Asia Beauty

Asia Beauty
Studio album
Released 2015
Recorded Kuhl Music, Canterbury Music, Glenn Gould Studio
Genre Instrumental, world, new-age, classical
Length 74:00
Label Humbledragon
Producer Ron Korb

Asia Beauty is a 2015 studio album by Canadian flutist (flautist) and composer Ron Korb,.[1] The compositions are the culmination of Korb’s experience of 13 years of travelling and performing in Asia.

Asia Beauty was nominated for Best New Age Album at the 58th Grammy Awards, to be held 16 February 2016.[2]

Background

Asia Beauty is a recipient of FACTOR juried sound recording program and was released through Humbledragon Entertainment. The album consists of 19 tracks with 3 bonus tracks, composed and produced by Ron Korb, and packaged as a 36-page picture story book with CD. The photography, mostly taken by the composer’s photographer wife, is all original from the fascinating places Korb has personally visited.

Korb’s Asia Beauty sweeps the listener into a world of imagination. This instrumental album travels from the sultry cafés of Vietnam in Hanoi Café to ancient palaces in The House of the Five Beauties to the bamboo forests of Taiwan in Blue Bamboo to the spectacular terraces in China in Two Mountains. Dramatic melodies are brought to life by the fascinating sounds of the traditional Chinese instruments: dizi, erhu, pipa, yangqin, guzheng and the 5000 year old guqin. Other rare Chinese woodwinds showcased include bawu (folk clarinet), xun (ceramic vessel flute), and dadi (bass bamboo flute). The album was recorded in Kuhl Music, Canterbury Music, and Glenn Gould Studio (Canadian Broadcasting Centre), and mastered in Lacquer Channel Mastering, Toronto, Canada. Brilliant performances by Korb and a stellar cast of Canadian musicians who complement the talented cast of Toronto Chinese traditional instrumentalists.

Awards

Track listing

The album consists of 19 tracks, all composed and produced by Ron Korb, with additional 3 bonus tracks.

No. Title Length
1. "Hanoi Café"   4:11
2. "Journey Begins"   2:59
3. "Forbidden Love"   3:26
4. "Ancient China Prelude"   0:36
5. "Ancient China"   4:06
6. "Children’s Jig"   2:39
7. "House of the Five Beauties Prelude"   0:43
8. "House of the Five Beauties"   4:13
9. "Two Mountains"   3:09
10. "Magic Sleep"   7:56
11. "Palace Garden"   4:16
12. "Little Jade"   2:53
13. "The Beautiful Sadness"   3:59
14. "The Reed Cave"   2:42
15. "Joyful Rain Prelude"   0:28
16. "Joyful Rain"   3:09
17. "Blue Bamboo Prelude"   0:40
18. "Blue Bamboo"   3:59
19. "Country Life"   4:33

Personnel

Critical reception

'Ron Korb's astonishing flute prowess is gorgeously expanded by an immaculately conceived assemblage of small-group arrangements, making the entire album a stunning achievement.' -Akademia Awards[3]

'This ambitious new recording further confirms Korb’s flawless reputation. Asia Beauty is beautiful and satisfying on many levels.' ~Lise Watson, T’was Magazine[4]

'Ron’s flute playing is extraordinary, and his compositions are exceptionally crafted. Regardless of the flute type that he plays, Ron has a special finesse that enables him to transcend earthly bounds, to swoop on the ethereal wind currents of musical bliss. Ron is one of today’s finest, most remarkable world flutists. His presence on the Ten Best Flute Players in the World list is truly deserved.' ~ Overtones Magazine[5]

'Asia Beauty is about as essential a world music album as you are likely to hear this year (and likely this decade, too) and it represents a high point in Ron Korb's already impressive discography.' ~Bill Binkelman, Win and Wire[6]

'This unique musical blending of East and West is exquisitely composed, arranged, and performed. I highly recommend getting the album in CD form as the artwork, photos, and packaging add another dimension to this masterful multi-media presentation.'~ Michael Diamond, Music and Media Focus[7]

'This is a unique and beautiful album for many reasons. One could even call it an interdisciplinary album. The CD combines storytelling, poetry and beautiful visuals as well as the expertly played music.' ~The Flute View, New York[8]

'Asia Beauty is a multi layered ride of music and emotion and a chance to hear instruments you don’t normally hear played by masters. This album will take you to places you’ll want to revisit and you can simply by playing it again and again. Bravo Ron Korb.' ~Cashbox Magazine Canada[9]

'Both Eastern and Western musical currents are part of who Ron Korb is as a musician and as a man. He has totally assimilated the musical language of both traditions'~The WholeNote[10]

'Filled with an entertaining mix of exotic musical instruments and Asian music sounds, Asia Beauty is one of the finest contemporary crossover instrumental CD releases of 2015.'~Robert Silverstein[11]

'Each of the compositions, while individual, combines to bring a rich and intimate window that draws the traveller into the wonderful kaleidoscopic world that is Asia.'~Blue Wolf Reviews, Australia[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Ron Korb Official Website".
  2. ↑ "58TH Grammy Award Nominees".
  3. ↑ "The Akademia Awards".
  4. ↑ "T’was Magazine".
  5. ↑ "World Flute Society".
  6. ↑ "Wind and Wire: REVIEW: Ron Korb - Asia Beauty".
  7. ↑ "Asia Beauty by Ron Korb, Music and Media Focus".
  8. ↑ "Asia Beauty by Ron Korb, The Flute View".
  9. ↑ "Ron Korb Asia Beauty,Cashbox Magazine Canada".
  10. ↑ "Ron Korb Asia Beauty - The WholeNote by Allan Pulker".
  11. ↑ "RON KORB - Asia Beauty - CD/DVD Reviews by Robert Silverstein".
  12. ↑ "RON KORB - Asia Beauty Review by Janet Mawdesly".
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, March 18, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.