One of the more uplifting aspects of being a review publicist is getting to know many of the great artists producing music today on a personal level.  In a recent interview with a musician from the U.K. everyone had a chance to learn he had a recording audition during his interview at the record label music icons The Beatles had founded in 1968 called Apple Records.

Steve Orchard is the musician traveling that long and winding road to 54 St. James Street, London to Apple Records and this story is just one of many he shared during our interview together.  Everything has come together for Steve Orchard since today he is an MG Music Label artist and representative member of the Medwyn Goodall circle of friends highly revered for their outstanding music and integral voice each artist on the label is known for producing.

Steve Orchard is a multi instrumentalist composing and performing original music for many years on guitar, mandolin, harmonica, keyboards, piano and various skin drums.  His prior albums Voyages Beyond Midnight, Salt Water Café & The Consequences of Kisses are great albums too and some earlier songs reveal the fact that Steve is also a fine vocalist.

Sundancer is an emblematic second album in his Trilogy Series and just like first in series Raindancer, nicely reflects the rare qualities of relaxing yet energetic melodies that I felt achieve universal appeal.  Moondancer is the third album in the Trilogy Series, which makes this trio a well timed release during the 25 year anniversary events now taking place with Medwyn Goodall and the artists comprising the United Kingdom based MG Music Label.

Sundancer is a glowing accent to the Trilogy Series and where first in series Raindancer, with deeper tones and synthesized rhythms set the mood, Sundancer has a fun energetic symmetry and feel of Island music by a well placed illuminating atmosphere.  One element greatly uniting the two is their relaxing yet energetic qualities and multiphase array of percussion rhythms.

The first bold impression of beaming radiance appears in energy driven song Soar.  Percussion inscribes an upper tempo outline while keyboards and acoustic guitar imprint pleasing colors by their light but nicely melodic tempering while becoming your first indication the lively sun dancing theme is going to be fun and exciting.

 While Sundancer is centered by a primarily upper tempo and is full of energy set in motion by an array of percussion and instrumentals, there are plenty of laid back relaxing moments too and none more apparent in than what you will hear in Lagoon & Tethered.  This coequal ambiance with deeper rhythms during refrains are likewise found in the sultry oasis song Heat ! 

Many songs are layered midst more moderately timed tempos like Rainman, Unrepentant & Deadly Arrow, where an ensemble of percussion and steel drum accents prepare the harmonic profile for acoustic guitar, flute and keyboard contrasting melodies, with brighter phrasing infiltrating the deeper passages with full solid clarity.

Playing in the Sun & Borboletas are upper tempo songs with wood flute becoming the essential melody producer, and  where single or long drawn out notes are often heard from others playing either the woodwind instrument or by effect, here a free flowing multiple note melody backed by accordion, keyboards and percussion nicely balance the full of energy attribute.

Pacifica is the positive upbeat song rounding out the 11 total on Sundancer.  Knowing Steve Orchard is a bright and serious composer today as he was yesteryear, I’ve got a feeling he had composed Sundancer with a fun and energetic theme in mind all along which is like some of our other all time fun favorites, so for me this is what makes Steve Orchard’s releases memorable eight days a week.

Visit steveorchardmusic.co.uk to sample / purchase the album.  The Trilogy Series is also available in the brand new MG Music USB Format.  You can learn more about the USB Format at MG Music and then sample / purchase the entire Trilogy Series at mgmusic.ltd.uk.  Read our recent interview together on our pages dedicated to Steve Orchard.

Sundancer cover design copyright David Orchard. Picture copyright BigStockPhoto – Albo