Guitarist
and multi-instrumental composer David W. Donner feels at home in
the New Age genre, although his music has a relationship
to smooth jazz. In earlier time he performed with some
indie-rock bands before he started his solo career.
His first album was Eterna (2016). David comments: "Yet after trudging through the minutia related to those efforts, I realized my guitar work was the one thing—musically at least—that was most authentically my own. It was also the one constant in my life, throughout those years. In the end, it became apparent that no matter what else I did, an original solo guitar album needed to become a priority."
His newest project is entitled Timeless (2022). The title comes from the fact that the first song on the album Grounded was also the first song he recorded when he started recording decades ago. David has composed and performed all songs. Let's get back to the album's opener, which David has perfected based on the experience he has gained in the meantime as a musician and producer. Grounded is based on the acoustic guitar which meanders in two complementary melodies.
Horizons is first of all a floating melody that is cut through by the rhythm like a sword. On this melody builds an electronic guitar, accompanied by the piano. Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces. This explains why the song has something heroic about it.
Memories is something personal and is interpreted through the piano. In the course of the piece, the performance is supported by a string orchestra. More than the recollection, the Reflections are more present and relate even more to the interior. The song settles strongly in the New Age area.
On June Gloom David accompanies his guitar performance on Tablas which gives the whole more world music character because of the Indian references. It is beyond my comprehension what is behind the number 111. The piece links different guitar groups from acoustic guitar to distorted guitar.
Nebula Rising reaches deep into the synth sound, whose sonics rise like billowing fog. Easter Sun gives a place to the classical guitar harmonically accompanied by strings. Autumn Breeze, dedicated to the acoustic guitar in its American finger style expression, offers the conclusion.
David W. Donner's album essentially appeals to listeners who especially love the guitar performance with strong New Age accents.
Website
Album Information
Title: Timeless
Buy the album
in all stores
Artist: David W. Donner
Year: 2022
Genre: Smooth Jazz / New Age
Label:
Heart Dance Records
Tracks:
1) Grounded (5:12)
2) Horizons (4:32)
3) Memorial Day (5:50)
4) Memories (4:16)
5) Reflections (3:58)
6) June Gloom
(3:14)
7) 111 (4:47)
8) Nebula Rising (5:32)
9) Easter
Sun (3:28)
10) Autumn Breeze (4:26)