Jeff Ball - Press

Jeff Ball - CEDAR MOON

(Red Feather 800-456-5444)

The Native Americans of the plains called the full moon that rises on warm, clear spring nights a CEDAR MOON. It was thought to be a benevolent beacon that illuminated the way of secret lovers to midnight meetings, a silvery invitation to savor the sound of a little night music. Rustling through the trees, the voice of the cedar flute would serenade listeners with songs of romance. Jeff Ball, an exceptional cedar flutist comparable to R. Carlos Nakai or John Kevin Locke, takes a contemporary approach to his instrument, blending it here with smooth jazz ensemble, Native spoken word and rich, textural tonalities that sound both comfortably familiar and completely innovative. Sax, piano, guitar and bass give a nicely rounded, cool groove on "Concrete Canyon," heightened by some hot chant accents and bluesy flute solos. Also perfect for late night listening is the profoundly melodic, nostalgic "Pictures of Home" and the beautiful ballad, "Just Another Day." By blending the best of both Anglo and Native musical styles, Ball has come up with a uniquely sophisticated sound without losing the highly prized organic voice of the cedar flute in the mix. He plays with amazing depth of feeling, allowing his soul to rise within each note. Hearing such solo virtuosity within a tight ensemble setting is a rare treat, indeed.

Reviewed by PJ Birosik, click here to go to PJ's web site


	Jeff Ball - CEDAR MOON (Red Feather 800-456-5444) The Native Americans of the plains called the full moon that rises on warm, clear spring nights a CEDAR MOON. It was thought to be a benevolent beacon that illuminated the way of secret lovers to midnight meetings, a silvery invitation to savor the sound of a little night music. Rustling through the trees, the voice of the cedar flute would serenade listeners with songs of romance. Jeff Ball, an exceptional cedar flutist comparable to R. Carlos Nakai or John Kevin Locke, takes a contemporary approach to his instrument, blending it here with smooth jazz ensemble, Native spoken word and rich, textural tonalities that sound both comfortably familiar and completely innovative. Sax, piano, guitar and bass give a nicely rounded, cool groove on "Concrete Canyon," heightened by some hot chant accents and bluesy flute solos. Also perfect for late night listening is the profoundly melodic, nostalgic "Pictures of Home" and the beautiful ballad, "Just Another Day." By blending the best of both Anglo and Native musical styles, Ball has come up with a uniquely sophisticated sound without losing the highly prized organic voice of the cedar flute in the mix. He plays with amazing depth of feeling, allowing his soul to rise within each note. Hearing such solo virtuosity within a tight ensemble setting is a rare treat, indeed. Reviewed by PJ Birosik, click here to go to PJ's web site

	Jeff Ball - CEDAR MOON This is my first listen to Jeff's music, & on this Native American theme CD, he is mighty impressive! His cedar flute mastery brings back mem'ries of early days in the forests of Pennsylvania (for me), out amongst the cat-tails & polliwogs! Guest shots by Joseph Fire Crow (spoken-word) lend credence to the theme, as Joseph is a master in this genre. One drawback (for me) was the programmed drums... though they're not "bad", I felt that the use of natural percussion would have enhanced the experience. Nevertheless, the music is well thought out & (very) sensitively played. It certainly reminds me of some of the more adventurous outings that the Makoche label has taken listeners on over the last 3-5 years, though the tunes are in the "ballad/slow" mode - on certain tracks, approaches "smooth jazz". Any way you listen - pretty, PRETTY! Gets a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from us! Contact at Musik International, 154 Botasso Rd., Boulder, CO 80302 (e-mail is musikintl@aol.com) Rotcod Zzaj, click here to go to Rotcod's web site