LIGHT on the WATER Reviews
Review from The Light connection
Light on the Water
Timothy Cooper; New Piano Age Music; 2008; $14.98;
In the hands of a master musician,
I find that the piano possesses an uncanny potential for communicating unbounded
emotional depth and the vastness of eternity. Timothy Cooper is such a musician.
In Light on the Water, a collection
of nineteen solo improvisational instrumental pieces inspired in part by
the tragedy of 9/11 and recorded without overdubs, he exhibits a rare ability
to explore the darkness of the soul without being swallowed up by it. The
result is a magical blend of beautiful compositions played with wonderful
sincerity and flawless expertise, the left hand rocking in a relatively
regular rhythm while the right improvises to express not only the somber
nature of the moment but the light beyond as well.
“I love the piano's ability to
create oceanic sound—a great wash of sustained sound that can seem at once
infinite and intimate, with no borders or boundaries,” he says. “Sometimes
my music has no definable beginnings, no absolute endings: only waves upon
waves of sound headed as if for all shores, as in the music of dreams. It
is this sense of musical sustainability that I wish to explore, to create:
Sound that rolls outto the edge of a horizon-less horizon and into a space
too vast to fully comprehend, like countless waves tossed and lost across
midnight seas.”
This is a magnificent album, the
rare product of sensitive fingers and a heart laid open discovering each
other on fine ivory. Some of the tracks are highly introspective (“Light
on the Water,””“Autumn Tears” and”“Advancing Moon.” Others (“Rising,” for
example) were improvised at the time of recording and as such come across
as more whimsical, yet still in alignment with the overall peaceful, reflective
tone of the album.
I recommend listening to” Light on
the Water with headphones to experience first-hand the fullness of Cooper's
soul that comes through in the music. Those who appreciate the finest in
piano are sure to discover new treasures to with each listening.
Note: The impeccable quality of Cooper's
music becomes even more stunning when you realize that composing and playing
the piano are only two of the many ways in which Cooper finds artistic expression.
A true'‘renaissance man' committed to exploring new vistas into
thought-provoking subjects, he is also a novelist, photographer and filmmaker
of some repute. His first novel, World One , presented a view on nuclear
war that allowed “a happy ending when the entire planet finally learns to
live together in peace”; his second, 2008 , is comedic in tone, showcasing
Jesus coming back and running for President. His films include documentaries
on human rights (a cause he champions as head of Washington D.C.'s Worldrights
organization) and his photography is set up “to symbolize the dramatic tension
between consumerism and humanism, and the diminishing of individualism.”
—Chiwah
Review from Improvjazznation
LIGHT ON THE WATER
August 2008
Timothy Cooper - LIGHT ON THE WATER:
I have many friends who are keyboardists... I play the keyboards myself,
albeit in a much different vein (some reviewers have called my works "odd-istry")...
I can say, very honestly, that I've seldom heard solo piano with the
ability to "touch" the listener as comes through in Timothy's
compositions. The liner notes and the cut-sheet that accompanied the CD
tells us that Cooper is an artist who strives "to bring enlightenment
to the world"; if the listener takes the simple step of listening to
this with headphones on, they will feel pieces of Timothy's soul - no
doubt! That, in my many years of listening to and reviewing music, is what
makes the difference... when an artist can communicate his inner feelings
through the magical ivory keys with the clarity Timothy does, the listener
will "grok" the artist's meaning without complicated analysis.
That was particularly true for tracks like "Soundings", one of
the longer tracks on the album (& my absolute favorite)... there is
such body in his playing that it reminds me of my own personal tragedies
and how the "sounding out" he speaks of can help us to pull ourselves
back up by our bootstraps... many of the pieces here were realized after
9/11, which lends itself to such strong vision and interpretation. I'm
highly impressed, and certainly hope we will hear more from Mr. Cooper...
this gets our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating; even if "new age piano"
is less jazz than you normally listen to, you owe it to your own well-being
to get this one. More information (& a short clip) is available at www.youtube.com/user/
Rotcod Zzaj
The Bookwatch
Midwest Book Review
The Library CD Music Shelf
Light on the Water, July 2008
Light on the Water is a CD of new
age piano music written and performed by artist and human rights advocate
Timothy Cooper. Though strongly influenced by and created in response to
the September 11th attacks, Light on the Water is musical collection promoting
peace, healing, and humanity above all. The flowing melodies and quiet beauty
of the music respects the suffering of the dead and the survivors, even
as it kindles hope for the future and shaping a better world. A heart-touching
album, highly recommended.
Nexus Review:
July 2008
Light On The Water – Timothy Cooper
A talented young composer pours the
soul of his experience of the world, including all his emotions about it,
right into the keys in his debut CD of primarily piano music. Each piece
flows out like a river to the ocean from his gifted hands. Refreshingly
immediate, Timothy Cooper composed the music for Light On The Water in response
to the currents of life in this very moment of time in which we find ourselves,
not copied from some classical past.
From the pieces “Worldscapes,” to
“Solar Nights,” to “Autumn Tears”, Timothy lends a fresh new voice, or should
we say fresh new fingers, to the solo piano scene, with a style that has
been called pensive, edgy and experimental. Says Timothy, “Even though the
events of 9/11 are reflected in LIGHT ON THE WATER, the music is really
my plea for peace and understanding in the world among all people.”
Instrumental PAVILION Review:
Catergory: Music
Genre: New Age
Artist: Timothy Cooper
July 2008
"Light on the Water" by
Washington D.C. based Timothy Cooper, is a collection of nineteen instrumental
tunes recorded as solo piano improvisational pieces without overdubs. The
album was influenced by the tragic terrorist acts of 9/11 and the subsequent
healing process that the American public went through. I must say that after
the third listen I was moved and impressed by Cooper's playing and the
sincerity of the compositions themselves.
The CD begins with "Worldscapes"
which is "a hopeful clarion call for global unity" according to
Cooper. The other pieces I have included in the amphitheater are "Autumn
Tears", "Advancing Moors" and "Light On The Water"
(for which there is a video on this site). The whole album is good, but
these tracks exemplify an artist in reflection. They have an introspective
ambient-like quality but the music never aimlessly drones. Some of the pieces
on "Light On The Water" were simply a sudden musical expression
being entirely created at the very instant of recording it. This method
totally captures the emotions of the artist at the moment.
This is a fine album. Autumnal and
somber in feel due to the nature of the incident this music surrounds so
wonderfully, "Light On The Water" is a successful creation by
an artist who has essentially laid bare his soul to the world.
You may purchase "Light On The
Water" at Amazon or CD Baby.
Mainly Piano Reviews:
Light On the Water
Timothy Cooper
2008 / New-Piano-Age Music
57.2 minutes
"Light On the Water" is
one of two solo piano CDs released simultaneously by Timothy Cooper (the
other is "East Winds"). Dedicated to the victims of 9/11 and recorded
on a concert grand piano, the nineteen pieces on this album are improvisational
compositions that are introspective, a bit on the dark side, and very intimate.
Where the pieces on "East Wind" were mostly very short, these
are somewhat longer and more developed, with time to explore the various
themes that involve nature and aspects of the human experience while reflecting
on the events of that fateful day. Each of these freeform gems is unique
yet becomes part of a beautiful whole, creating a mood that stays fairly
consistent throughout the album. Most of the music is on the quiet side
with no flash or harshness although some of the harmony is unusual in places.
Several of these pieces have more energy than those on "East Wind,"
but none of them is flamboyant. Somewhat edgy and deeply personal, Timothy
Cooper brings a fresh new voice to the solo piano genre.
The CD opens with one of two versions
of "Worldscapes," a piece with a gently rocking rhythm on the
left hand and a more improvised, freeform right hand. Both peaceful and
questioning, it's an auspicious beginning. "Solar Nights"
is very atmospheric - mysterious with a feeling of vast open space. "Soundings"
is one of my favorites, exploring a variety of musical moods that are mostly
calming, but become stormy and dark in places. "Curve of Madness"
is more turbulent and agitated, as its title implies, but is beautiful in
its own way. "Open Soul" is one of the more melodic pieces, beginning
with a whisper and building with the variations on the melody - richly compelling.
"A Quiet Urgency" is more energetic, but doesn't lose the
peaceful mood of the album. The title track is another favorite with its
grace and hypnotic flow. (There is a music video of this piece on Cooper's
website www.new-piano-age.com.)
"Glad Sorrows" reflects the strange mix of emotions we all felt
in the weeks following 9/11. I also really like "Ribbons of Starlight,"
a gorgeous piece full of longing and hope. "Advent" is a lovely
theme for that most-forgiving season of the year. Pensive and intimate,
it brings the CD to a quiet close.
"Light On the Water" is
excellent from start to finish. Edgy and experimental, this is music captured
at the moment of its creation, inspired by events that changed all of our
lives forever. It is available from www.new-piano-age.com,
amazon.com, cdbaby.com,
and iTunes. Recommended!
Kathy Parsons
MainlyPiano.com
New Age Reporter Review:
87 Microphones
I listened to Timothy Cooper's
two albums, Light on the Water and East Wind fifteen times. That is a total
of fifty-nine solo piano tracks times.. well, you do the math. It took a
while to do it and I am the better for it. And I would not hesitate to do
it again. I like Timothy's no nonsense improvisational style. His approach
is clear and clean just like water, and just as life giving to the spirit.
I got to wondering if he writes music that way I write reviews. The first
impression is the impression that usually lasts. His track titles are plain
and on point. He is a musical interpreter. His style suggests "This
is what I saw and this is what I wrote." Now for some of those 59 tracks.
I realized that each of Timothy's
tracks is like a short poem. They are definitely more than haiku and even
more than quatrains, but with periods of activity and quiescence. If music
can be complicated and simple at the same time, than this is it.
From the album of the same name,
the track East Wind opens the recording with a slightly tempestuous score.
It is not a violent storm, but a blustery omen. As the saying goes, "It
is an ill wind that blows no one any good."
The tune Silent Stream by its very
title is a bit ironic, but the sense is one of gentleness and peace. It
is perhaps one of the best of the thirty tracks on the CD. The gentle flow
winds down and around your mind, drawing you in for a cooling respite. The
song segues nicely into Bird Flight. It is a small, brave bird that challenges
the forces of nature in this warm, melodic poem. The reward is the ability
to fly high above the earth and be master of all below if only for a short
while.
I liked the title Holding Sway. Although
the wording is antiquated, the sentiment is timely. You can be influenced
by many things. Today it is mostly the media. Fortunately, in this case
it is Timothy's music. We are invited to stop and smell the roses, carpe
the diem, and live life to the fullest. Geologically, the extent of a human
life on planet Earth is but a wink and a nod to a mountain.
Dawn of Time is the best of the best
from the album. We hear no seismic upheaval, nor any volcanic explosions
within, but merely a breath of life from Mother Earth. It is a song of awakening,
of birth and of knowledge.
On the whole, I found Light on the
Water to be a bit more somber than East Wind, but every artist has a serious
period. Worldscapes is the first cut on the recording. It is a globetrotting
journey that encompasses East and West in a contemporary style. There is
a sense of water, of oceans to be crossed and mountains to be scaled and
every corner to be explored. It is a good beginning.
The track called Rising piqued my
interest. It is musically, a complex ordeal of strong piano and stronger
melody. If you pardon the pun, it was too dark to represent the sun rising,
but then I thought of a lonely soul rising from the darkness. That made
more sense.
On the tune Curve of Madness I wondered
on what stormy night Timothy gave life to the song. Some many times we come
so close to the edge and never realize what will happen if we fall. This
song is a man stepping off with one foot while the other remains on solid
ground, but not for long. One of my favorites for its emotional potency.
87 microphones is the number it took
to make the recordings, a quantity noteworthy in itself somewhat like the
generous amount of tracks on the collections. Both albums, East Wind and
Light on the Water offer a plethora of emotionally charged tunes that will
suit any mood or perhaps stimulate the change of one. I liked both CDs and
several times played one right after the other for a lengthy session with
my inner self. I was rewarded every time.
Rating: Very Good
- reviewed by RJ Lannan on 5/23/2008
Title: Light On The Water by Timothy Cooper
Story Type: CD Review. July 2008
Deck: IF YOU LIKE SOLO ACOUSTIC GRAND
PIANO, TRY TIMOTHY COOPER
TIMOTHY COOPER LIGHT ON THE WATER
This is instrumental solo piano music so there is not too much to talk about
musically. He uses his left hand primarily to play rhythm and his right
hand to explore melodies improvisationally. It's pretty, inventive,
fairly soft and perfect background for your next small gathering of friends.
But it is far more interesting to talk about Timothy Cooper himself. He
should have included some biographical material in the CD! Cooper creates
thought-provoking art in several fields. In addition to being a pianist
and composer, he is a novelist, photographer and film-maker. His first novel,
World One, was about "nuclear war with a happy ending when the entire
planet finally learns to live together in peace." His second novel,
2008, deals with Jesus Christ returning to earth and running for President.
"This time around instead of being a religious leader he becomes a
politician. It's a comedy." With his visual art, Cooper has created
his Worldlights collection (www.world-lights.com),
photographs taken all over the world showing the globalization of culture
and the exultation of commercialism. The photos are placed in large-format
lightbox triptychs that emphasize light and shadow "to symbolize the
dramatic tension between consumerism and humanism, and the diminishing of
individualism." Cooper also has long been involved with film-making
and his most recent projects (from his company Freedom's Gate Films)
are three documentaries on human rights (including "China Rising").
On top of all these artistic endeavors, Cooper also works as an advocate
for world human rights by heading up the Worldrights organization in Washington,
DC. (www.worldrights.org).
This guy considers his music as just one more thing he can do to try to
make the world a better place. Great concept! What will he think of next?
A bridge of art from Alaska across the water to the Soviet Union? A choir
made up of political prisoners around the world? A political novel teaching
the old axioms that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"?
Whatever Timothy Cooper gets into, it appears it will probably be fascinating
and will undoubtedly make us think. Light on the Water is available at www.new-piano-age.com,
www.cdbaby.com, www.amazon.com,
and www.iTunes.com.