CD Review of...
Charlene Lockwood
Flickering Images
By Sharon Chapman
"Flickering Images" is Charlene Lockwood's debut CD. Although Lockwood's music is often described as New Age, which is basically the default category for music that people can't easily categorize, the artist considers her music to be "Neo-Romantic, Contemporary Classical."
Lockwood composed the music for "Flickering Images" and played piano on the CD; her writing partner, Edward O'Neill Hoyt, wrote the lyrics for the CD's three vocal pieces. The title "Flickering Images" comes from Lockwood's inspiration for her music -- "It's like a movie reel runs in my head. I see an image, and write the music."
These images have resulted in a lovely CD of lyrical music. The music is piano-based and reasonably unprocessed, allowing each of the contributing instruments to stand out and be heard. One instrumental contribution of note is that of violinist Janice Martin, who plays on "Another Carmen," "Pastorale" and "Earley Rising." Martin has performed as a concerto soloist with orchestras around the world, and her virtuosity adds to the richness of this CD.
The music itself is diverse -- while some of it is a throwback to the romantic piano composers of the Nineteenth Century, other influences such as bluegrass and bolero can be found on the CD, and "Barley" is a contemporary composition. One selection that is particularly appropriate for the holiday season is "The Shepherd's Carol," which is a haunting and charming Christmas carol with a folk-inspired feel to it. "Winter Garden" is another December piece, with still spaces between the notes that reflect the icy stillness of winter.
These last two songs help make "Flickering Images" a wonderful holiday gift or stocking stuffer for people who enjoy innovative piano music. "Flickering Images" is available in several Washington, DC area establishments. For those who do not reside near the Nation's Capital, "Flickering Images" can be sampled and downloaded on Lockwood's website, http://www.charlenelockwood.com/, and the CD may be purchased online at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/charlenelockwood Her music is also downloadable on all major music sites.