Contains:
"Greensleeves 2012"
- taken from the Isadar solo piano collection, "O Christmas" (also available on SMP)

Sounds like: Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Liz Story's "The Gift," George Winston's "December," legacy Windham Hill solo piano artists, "A Winter's Solstice" compilations.

Note: ?Greensleeves 2012? is a revisited and evolved arrangement which like my earlier version, was inspired by ? and also pays ?homage? to ? Liz Story?s brilliant take on this timeless piece.

Transcribed by: David Shenton ( https://www.shentonmusic.com/ ) verbatim to the sound recording

Album review by: Michael Diamond (http://michaeldiamondmusic.com):

Fresh on the heels of his highly acclaimed chart-topping CD, Reconstructed, Isadar gifts us with a sparkling new album of holiday-themed instrumental music for solo piano, entitled ?O Christmas.? Given the proximity to his recent release, one might assume that this one was quickly produced, but in reality O Christmas has been 7 years in the making. Various circumstances including other recording projects, a segue into the field of video production, and a cross country move from NYC to the west coast and later back again, created delays with the completion of the album. But as they say, ?good things come to those who wait.?
One of the most interesting things about this album is the fact that the selections are traditional Christmas songs, yet some were chosen because they are less well known, or ?off the beaten path? as Isadar characterizes them. This follows the pattern set by his 1999 Christmas album ?In Search For The Meaning Of Christmas,? yet this new CD mines even deeper in its quest for interesting and unusual choices.

The album begins with a track called ?Good Christian Men.? Steeped in history, the song dates back to 14th century Germany and its Latin title was originally ?In Dulci Jubilo? before it was translated into English in the 1800?s. Isadar?s interpretation creates a lively and festive air that makes a perfect portal to the recording. The high-spirited mood continues on the next song, ?Teddy Bears Picnic,? which although not technically a Christmas song, has been interwoven by Isadar with ?March Of The Toys? to tie it in with the holidays ? a clever arrangement of these intriguing melodies. One of the more well-known carols on the album is ?O Christmas Tree? and is sure to have listeners humming along with it?s familiar refrain.

A track entitled ?Still? is an innovative rendition of the classic ?Still, Still, Still? which Isadar has put his own spin on, or as he jokingly puts it ?jazzed up shamelessly.? No such liberties were taken on the classic ?O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,? however. This song provides a showcase for Isadar?s accomplished grand piano work, featuring lush left hand arpeggios creating a strong foundation for his more delicate right hand melodies to dance upon ? a powerful and moving combination. Another of the less well known, yet equally inspiring tunes is a Puerto Rican carol entitled ?Song Of The Wise Men.? It has been said that: ?Christmas is, above all, a children?s holiday, and many hymns are addressed to children, reminding them that the real reason for the sugarplums and Christmas trees is the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child.? This theme is well reflected in Isadar?s choice of ?O Come Little Children,? based on a carol from the 1800?s.

Among my favorite tracks on the album are the wistful strains of ?Greensleeves 2012,? which Isadar interprets with elegance and grandeur and also pays ?homage? to Liz Story?s brilliant take on this enduring composition. This is followed by a rendition of ?Masters In This Hall,? which can best be described as, well? ?masterful.? The song dates back to the sixteenth century, and is another of the less well-known tunes that Isadar has chosen to feature. The album draws to a close with Isadar invoking artistic license on what is perhaps one of the most unique and liberal versions of a classic carol heard here yet. Based on ?We Wish You A Merry Christmas,? Isadar characterizes it as ?an uninhibited melancholy arrangement.? While I don?t know if ?melancholy? is the word I would use to describe it, it does have a pensive quality and is presented more as a nocturne than usual lively carol it is known as. I really liked the interpretation and respect Isadar?s creativity and distinctive rendering of the song.

?O Christmas? is an exceptional holiday collection, not only for Isadar?s elegant grand piano artistry, but as well for the interesting and sometimes unexpected repertoire contained within. Like ornaments on a tree, the songs adorn the album, enhancing its beauty with their diversity, individuality, and timelessness. Given the well-deserved accolades and popularity of Isadar?s distinctive piano style, I?m sure that fans will want to include ?O Christmas? in their collection and make it a part of their holiday tradition.

Healing Hearts 3
Louis Landon
2016 / Landon Creative, Inc.
63 minutes
Review by Kathy Parsons
Louis Landon?s Healing Hearts 3 is the third in a series of solo piano albums that are comprised of improvisations that were created while clients were in session at his Healing Piano of Sedona (AZ). These sixty-minute healing and music sessions consist of forty minutes of mentoring and twenty minutes of music that includes personalized music for the client?s own use. Landon created Healing Piano of Sedona several years ago to help people live life joyously, passionately, and stress- and disease-free. Landon is a Steinway Artist who has been a life-long musician. Healing Hearts 3 is his twenty-first album and fourteenth solo piano collection. Each of the thirteen pieces on the album was inspired by a different ?soul journey,? so the music is quite varied although it maintains a very calming and peaceful vibe throughout.

It is interesting to note that Healing Hearts 3 has the closest to the ideal sound Landon has been looking for on his recordings. He attributes that achievement to the mastering and editing expertise of Joe Bongiorno of Piano Haven Studio, also in Sedona. Landon has been trying to get the sound of a classical concert hall in his Peace Palace studio recordings and this album definitely has that sound, which is exceptionally beautiful - clear, warm and resonant.

Healing Hearts 3 begins with ?Standing In the Light,? a softly flowing piece with a poignant melody that gently soothes the heart - a favorite. ?Heart Song? is hushed, intimate and obviously very personal. ?Triumph of the Soul? starts out in the deep bass of the piano - very dark and lost. As the piece evolves, it gradually lightens as it moves up the piano keyboard, ending in a very positive place. I?ve often said that the piano is the best instrument to express the sound and feeling of rain and ?Night Rain? proves that point again. More energetic than most of the other tracks, the notes flow freely: sometimes smoothly and evenly, sometimes more percussive like big fat raindrops - love it! ?Tears? is heartbreak set to music, although tears are so often a big part of the healing process. Such deep emotion is expressed in this piece! Landon wisely follows sadness with ?Happy Man,? a lively slice of pianistic sunshine. ?Phoenix Rising? begins in the deep bass of the piano, obviously signifying a very dark place or crisis. Over the course of the composition, there is turmoil and pain, but then Landon gradually moves the piece into the upper end of the piano to a much lighter and more peaceful place - a stunning piece! ?Healing Time? is gently uplifting and so soothing and serene that I can actually feel it melting away tension - another favorite. ?Music Runs Through Me? flows quickly like a stream with sparkles of sunlight dancing happily on its surface. ?Balance? returns to a calm stillness that comes when things/life are in balance. Slow, lyrical and very peaceful, it?s the perfect closing for another great album from Louis Landon!

I have thoroughly enjoyed all three Healing Hearts albums, but I think #3 is my favorite. It is available from LouisLandon.com, Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby. Very highly recommended!
November 4, 2016

Recorded at The Peace Palace, Sedona, AZ, from November 2015 to February 2016. on a Steinway B.

Music mastering: Joe Bongiorno at Piano Haven Studio, Sedona, AZ



Louis Landon is a composer and Steinway artist. Formerly of New York and currently living in Sedona, Arizona, Louis has dedicated his life to music. His career has taken him around the world playing a variety of styles with some of the most recognized names in the entertainment industry. He toured nationally and internationally, playing classical music for Mikhail Baryshnikov; jazz fusion with The John Payne Band; Latin music with "Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers?; pop music with Rupert "Pina Colada Song" Holmes; and rock & roll with John Hall, opening for "Little Feat?.

Louis began playing the piano by ear at 4 years old and began lessons at 5. As a teenager, he played guitar and keyboard in bands and went on to study music at Stony Brook University, Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music.

For the past 30 years, through his production company, Landon Music Company, Louis has written and produced music for film, video, and commercials. He recorded his first original album, Love Songs & Jazz, in 1994 and has since released 38 Albums/CDs on the LCI Record label. His latest, entitled Provocative Piano, was released on January 29, 2021. He has just finished up yet another solo piano album, Nighttime Piano for Relaxation and Deep Sleep, with a release date of April 23, 2021.

Louis Landon mission:

To create a more compassionate world by writing, recording and performing music that inspires love, peace, joy and gratitude.

Reviews:

?While some pianists are virtuosos in their playing and others may not be as technically proficient, but have great emotional content in their music, Louis Landon brings it all together with impeccable style and grace. His work covers diverse compositional terrain, incorporating influences of classical, new age, jazz, pop, and more in a mellifluous spectrum of moods and musical colors.? Michaeldiamondmusic.com

"He has a gift for composition that is second to none." Zone Music Reporter

"? indeed meditative and mellow, [he] sacrifices no musical rigor to achieve those ends. With backgrounds in jazz, Latin music, rock, pop, film composing, and classical piano, Louis brings his breadth and depth of experience to bear here. His playing and compositions are sensitive as they are complex and? a diverse range of influences is more than apparent.? Keyboard Magazine

Recognition:

Louis Landon's music has had over 140 million streams on Pandora radio!

Louis Landon's music has had over 34 million streams on Spotify!

Thanksgiving Piano was nominated for Album of the Year 2020 by Whisperings Radio.

Departure - Solo Piano was nominated for Album of the Year 2017 by Whisperings Radio.

Healing Hearts 2 - Solo Piano won 2016 ?Contemporary and Modern? Album of the Year at solo piano.com and was nominated for Album of the Year at Enlightened Piano Radio, also in 2016.

Healing Hearts - Solo Piano was nominated for Album of the Year at Whisperings Radio 2015.

Solo Piano for Love, Peace & Mermaids was nominated for Album of the Year at Whisperings Radio 2010.

Solo Piano for Peace was nominated for the 2009 ZMR Music Awards in three categories: Album of the Year, Best Instrumental Album - piano, and Best Cover Art by Zone Music Reporter. Solo Piano for Peace was listed at #30 of the top 100 albums for airplay in 2009 by Zone Music Reporter.

Peace Revolution! was Louis Landon's 7th CD and 2nd solo piano CD. It was #7 on the NAR top 100 charts and was played on over 50 stations worldwide.

unwind charted at #3 of the top 100 cds for the month of February, 2006 on Zone Music Reporter's website, playing on over 121 stations internationally.

Visit LouisLandon.com for bookings, CDs, sheet music, contact info and more.