New Age

PAUL HALLEY
Triptych
PRODUCERS: Paul Halley, Tom Bates
Pelagos PEL1003
There has probably never been a trio like the one-man keyboard orchestra Paul Halley has created for "Triptych," over-dubbing piano, harpsichord, and a pipe organ with nearly 4,500 pipes. Playing music that is at once vibrant and intricately contrapuntal, he deploys the instruments with a symphonic sense of coloration. A member of the Paul Winter Consort and former organist of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan, Halley draws upon the eclectic vision those tenures suggest, including elements of classical and Celtic music, folk songs, and fantasies in his compositions. Halley's sound is lyrical without being maudlin, and while a pipe organ would lead some to bombast, Halley rarely indulges himself. Instead, he lets the songs themselves, like "Rejoicing" and "Shores Of Ironbound," lift to the rafters. Contact 877-735-2467.

Michael Spriggs
Without Words
PRODUCER: Michael Spriggs
Agnes 7001
Michael Spriggs is a veteran Nashville guitarist who has recorded with Eddie Rabbitt and LeAnn Rimes. Additionally, he's written hits for Kenny Rogers and Lee Greenwood. That said, an atmospheric instrumental album may not be what you'd expect for his solo debut, but that's precisely what he has so deftly created. Working with Steve Brewster on global percussion, Jonathan Yudkin on classical strings and mandolin, and Richard Brannan on bass, Spriggs orchestrates a pastoral landscape that's pure country without the twang. Rustic on "Snaefell Rails," ethereal on "Laxey's Wheel," and classical on "She Was Only," Spriggs orchestrates a chamber folk music. This is the kind of album you might have expected from Windham Hill a few years ago: intimate and warm, with precision playing in the service of tunes full of imagery. Although the subtitle, "Reflections From The Isle Of Man," suggests Celtic inclinations, it's just where Spriggs grew up before going country. Contact 615-321-2070.