Stock: 
Format: 
Release Date: 27-08-2002
Label: Real Music
Catalog Number: RM7550-2
Barcode: 46286755029
Musical Style: New Age
Track Listing:
| Disc 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faith Embrace [05:15]  | 6 | The Road to You [05:04] |
| 2 | State of Grace [04:40] | 7 | Spark the Sun [04:54] |
| 3 | This Moment Now [03:53] | 8 | Holding the Space [05:42] |
| 4 | One [05:07] | 9 | More than Words [05:06] |
| 5 | Through the Gates [05:30] | ||
Reviews:
'Rarely does an album featuring oboe as the lead instrument land on my desk… a pure sound reminding me of carefree summer childhood days spent blowing on a piece of reed. Exquisite playing both joyous and tender, this music speaks a language I have so yearned to hear. From the first notes there was never another title considered, referred to from day one as Pure Joy.' Terence Yallop, President, Real Music
'To weep tears of joy, one must experience tears of pain and sorrow, and Walder’s music conveys both with a profound depth of emotion.' - Kathy Parsons, Solo Piano Publications, July 2002
'Moving to the head of the line as the oboe player that's going to be a brand name, with this engaging, energetic release.' - Chris Spector, Midwest Record Recap, July 02
Biography:
Russel Walder is a man of many passions – musician, actor, director, painter, writer -- and he pushes the boundaries in everything he does. The oboe is little known outside of classical music and rarely played to its full potential and yet Walder has toured the world as a soloist, and his discography includes a composition on Windham Hill’s Grammy nominated, double platinum album Winter Solstice. He has recorded three albums with pianist Ira Stein for Windham Hill and Narada Records and guested with prominent new age artists Will Ackerman and Suzanne Cianni.
Every member of Russel’s Chicago family played an instrument and when he was ten, Russel heard the oboe and knew in his heart and soul that this was the instrument that was his. No matter that it is widely considered the most difficult classical instrument in the world to play. At 17, he joined the United States Youth Symphony for a world tour first appearing at Carnegie Hall. With a foundation of classical training and mastery of the instrument, he ventured into jazz at 20. Walder has studied with the legendary group Oregon and performed with such diverse groups as Afro-Celt Sound System, Yungchen Lhamo and Urban Tap from New York.
Russel had a starring role in the New Zealand Film Commission’s Lunatics’ Ball, which won the prestigious “Golden Cup” award special jury prize at the 1999 Shanghai Film Festival. His role was also notable for his oboe playing, which was also performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as part of the soundtrack.
In 1998, Russel founded Silent State, which is a platform for a soloist or in collaboration with distinguished guests. The music of Silent State has become a language all its own and includes North African chants, Middle Eastern harmonics, ambient soundtracks and lush arrangements. Silent State performed to rave reviews at Peter Gabriel’s 1999 Womad Festival in Auckland, New Zealand.
In his continual search to stretch the boundaries of performance, Russel created Power Spot, a fully improvised tour de force of oboe virtuosity over a pre-recorded set of powerful ambient soundscapes. As a New York Times critic put it, “At times you get the feeling that you are being hypnotized by a shaman with a sense of humor but you keep floating, flying and dreaming about distant deserts and nomadic tribes.”
Walder met Caroline Robinson, a New Zealand artist, when she was in San Francisco on her travels. She lured him to Auckland and matrimony, and Russel says, “When I put together everything I’ve done in New Zealand, I can see how being here has been absolutely necessary.”
