Autumn Days

Travel from summer woodlands to distant shores via far Eastern temples, Spanish castles and tranquil North American lakes. Autumn Days features the sounds of flutes from around the world, dreamy autoharp, ambient guitars, soprano sax and soft percussion, blended with the sounds of nature and the sea. Gently energizing, this album is ideal for entertaining, or for the therapist at the end of a hard day!

Tracks include: Pastures Green and The Golden Temple by John Hackett; Across the Tides and Alhambra by John Hackett and Clive Williamson; Earth Chant and Bahia Nova. Joining John, Clive and guitarist Richard Bolton are the guest musicians: Ian Ritchie (soprano sax); Rupert Flindt (fretless bass); Michele Drees (percussion including shakers, bongos and surdo drum); Ashley Drees (mbira and anklung) and Emily Sinclair (flute and voice).

Listen now to these tracks:
Bahia Nova, Alhambra, Breathless, Earth Chant

CD now only: £9.95 (plus £1.50 World-wide Postage and Packing)

Available World-wide from iTunes ...
Click here to listen or download:

The iTunes 2007 edition has new cover art (see right) and four bonus tracks:
The Wind Cries Mary (written by Jimi Hendrix); Sergeant Early's Dream (Trad. arr. Ashley Drees); Born to Synthesize (written by Todd Rundgren); Dreamtime / Crossing the Silver Sea (Concert Version)

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The music on Autumn Days and Dancing in Your Dreams is inspired by live performances and concerts given by Symbiosis at Festivals for Mind-Body-Spirit in London and Sydney, The Open Centre (New York) and at Rudolph Steiner House, Cecil Sharp House and Swedenborg Hall in London:

Symbiosis at Rudolph Steiner House
Reviewed by John Saxby

Hay-fever and a cold combined did not put me in the ideal state of mind to enjoy a concert, but it says much for Symbiosis that I left Rudolph Steiner House feeling a great deal better than I did when I arrived. Their performance has a relaxed professionalism and a variety that so many New Age concerts lack – no doubt due to the fact that Symbiosis extend their musical range far beyond what is usually understood by the term “New Age”. Jazz standards rub shoulders with Hendrix songs and the group’s original compositions – of which Dreamtime and Crossing the Silver Sea from their new album Touching the Clouds were particularly evocative.

Between them, the four members of Symbiosis play electric, acoustic and Spanish guitars, flutes (including ethnic flutes), cittern, mandolin, African pot - and other percussion, wind synthesizer, keyboards and voice, and all are exploited to the full to give colour and variety to the music. Nor are they afraid of rhythm, moving easily from the tranquil Wrapped in Evening Mists to the Latin American rhythms of Layers of Shade, and ending with a kind of eastern funk (entitled Sesamum Seed and Rice) which had the audience shouting for more – and this after two hours of music! How many New Age groups can you think of which can sustain an audience’s interest and enthusiasm for even half that time?

Symbiosis are calming, uplifting and exhilarating by turns and, above all, musical: John Hackett is a classically trained flautist; Richard Bolton (guitars) is also classically trained (on cello!) and Ashley Drees is an accomplished folk musician, playing cittern, mandolin and percussion. Clive Williamson, the group’s leader, is aptly summed up in the words of the Todd Rundgren song that he sang superbly: “I was born to synthesize”. Somehow he takes all this diversity and weaves it all together.

On this occasion, extra colour was added – both musically and visually – by the striking figure of Maloviere, performing a short set of his own on recorders, violin and tsimbala to great effect, and joining the group on violin for the finale. Spread the word; and see them if you can. Symbiosis are exceptional.

After the interval came Symbiosis. Musically, this was the highlight of the evening. Clive Williamson (flute, vocals etc.), John Hackett (flute) and Richard Bolton (guitar) made up the group. The space and textures of the music were breathtaking. Even a version of Jimi Hendrix's 'The Wind Cries Mary' was stamped with their style. The final piece, by John Hackett ('Freefall'), was the best. It featured Clive playing keyboards to a beautiful melody from the flute with acoustic guitar notes weaving in between. Every piece of music came over clearly and simply, showing Symbiosis' mastery of ‘the spaces in between’: Excellent.
(by Nigel Shaw for SOUNDWAVES Incorporating the New Age Music Association newsletter)