Paul Avgerinos Sky Of Grace CD

Sky of Grace was voted the 4th best album in 1998 by the Backroads Music staff.

Hannah M.G. Shapero writes: This new music drifts higher into a universe of ethereal sound-clouds, rather than the sunlit Mediterranean of the earlier album. Even when Sky of Grace has rhythm and percussion, it remains all contemplative, filled with a mood of mystical reverie. Avgerinos shows his competence as a composer and arranger on this album. He is a master of sound textures, especially with strings. He has some of the best people in the field playing for him : David Darling on cello and Brian Keane on guitars. Avgerinos himself plays both the bowed string bass and the electric fretless bass; his playing of these unforgiving instruments is so expressive that it sounds almost like a singing voice. Avgerinos' jazz harmonies, slowed down to an ambient pace, are very much his own - his style is easily recognizable. He also uses a sighing, crooning "choir" of electronically multiplied voices, who sing in better tune than any real human choir - a chorus of cyber-angels perhaps. These guide us through many tracks filled with sensuous languor and mystical yearning, such as the opening "Angel Breath" or "Graceful", later in the album. On other tracks such as "The Calling" or "Dance of Life", slow percussion and distant-reverbed guitar notes add a slightly harder quality. Track 8, "My Father's Prayer", is an imaginative interpretation of the sound and mood of Byzantine chant (Avgerinos is of Greek descent, thus his father would probably have prayed Eastern Orthodox prayers) in which the cyber-chorus keeps on low, repeated chant notes without singing identifiable Greek words or Byzantine melodies. It's a moving , serious piece, coming in the midst of an album which can honestly be called "New Age". This album is a joy to listen to - hearing it brings a sense of release from cares and comfort for the weary soul. It does not try to push some "message" of facile "world consciousness" or "personal growth" on the listener. It gently weaves along with it's mood of cosmic warmth and a very welcome sense of wonder, twined together with crystal sound-sparkles and strands of singing strings. When Paul Avgerinos graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in 1980, as afull scholarship honors student, he had already performed as a bassist with Isaac Stern,Jean Pierre Rampal, The Beaux Arts Trio, Baryshnikov and many other great classicalartists. He also has won scholarships to play and study at music festivals in Tanglewood,Aspen, Grand Teton, Taos, and Spoleto (Italy). After graduation, Paul served as principalbass of several major symphony orchestras around the world, and gave solo recitals aswell. Expanding into more popular genres, Avgerinos toured as a bassist with CharlesAznavour, Liza Minelli, and the jazz legend Buddy Rich. Seeking to further his originalcomposition and develop his childhood passion for electronic music, Paul built StudioUnicorn, a comprehensive digital/analog recording studio, in 1984. Eight solo CDs in thenew age genre followed, including Muse of the Round Sky which was nominated for aGrammy. Paul's music is played on more than 2,000 radio stations around the world ;Sirius & DX Satellite Radio , Music Choice Cable and syndicated shows such as Musicfrom the Hearts of Space and John Diliberto's Echoes. Two thirty­minute features withthe latter are added to his credits along with his many other radio interviews. He hasappeared on five sampler CDs and as a guest artist on albums by Joanie Madden, FarukTekbilek, Joaquin Lievano, Brian Keane and others. Paul records and produces manypopular albums as well and has worked with artists as diverse as "Run DMC," "RichieHavens," and "Jewel." Avgerinos always makes time for scoring and has worked on overfifty film, TV, and cable projects for HBO, PBS, and Lifetime, among others. Paul justrecei

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