Lorrie Sarafin

Sarafin displays an uncommon ability to traverse a variety of musical soundscapes with amazing ease and virtuosity. From the opening The Last Buffalo which would not be out of place on a Tuu, OYuki Conjugate, or perhaps even Steve Roach album, to the breezy jazz leanings of the closing title track, Sarafin navigates ambient, Native flute, jazz fusion, new age, and ethno-tribal territory as if musical boundaries simply didn't exist for her. As a result, the cross-genre appeal of Many Paths is strong, especially for desert/tribal ambient fans who might ordinarily assume this to be a more straightforward Native flute fusion music. - Binkelman's Corner -ZoneMusicReporter.com

"...through her skillful and imaginative handling of the songs she is able to express more of the emotions that live behind the songs that she composes. While not all of the songs are what I consider contemplative none of them wander too far from that mood to disturb those who might want to put this album (MANY PATHS) on in the background as a way of relaxing at the end of a stressful day. Hats off to Lorrie for allowing her passions to lead her further down her chosen musical path and to share with us through Many Paths the excellent results of what she has discovered. Definitely recommended by AV."
- Michael Foster - Ambient Visions

SECOND WIND is captivating and hauntingly delicious music! It's southwestern essence evokes warm days and the stark beauty of the desert nighfall. Obviously, the Native American Flute is an instrument that uses the power of music to entertain as well as to mentally and physically heal. I felt better each time I listened to it. To use radio terminology, 'it's on my playlist!'
- Barry Sheffield - WFDU-FM

Wonderfully evocative...your playing is quite soulful...radio ready...viable for New Age playlists...
- TAXI

LORRIE SARAFIN
Second Wind
Lizard Dance Productions (2005)

From flutist Lorrie Sarafin comes an album which contains some of the best combinations of desert ambient soundscapes, haunting Native American-influenced flute, and environmental sounds since John Huling’s classic release, Desert Plateaus. Listening to Second Wind is like taking a journey through the southwestern United States, from the majestic landscapes of Monument Valley to ancient Anasazi and Pueblo ruins to shadowy sand and cactus landscapes which are both beautiful and terrifying in the isolation they represent. Employing various instrument sounds and loops (e.g. assorted synths, percussion and keyboards) as well as her excellent flute-playing, Sarafin portrays a day in the life of the desert, starting with “Bobbi (Canyon Sunrise)” and its plaintive echoed piano and washes of ambience with additional hand drums later added to the music, and ending with the eerie textural “Dusk” (featuring some evocative kalimba, i.e. thumb piano, set against the sounds of crickets and synth washes) and the mysterious yet serene “Camelback Shadows” with flute hovering over tribal percussion and waves of synths that evoke images of the lengthening shadows of the song’s title. In between are thirteen more tracks, all of them offering variations of this assortment: ambient-flavored pieces that contain excellently engineered synth/keyboard washes and tones, songs dominated more by the artist’s Native flute, or perfectly balanced blends, such as “Floating” which bounces reverberating bell tones underneath pulsing hand drums, a flute refrain, and fluid synth lines. Some tracks delight with their inventiveness, such as the whimsically titled “It’s a Dry Heat” (swooshing whirling synths set against sampled plucked upright bass which morphs into a quasi-glitchy piece as ping-ponging tones are set off by ebbing and flowing washes before settling into a shimmering collection of electronic textures, suggesting heat rising from the desert floor). “Zen Gardens” has, as one might expect, an Asian sound to it, although the addition of reverbed tones scattered throughout the track juxtapose the bamboo flute and tribal percussion nicely. Environmental sounds add just the right emphasis to “Monsoon” as approaching thunder leads to a torrential downpour before fading into a gentle rainstorm, while a Robert Rich-like flute floats hazily in mid-air and subdued electronic effects impart an otherworldly sensation to the piece. From a technical standpoint, as an independent release, Second Wind is exceedingly well produced and engineered (the artwork is equally professional, especially when compared to some other indie first-time recordings I have seen). Seeing as how this is Lorrie Sarafin’s first solo recording, it’s exciting to speculate where she is headed. This album is one of the best efforts in capturing musical desert ambience I’ve heard in a very long time. I eagerly await future music from this extremely talented woman.

http://www.newagereporter.com/recording/viewreviews.asp?rvwbrdcmmt=227
- Bill Binkleman, Binkelman's Corner, ZoneMusicReporter.com

Hauntingly beautiful, and soothing to the soul. Every time I listen, it takes me on a new journey. Press "play", close your eyes, and let the music take you away. From the uncommon beauty of Lorrie's Native American Flute, to the soundscapes that surround it, this is a must-have CD. - Rob Frankel - ABC Radio Networks

LORRIE SARAFIN

Second Wind

(c) (p) 2005 Lizard Dance Productions

16tks/60mins



Once having seen the greatness of the desert,

You will enjoy the life as ever stronger,

And wonder at it:



This music captures you from the very first chords. It prompts to forget everything
and plunge into its boundless profundity. The American Indian flute fascinates,
a percussion rhythm leads you gently and covering sounds of a synthesizer create
placatory environment. You can renounce all affaires, get rid of all rot splashed
out on you by surrounding world and be in safety together with this music. It helps
you to relax and turn out to be in private with yourself without thinking what will
happen tomorrow. And which will it be? But you know every day is unique and it's
impossible to foresee what will expect you in future. And is it worth wasting precious
time which is destined for your being on this beautiful planet?..



Lorrie Sarafin's music creates an impression of a desert: severe, silent and
at the same time full of life. You see lifeless stony slopes and erubescent rocks
in the distance. You can feel how sand crunches under your feet and big drops of
a spring rain fall on your head, the rain that, in a matter of minutes, can bring
back to life these lands which seem to be dead. But here it stops raining and again
becomes a time of a drought which seems to be endless. And all this comprises an
indescribable charm of the Earth's nature which is constantly changing and always
beautiful:



On the whole a refined taste inheres in Lorrie Sarafin's music. It shines through
both drawling sounds of an American Indian flute, and bright rolling rhythms, and
through excellent, sharp-cut in details sounding of the album itself. "Second
Wind" is not a simple picture painted with different colours, it is three-dimensional,
it is full of space. And this silent space incoming together with music makes this
album so attractive. It possesses one more important feature, Lorrie Sarafin's
music is very light and delicate, it does not suppress a listener.



The "Second Wind" album is a brilliant debut. An inspired Lorrie Sarafin's
music is ideal for meditation, relaxation and recovery. "Second Wind"
is a waterfall of sincere emotions that soothe a heart and elevates a mood.


Serge Kozlovsky
http://mkmk.com/kozlovsky

(Translated by Tatyana L. Permyakova.) - Serge Kozlovsky

SECOND WIND is superb! - Karen Larsen, WERU-FM

"SECOND WIND" is a WIN-WIN CD! Combining all the best of New Age elements in one wonderful package. What's not to like in Lorrie Sarafin's first solo effort!
- Captain Christopher, WTUL-FM

I've Purchased Over A Hundred Relaxation Compilations. Some Were Good, Some OK, Some, Merely The Same, Production And Mixing Studio Formulas. This Artist Has The Amazing Ability To Share Her Deepest Soul...It's REAL. It's Captivating. It's A Masterpiece.
- Dick O'Brien

Your flute captures the spirits of the land and its healing properties (medicine for the soul and mind). The shamen I imagine would use your compositions to bless their sacred spaces. You are truly talented. - Monique Lightner, M&M Events

Every track is a precious jewel and a sensory experience not to be missed. - Long Island University Magazine