Janie Horton - a gift from janie Metaxy (1999)
a gift from janie, (lowercase is intentional) from pianist Janie Horton, is a masterpiece of evocative and somber tone poems. This is one of those recordings that grabbed me from the first listen and never let me go. I listened to it four times in three days, which for me is extraordinary. Surely this CD heralds the arrival of a bright new star on the musical horizon.
Janie's composition and playing style may remind some listeners of George Winston or William Watson, in that she eschews traditional approaches to structure, yet does so without letting the music wander aimlessly. The emotional impact of her playing is strong and can be quite melancholic at times. In this regard, she most closely resembles Tim Story, except where Tim is considered a minimalist and miniaturist, Janie is more of an impressionist, i.e. she does not tend to use the method of subtle variations on themes (as Story does). I base my comparisons to Story on the overall feel to the music, i.e. threads of regret and longing that wind their way through these songs like smoke wafting up to the sky. Regardless whether you share my opinion on the two artists' similarities, a gift from janie is a powerful recording.
While most of the album is solo piano (and, with Howard Johnston at the mixing board, it's no wonder it sounds so good!), Janie is joined by a few artists on some songs: Daniel Kobialka (violin) Rick Ruskin (guitar) and Jan Jeanrenaud (cello). In addition, Janie is also credited with something called "textures" but if there are any synths on this album, I didn't hear them. Restraint is well-exercised in the discrete use of the other instruments. The cello on "journey" (all song titles appear in lower case letters) adds just the right amount of sadness to the song. In addition to the other instruments, there is the tasteful inclusion of some environmental sounds (mostly birdsong) on some pieces, starting off with the opening cut, "the gift." Janie's piano-playing elicited an introspective reaction that immediately had me sitting and reflecting on my life. Yes, I'm not kidding you. This is the kind of album that will do that to the open-minded listener.
From a composition standpoint, Janie occasionally plays in a semi-minimalist vein. Her notes sometimes hang in the air, fading away, and then new notes are struck just as the old ones have become memory. This approach is very prominent in songs like "questions" and "redwood speak" (the latter of which also uses some tasteful environmental sounds again). Of course, with titles like "alone within," "healing hand,." and "acceptance," Janie's theme is quite lucid. There are some excellent liner notes written by Janie as well. Frankly, the dedication to her deceased father and the poem that graces the inner booklet, written to her son's father (her first husband), who is also deceased, are among the most touching things I've read in liner notes. To my way of thinking the mostly somber yet always beautiful music on this album is at least partly inspired by the cycle of life and death and the effect that the loss of loved ones has on our souls. In the case of Janie Horton, while it sounds from this CD as if she has been through tremendous grief, that same pain has yielded a remarkable recording. This is one of the most heartfelt recordings in my collection and it gets my highest recommendation.
Bill Binkleman Feb 2000
CD REVIEW
Wind & Wire
