Ryan Edwards - Better Late Than Never
December 2011 Review (Available from ORGANS.co.uk) Filed in: CD (Electronic)
If you are one of those people who only buy CDs from organists every ten years, then I have a second treat for you! The last recording by Ryan Edwards was back in 2001 and, unlike Phil Brown, he hasn't released any others which we've missed in the meantime, hence the rather tongue-in-cheek title of his latest offering, "Better Late Than Never".
His 2001 release was entitled "Re Draft" and was recorded on the same organ as this one, namely the Yamaha EL-900, although he has also added a Tyros 2 on two of the tracks*. The material is taken from his current concert repertoire and was recorded direct to disk without any overdubbing, which is very impressive when you listen to some of the tracks, most notably the very intricate arrangements of "Jellicle Ball" from Cats.
There are quite a few tracks on the CD you would file under light-classics, including "Light Cavalry Overture, "Nimrod", "Nessun Dorma" and Rondò Veneziano's semi-pop-classical piece "Odissea Veneziana". Big Band/Swing is also covered by "At Last / I Know Why" and "Skyliner", Latin is covered by "Cocamba" and Pop by "Goodbye to Love" (complete with a pretty-accurate version of THAT fuzz-guitar solo - one of the best guitar solos ever). "History of Love" is also here, complete with an extremely realistic trumpet lead.
I do hope we don't have to wait another ten years for another release from Ryan.
FULL TRACKS: Light Cavalry Overture • Cocamba • At Last / I Know Why (And So Do You) • I Won't Send Roses • Jellicle Ball (from 'Cats') • Nimrod (Enigma Variations) • Goodbye to Love • Tattoo • Odissea Veneziana* • History of Love* • Morning in Cornwall • Skyliner • Nessun Dorma.
