Jon Young Thropugh Native Eyes

Treasure (2007). David Helpling and Jon Jenkins are both veterans of ambient electronic music. Deep spaces punctuated by powerful grooves make this album a rewarding listening experience that is beyond words. Travel into the deep and discover the magic and wonder of treasure. The Crossing (2010). Since the release of their first collaboration, Treasure, David Helpling and Jon Jenkins have spent the past two years in the depths of deep exile carefully crafting a new recording, and are now ready to resurface with The Crossing. With this collaboration, Helpling and Jenkins embark on a fresh sonic expedition - a cinematic, powerful and deeply melodic triumph that lifts their music to new heights. More than just a follow-up to Treasure, The Crossing is a climb, a challenge and most of all a continuation of the journey; a deliberate sequel that launches from the very place that Treasure so gently released the listener three years earlier.

Jon Anderson's voice immersed in South American music might seem an unlikely match, but the rich and vibrant tones of Deseo provide a strikingly fresh setting for the singer. Augmented by well-known artists from across South and Latin America, the Yes vocalist seems content to recede into the background on many of the tracks, retaining a native flavor with stellar cameos from Maria Conchita Alonso, Boca Livre, Milton Nascimento, and many others. The songs, which generally clock in around three-and-a-half minutes, are warm and upbeat, mixing English, Portuguese, and Spanish vocals with propulsive percussion, acoustic guitars, bass, and synthesizers. The melodies are lovely and atmospheric, uncomplicated but evocative…

A concept album, Jon Anderson's (Yes) "Toltec" is made up of 13 cuts divided into three parts. It tells the tale of the Toltec, a Native American concept of a group of people who have been all over the Earth, existing within different cultures throughout the centuries. They are described in the liner as "Creators of the circles of power, color, perfume, and music healing domes." Musically, this one is arguably Anderson's most ambitious solo effort. It is set in a style that is definitely progressive rock, but focuses less on the rock and more on other elements. Among those elements are new age (no surprise as the CD was released on the Windham Hill label), world music, electronic, and even jazz. Anderson not only provided the expected vocals, but also wrote, arranged, and produced the disc…

Pianist-composer Yelena Eckemoff adds another link to her chain of thoughtful concept albums with Nocturnal Animals, which her own L&H Production imprint will release on January 24. True to its title, the double album features 14 musical impressions of the creatures that rule the night. The pieces are brought to life by a quartet that places Eckemoff alongside bassist Arild Andersen and drummers Jon Christensen and Thomas Strønen.