing at the Grand Canyon.
The Bright Angel CD has been shown to calibrate at over 700 on Dr. David Hawkins' consciousness scale. This is the level of pure consciousness. Hawkins theorizes that anything at this level can produce healing effects.
As an interesting aside, I have conducted home studies of the music on the Bright Angel CD using standard muscle testing techniques. Listeners test stronger during and after listening to this music than they do before. I would be curious to find out if these results could be duplicated by others under more controlled conditions.
The journey to this point has been long and winding, but worth the wait. I finally feel that the Universe and I are playing the same piano. Nothing on the album have I written, it’s more that I am allowing the music to emerge from me fully formed. My job is to make the Divine connection, step out of the way and become the conduit for creative exploration.
License this music for commercial use through Pump Audio
Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family And Thank you for your friendship ......................................................... Knock on the sky and listen to the sound! ... Happy life and harmony to all. Cheers and Respect:) Global Beat
Here's some truth I really want you to think about; YOU are a perfect spiritual soul. You have been sent to the earth experience to express the Divine that is within you. The illusions that you call problems and trouble only has the power you give it. They are nothing more than distractions to take your eyes off of your goals! Don’t allow those illusions to dictate to you how you feel about yourself and to you from accomplishing you dreams! You are Divinity in human form...yes you are. Nothing can disturb the calm peace of your soul when you KNOW you are MASTERY, AUTHORITY & DOMINION! So I want you to bring your mind back to the TRUTH; and that truth is; You and God are ONE. Nothing can harm you when YOU decide to be the Master you are! Within you is the ability to make, master, do, produce and accomplish all things. Get quiet, go within and bring forth those gifts so that you may do the true work of YOUR Heart & Spirit. I count it a pure joy and am humbled to share this spiritual truth with you. Now if you don't have a place where you can go and hear this kind of truth on a regular basis, then come and consider Awakening Light International Center of Truth. :-) I'm Israel Malik Esters at israelspeaks@awakeninglight.org I teach this truth Every Sunday in Atlanta at Awakening Light International Center of Truth. You may visit our website for more information. http://www.awakeninglight.org Namaste! :-)
Harlan, Hope that you've had a good week. Mine was busy but great! I'm finally starting to work with video. Here's a short version of my tune, "New Horizons". Although the sound quality needs some improvement, it does show me having fun!
Online Now!
