PRESS: BEYOND THE WAVES
For Immediate Release
ANN LICATER THE AWARD-WINNING RECORDING ARTIST & WORLD FLUTIST SOARS ‘BEYOND THE WAVES’ ON HER FOURTH ALBUM, AN EXPANSIVE, ENSEMBLE-DRIVEN MUSICAL JOURNEY FEATURING GUEST ARTISTS SCARLET RIVERA, PETER PHIPPEN, DAN FERGUSON, ARIELLE, ARNAÉ BATSON AND DAVID DiLULLO Blending Her Wood, Silver, and Alto Flutes with Piano, Guitar, Bass, World Percussion, Violin and Subtle Vocal Textures, The California-based Musician and “Flute for the Soul” Workshop Leader Creates Internal “Traveling Meditations” Perfect for Relaxation, Rejuvenation and Inner Reflection. Los Angeles, CA (April 8, 2016) -- Nine years after her breakthrough debut solo flute recording Following the Call made her an internationally-acclaimed artist, award-winning world musician, composer and producer Ann Licater continues to transcend the boundaries of contemporary instrumental new age music while creating intimate, soul-to-soul experiences. Beyond the Waves released today via the artist’s own label, Cul de Sac Mystic Productions (www.annlicater.com). Beyond The Waves, her fourth full-length release, takes listeners on a soothing journey of soulful traveling meditations designed to open doors to deeper personal spiritual experiences. From the opening gentle strains of “Rhythm of the Stars” through the lush and haunting meditational flow of the closing piece, “Ocean Lullaby,” the 12-track collection is artfully designed to enhance the listener’s well-being, promoting relaxation, rejuvenation and inner reflection. About her work, Licater shares, "My passion is creating relaxation music that people can use for self-reflection and inner journeying. This album has more layers which is intended to move the listener to deeper places while opening them up to experiencing an expansive awareness. Each track is carefully placed in an order that supports a 55-minute, 'traveling meditation for well-being.'" Beyond The Waves takes Licater and listeners beyond this realm with pristinely-recorded tracks (a hallmark of her recordings) that have powerful mainstream crossover potential. The title song “Beyond The Waves” has a Van Morrison mystic soul vibe, while “Halcyon Morning” taps into new age/pop and “Sailing on Moonlight” floats on the edge of Keith Jarrett-influenced jazz with the beautiful trio interaction of Ferguson’s lush piano, Phippen’s acoustic bass and Licater’s lead Native American and alto flutes. In addition, her guest artists come from a multitude of genres, including classical, blues, country, pop, folk and EDM (DJ Bander, who contributes synth programming to “Rhythm of the Stars”). Beyond the rich arrangements, Licater also goes deeper than ever emotionally, creating a powerful flute and violin dynamic with Rivera on “Dancing in Time” and allowing her bamboo flute to say “hello” and “goodbye” in the same breaths. Licater calls Beyond the Waves a “traveling meditation” because the music takes the listener to multiple places in the imagination – from the cosmos (“Rhythm of the Stars”) to the depths of the sea (“Ocean Lullaby”). While her second and third recordings (Doorway To A Dream and Invitation From Within) featured instrumentation, Licater’s latest work is a fresh approach, a conceptually expansive, dynamically arranged ensemble work with touches of jazz, new age and world music. She builds emotional breadth beyond the core ancient sounds of her trademark Native American flutes, including modern silver and alto flutes on selected tracks with piano, guitar, world percussion, bass, synth, violin and vocal layers. Guest artists include violinist Scarlet Rivera (Bob Dylan, Indigo Girls); GRAMMY®-nominated Peter Phippen, who plays bass on select tracks and also performs Shakuhachi flute in a duet with Licater’s Native American Flute on “Echoes in the Mist”; GRAMMY®-winning arranger and multi-instrumentalist Dan Ferguson (Sonny & Cher, Joan Baez); vocalist Arielle (featured at 2016 SXSW); GRAMMY®-nominated vocalist Arnaé Batson (India.Arie, Chaka Khan); and world percussionist David DiLullo, who runs the largest recurring drum circle in the San Francisco Bay Area. Beyond The Waves was produced by Licater, Ferguson, Phippen and Ivar Lunde, Jr. A former principal oboist of the Norwegian National Opera, Lunde also engineered and contributed synth programming. Lee Starkey, music buyer for East West Bookshop in Mountain View, CA, commented on the album, saying, “Ann Licater seems to draw from the sound field of Mother Earth, vital sonic refreshments for our ancestral ear.” Licater’s recordings are staples on Spa channels for Sirius XM, and Music Choice’s Soundscapes and on the streaming and music discovery channels Pandora, Spotify and Apple Music. Her work has been recognized by Amazon music editors (Top Ten Best New Age Album) and ZMR Music Awards (Best Relaxation Album). Her music is featured in-flight entertainment on Cathay Pacific Airlines and Virgin Airlines in the “Well-Being” and “Relaxation” categories. International performances include Carnegie Hall and the Awakened World Conference in Italy, and Sound Body, Sound Mind Specialty Week at Rancho La Puerta Spa in Tecaté, Mexico. On Beyond the Waves, the artist uses her flutes as guides for a unique trip through time, space, water and the stars – an emotionally resonant experience that demands multiple listens from beginning to end. The album removes listeners from their world and sends them onto the slipstreams of her signature sound, which has long carried people to unknown places in the soul and safely brought them back refreshed and rejuvenated from experiencing a deeper place within. For more information about Ann Licater’s music, workshops or performances, please visit www.annlicater.com. Requests for Radio Airplay copies may be directed to Ann Licater at: ann@fluteforthesoul.com. Please direct Publicity & Media Relations inquiries to Beth Ann Hilton, The B Company, 310-560-8390 or bethhilton@theBcompany.com Connect with Ann Licater: AnnLicater.com CuldeSacMystic.com FluteForTheSoul.com facebook.com/AnnLicater twitter.com/AnnLicater twitter.com/FluteForTheSoul |
Ann Licater's Select List of Appearances for
Beyond the Waves Launch --East West Bookshop (Mountain View, CA) April 9, 2016 --MoonFyre Metaphysical (Campbell, CA) April 10, 2016 -- Interview on Word of Mom Radio (Global/online) April 19, 2016. Listen to the archives at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/…/award-winning-artist-ann-lic… --Agape International Spiritual Center-After Service at the Artist Corner (Culver City, CA) April 24, 2016 --KSBR-88.5 The Morning Breeze hosted by Donna Thornton, In-studio Interview (Dana Point, CA) May 7, 2016 8 AM --Agape International Spiritual Center-After Service at the Artist Corner (Culver City, CA) May 18, 2016 --Agape International Spiritual Center-After Service at the Artist Corner (Culver City, CA) June 12, 2016 -- Interview with Terry Hawke on Harborough FM Radio (U.K./Global/online) July 16, 2016. Beyond the Waves Reviews4/6/2016 Review of Beyond the Waves by Liz Doan, Music Buyer- Music Design
“For a musician, when it comes to naming their work of art and finding the right cover image to convey their musical message... that has to be everything. With Ann Licater's newest release, she totally hit the mark! Just look at this cover and envision "beyond the waves" and you will hear her most beautiful release to date. As the subtitle says, this album truly is "a soulful flute journey." Sit back and relax yourself into a soulful, musical journey with BEYOND THE WAVES. This artfully-recorded collection of contemporary instrumental compositions by award-winning flutist Ann Licater offers a fresh and pristine sound with influences of new age, jazz and world music. Silver, alto and wood flutes blend beautifully with piano, guitar, bass, percussion, violin and soft vocal layers creating a refreshing, traveling meditation for well-being. This album, like her previous recordings is perfect for relaxation, rejuvenation and inner reflection. Let the waves carry you away and beyond.” 4/3/2016 by Lee Starkey, East West Magazine “Like taking deep, rejuvenating breaths of clear mountain, desert, and ocean breeze airs, Beyond the Waves offers for our increasingly complicated worlds, a serene series of soulful musical interludes. Award-winning recording artist, Ann Licater, along with a multi-talented group of superb musicians, have created what might well be her most beautiful mind and spirit healing album to date. As in her previous highly acclaimed recordings, Doorway to a Dream, Following the Call and Invitation from Within, Beyond the Waves features a wondrous variety of handcrafted Native American flutes, along with Alto and Silver flutes, all performed with great sensitivity and reverence. Resonances of Ann Licater's lineage as a student of the great Navajo-Ute flutist, R. Carlos Nakai, can be heard in every song. Ann's inspired compositions are here masterfully accompanied by piano and other keyboards, world percussion, violin, wind chimes, soft, vocal layers, guitar and both acoustic and electric bass. Together, they artfully craft what's been called a “traveling meditation for well-being”. With her inspired ensemble, Ann Licater seems to draw from the sound field of Mother Earth vital sonic refreshments for our ancestral ear. One might hear the distant starlight sparkles of deep desert night. Or the gentle swaying of willow song by a timeless spring. Or the wise lapping of Autumn's great river journey to the sea. And perhaps, even the subtle, miraculous rhythms of our Beloved's resting heart. Now, just put on Beyond the Waves; simply listen...and breathe.” |
