Wednesday, May 21, 2008

New Age Reporter review of Lost Canyons

Bill Binkelman reviewed Lost Canyons for New Age Reporter and we thought we'd like to share it with you...

"It alarms me that an artist of Scott August's caliber managed to release five recordings (his sixth is coming very soon) and I have only now heard his music. Guess I'm not such an icon in the industry after all, am I? I named this to my best of 2007 list, but it's even better than that. I'd place it in my top ten for Native-influenced fusion music, period. Yeah, high praise, but after playing this album at least ten times prior to writing this review, I'm sure it belongs there.

August plays way too many specific instruments to recount here, but among them are flutes (primarily the Anasazi flute which this recording seems to pay tribute to), piano, percussion, guitars, ethnic instruments such as the kalimba gamelan, and "textures" which I take to mean the application of synthesizers in assorted permutations. In this last aspect, August should give lessons to others as his dexterous superb blending of synths adds just the right amount to any song on which it's featured. Never too over the top yet also not so subtle as to make the listener question whether anything has been added at all. He's also an amazing percussionist across the full spectrum of the drums and other instruments which he uses on the CD.

Variety is the catch word here, as Lost Canyons contains everything from the plaintive beauty of the opening "Morning Star" (Anasazi flute, alabaster chimes and textures, the latter two coming into play later in the song) to the lively "Raven Dance" which intermixes percussion from just about every continent with guitar, piano and Tiger Maple flute. And those are just the first two songs on the album"

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© Cedar Mesa Music

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Spring Gathering Photos...for real

Thanks to Denise Halliburton I now have photos from the Spring Gathering in Georgetown.
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The 2nd annual "Spring Gathering" sponsored by the NCFC NoNahme Clan Clan was April 26th, 2008. Lew Price worked hard to make this year's festival a success and succeeded with flying colors. Unlike the first festival the weather was great! Warm clear skies and no rain. There was a large turnout of people, flute makers and flutes players.

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Saturday, May 03, 2008

Lost Canyons #2 on Echoes Top 25

Cedar Mesa Music is proud to announce that Lost Canyons hit #2 on the Echoes Top 25 playlist for April 2008. Echoes is one of the largest syndicated New Age radio programs in the nation heard on 130 stations.

Lost Canyons has also been in the top five of the New Age Reporter playlist for the last three months. You can read more reviews or listen to samples from Lost Canyons on the Cedar Mesa Music website.

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Spring Gathering Photos...sort of

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I've posted some notes and photos from the Spring Gathering in Georgetown last weekend. During the festival I was too busy teaching workshops and performing to take photos but after my Sunday workshop I went out with some friends to see the surrounding area. Georgetown is just up the road from where gold was discovered in California in 1848 and there are lot of wineries in the area, being one of the oldest wine growing regions in the state.

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Friday, May 02, 2008

Intermediate/Advanced NAF workshop

Native American Music Award winner Scott August is coming to the Bay Area and will be giving an Intermediate/Advanced NAF workshop in Napa, CA

If you feel you've reached a plateau with your Native American flute playing this workshop is perfect for you. Learn the secrets to spicing up your NAF playing and improvising. Make the leap to the next level.

Learn the tricks that make you sound like a pro!
  • Vibrato control
  • How to make your flute chirp
  • Advanced ornamentation including trills and turns
  • Tonguing techniques for more expressive articulation
  • Flutter tonguing
  • How to improvise like a pro

Intermediate/Advanced NAF workshop
Date: May 10th, 2008
Time: 1:00 pm Class will be 90 minutes long
Place: 793 La Salle Way, Napa, CA, 94559
Cost: $40

Class size is limited. To reserve your space send an email to Cedar Mesa Music or take your chances and just show up.