Forgotten Voices, by Brian Whistler

Forgotten Voices

by Brian Whistler

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1.	Kembali 04:32	info	buy track
2.	Love Crimes 05:37	lyrics	buy track
They were lying there in bed On the other side of midnight It was something that he said As the room was filled with starlight And his words, they flew like birds Across the sky Where they nested in the tangles of her hair She heard the quiet song go wrong And suddenly withdrawn She sighs and disappears She designs out of her tears Little Love Crimes It was something of a game The way their hearts lay hidden Each so different yet the same Secrets guarded and forbidden And they moved their kings and queens along the board As they planned a way to make a winning play Without a word he plays her pawn The battle lines are drawn He will soon be made to pay It's her nature, it's her way Little love crimes (be careful what you say) Love crimes (or the flame may fade away) Little love crimes And the fire turns to ashes Blowing them apart Little love crimes of the heart He was praying for a sign She was asking for a token Both afraid to cross the line For both their hearts were broken Full of pride they tried to hide the hurt inside Each one building up a fortress made of stone Behind the wall they sit and wait She stalls he hesitates She is safer all alone He may soon be on his own Little love crimes (be careful what you say) Love crimes (or the flame may fade away) Little love crimes And the fire turns to ashes Blowing them apart Little love crimes of the heart
3.	Grains of Sand 04:51	lyrics	buy track
Above the forest an eagle is soaring circling high Spinning and turning, adrift on the wind stream Dancing in the sky High on a hill where the long grasses gently grow Where no footsteps go In silence, Come with me and open your eyes See the river hear the eagle’s cry Where time stands still Let sky and earth embrace Behold this unseen face Endowed with hidden grace From mountain peaks to tiny grains of sand Silent in stillness the woodland is sleeping Peacefully Slumbering giants, the ancients are dreaming In serenity Caught by a breeze in the treetops the branches sway And a tiny seed, Now ripened Breaks away, a falling prayer Tossing, tumbling, turning in the air And journeys far To find its place of rest Will soon in green be dressed And by sunlight be blessed From mountain peaks to tiny grains of sand All things alive, moved by some unseen hand
4.	This Little World 08:16	lyrics	buy track
This little world, floating in space Delicate raindrop, shining green leaf I want to embrace you and drink your waters Be held in you secret dance Deep in your forests, eyes that are gleaming Eyes Blue shining pearl, planet awake Waters that live, air that is bright A delicate balance captured in seasons A beautiful sacred dance Trees that are dying, rivers are burning A sky that is blackened a golden butterfly that will never be Do you know what thing you might have been? A cold and distant moon still sleeping Like a silent stone Is there time or have we come too far? Is it our destiny to fade like a falling star? This little world spinning in Space Blue little pearl, fragile and small the fate of our planet is in our hands Its time that we take a stand Trees that are dying, rivers are burning A sky that is blackened A garden that our children will never see Do you know what thing you might have been? A cold and distant moon still sleeping Like a silent stone Is there time or have we come too far? Is it our destiny to fade like a falling star?
5.	Soul Traveler 03:46	lyrics	buy track
It was just the other day I heard it on the news I was riding in my car With a bad case of the blues A voice came on the radio And I heard one of your old songs With you singing soft and soulful They said you were gone The world stopped for a moment And I paused to catch my breath You know it really took me by surprise To hear about your death I stumbled into a cafe got myself a cup of tea, Told the girl behind the counter She asked, 'Who was she?' And I said Soul Traveler, be well on your way Sweet sister, so brave Soul Traveler, I still hear your song Sweet Sister, so strong Out in the star stream Floating in space I see you soaring, With a smile on your face No more burdens No more pain Now at last you're free Now that you've left us I can still hear you voice In the dirty city streets In a world full of noise I can hear your sweet voice Ringing out in clarity Calling out for peace And a little sanity I'm calling Soul Traveler, be well on your way Sweet sister, so brave Soul Traveler, I still hear your song Sweet Sister, so strong
6.	The Healing 04:19	lyrics	buy track
The road is rugged And no one can see what's coming round the bend A life's so fragile Along the way we walk the path as friends I don't know how a flower grows I don't know how this song should go But I know that you can count on me Our time's but a moment Each of us burdened by our history But behind the masquerade Lies the ever present mystery I don't know which way the wind will blow I don't know how a river flows But I know that you're the Sun to me You're the Sun to me So let the healing come, At last your heart breaks open wide You know I'll be there for you Come what may I'll be standing by your side Command your spirit And listen to the voices of an ancient choir Oh can you hear it The sacred music of you heart's desire? I don't know how it is we're here I don't know how we disappear But I know that you are always near You are always near And let the healing come At last your heart breaks open wide You know I'll be there for you Come what may I'll be standing by your side
7.	Forgotten Voices 04:30	lyrics	buy track
In a lonely corner of the city In a barren world of brick and glass A figure sleeps upon the sidewalk In the shadow of a dreary street lamp Lying on his tattered bed of cardboard Newspaper blankets shield him from the bitter cold In the chilly light of early morning Sirens rouse him from his restless dreams Makes his way down to the usual corner Where the cafe sign in neon gleams Puts a hand out to a passing stranger Who only turns away pretending not to see And in the end forgotten voices Are drowning in the roaring of the stream A river of uncertain choices Where do they end up All those broken dreams? Who can know the path that this man travels? Who can count the sorrows that he bears? All the unknown ways a life unravels And the road that lead to bitter tears? Now he makes he way through the busy city He is swallowed by the crowd and disappears And in the end forgotten voices Are drowning in the roaring of the stream A river of uncertain choices Where do they end up All those broken dreams?
8.	The Fox 05:26	lyrics	buy track
Jackie mastered the game He was the king and lord of his domain A place in the country and in town He had the best view on the hill But still, late nights Jackie walked the long empty halls White walls In the chilly hours of the morning All alone Jackie knew all the rules He watched his stocks and bonds He was nobody's fool He saw every angle of a deal He knew every man has his price His vice, somewhere And he always got what he was after Mr. Sly Fox You are past your age of gold Mr. High Roller All your money will not stop your growing old Life can't be bought and sold Jackie traveled in style He drove his big Benz down the hill to the Miracle Mile And from his condo in the clouds Jackie saw the bay and the lights So bright, Gleaming He thought of his wife, long ago Aglow After twenty years he still missed her Mr. Sly Fox You are past your age of gold Mr. High Roller All your money will not stop your growing old Life can't be bought and sold
9.	Yamane 05:31	info	buy track
10.	The Colors of the Day 04:06	lyrics	buy track
Day by day, you go your way A tired actor in a play Up and down, you act the clown Your painted smile doesn't hide your frown And the sun shines down on everybody's sadness Everybody's madness too It's all a game No one can explain why your heart Tears your soul apart when all around you The colors of the day invite Ask your eyes to take delight Drink the sunlight, let your heart take flight It contains all you need to know To help you through the night And if you think that hope is gone And your life has come undone Wait 'til sunrise, morning still will come For a new day has begun
11.	Lighten Up 05:40	lyrics	buy track
Well I do believe I been hanging out Out on the plains But it's gettin' hard being on my own Out in the rain And at times I just can't feel My heart turns to steel And I'm running fast with no place to go But back to my heart 'Cause I'm so afraid of the feelings I've tried so hard to hide And I'm tired of fighting too And painting the rainbow blue It's time to know when to lighten up A little bit on yourself Lighten Up on yourself Lighten up, show a little tenderness And lighten up on yourself Well I've been alone and I've been loved And when I loved it wasn't good enough And the things I felt, I didn't feel enough Now I want so much just to feel at all So if you should see a lost traveler Drifting through space Please help bring him home with a gentle touch And help him erase All the times he just said no And turned his back on the rainbow Love and remind him to lighten up A little bit on yourself Lighten up on yourself Lighten up, show a little tenderness And lighten up on yourself

about

Forgotten Voices is a musical phenomenon. As soon as one attempts to pigeon hole it as, for example, world jazz, one feels compelled to qualify the label and quickly add: with a lot of pop and folk elements as well.

And a bit of western classical influence.

Not to mention Balinese, Brazilian and African flavors.

But any label, broad as it is, falls short of capturing the essence of what these versatile musicians are really up to, which is integrating these diverse elements into well crafted songs that get under your skin the more you listen to them.

As musically sophisticated a collection as this is, it is first and foremost an album of finely honed songs with great vocals.

The elements that really tie these diverse musical excursions together are in the writing and arranging of Brian Whistler, and the unique vocal talents of collaborator and occasional co-writer, Pablo Rodriguez.

Whistler, a bay area jazz keyboard and vibist, gets to the essence of the tunes with his arrangements, which serve to illuminate the song's intention.

Pablo's signature tenor is the focal point of the CD.
His singing, while precise and understated, conveys an intensity, honesty and vulnerability rarely found among male singers in any genre. A one time student of Bobby McFerrin, Rodriguez has securely staked out his own musical turf.

Paul McCandless' (Oregon) soaring soprano sax, as well as oboe and english horn are prominent throughout. His solos, particularly on Love Crimes and Grains of Sand are stunning examples of this underrated artist's outstanding work .

Percussionist Marquinho Brasil (Jose Neto, Mariah Carey) possesses a poet's sensitivity in his subtle choice of colors, bringing out hidden meanings to a vocal phrase. His subtle colors create an intimate natural ambience.

Gary Brown's (Airto) bass adds a supportive underpinning to the mix, as does the drumming of Walfredo Reyes Jr (Santana,Steve Winwood, Rickie Lee Jones), and keyboard wiz Kit Walker (Neal Schon, Steve Smith, Jai Uttal, )

All together, there were over 20 great bay area musicians involved in the project. Instrumentation varies from a primary band sound to a contemporary chamber sound scored for piano, bass, bassoon, oboe and string trio.

Ambitious and multifaceted, Forgotten Voices will please jazz, world and pop fans alike.

credits

released August 18, 2015

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about

Brian Whistler San Francisco, California

Brian Whistler has been playing and writing music since his late teens.

"Forgotten Voices" forges a signature synthesis of many styles, including Brazilian jazz, Balinese bamboo music, African and Haitian drumming, and electronic world fusion elements.

His new compositions are instrumental vocalise journeys inspired by his love of nature.

(All compositions and arrangements) by Brian Whistler ... more