SHIRLEY CASON

A Summer Dream

Rainbow Lakes Records (2002)

review by Bill Binkelman

Reviewing a CD that is obviously quite personal and openly emotional for the artist, as is the case with Shirley Cason's A Summer Dream, is difficult because, frankly, it's impossible to be as objective as a critic should be (provided one has any feelings, that is). A Summer Dream is dedicated to (and more or less themed around) Shirley's sister, Carol, who passed away in the summer of 1998. Having lost both my parents, the loss of family members certainly hits a chord with me.

However, as a music critic, it's necessary to do one's best to strip all the "interference" away to some degree, lest one is accused of partiality. Even when I discard any personal memories, though, I can still recommend A Summer Dream as a well-performed and gently evocative collection of piano and synth pieces that are sometimes warm and soft and other times sad and nearly always genuinely touching. The thing that I'm most impressed with on this album is Cason's willingness to use a lot of different synth sounds. So many pianists (when they use synths at all) just use string fills (and that can certainly be enough). How refreshing, then, to hear all manner of electronic keyboards, yet always in the service of melodic, accessible adult contemporary/new age music.

There are extensive liner notes (sometimes in the form of poems/lyrics, even though the album is wholly instrumental) that paint a picture of love and loss and growth through pain. The CD begins with the playful and sprightly "Springtime" (lilting flutes, bells, bass, and guitar-like keyboards, along with piano) and begins its voyage through different moods, tempos, and melodic approaches. "Come Out and Play" is a Kevin Kendle-like track with flute and lovely synth bells. "Summer of '98" opens with bluesy piano (by the way, if it matters to you, the piano on the album sounds like a digital, although a pretty good one to my ears), and the cut soon becomes a reflective piano and strings tune - wistful yet not somber. "Lost," one of the more overtly new agey cuts on the CD, is sadder, as Fender Rhodes-like keys ride on top of swirling synths ( I could've done without the wind effects on this track, though). One of the best selections is the next one. "Last Walk" has a unqiuely juxtaposed lively rhythm with quasi-mournful synths (consisting of nicely flowing keyboards and some plucked note sounds). It's my favorite track on the CD, I think. "Last Breath" is almost unrelentingly morose at the start (as the title would suggest, although once again I think the wind sounds are misplaced) but evolves into something quite different via a Constance Demby-ish crescendo (signifying "passing over" I would imagine although I don't want to appear presumptuous). My interpretation is based on the spacemusic and celestial textures during the latter stages of the track. The album closes with the title song, and it's another highlight. Gentle bells, lush strings, and hushed cymbals open the song which eventually becomes a piano-led number that speaks of acceptance and the strength that flows from the knowledge that our loved ones never truly leave us.

As you can tell from some of my comments above, I resonated with what (in my opinion) Shirley Cason was intending on A Summer Dream. So, take some of my praise with a grain of salt if you're cynical or tend to like music that is more subtle about its emotional intent. This album is not ashamed to wear its sorrowful yet ultimately hopeful heart on its sleeve. From a purely analytical standpoint, it's nice background music for light activity (I think the emotional highs and lows, however, may make it difficult to concentrate or read during playback). I recommend the CD, though, especially to die-hard romantics and those who enjoy electronic keyboards mixed with piano.