Zane Kuchera Patterns CD

Zane Kuchera is a Boston-based Songwriter, Record Producer, and Berklee College of Music alumnus. Originally from Toms River, New Jersey, Zane has performed on piano and as a vocalist since he was eleven years of age. After several years as a church organist at the age of thirteen, Zane began writing music and developed a keen sense of sound engineering techniques. He has been writing and recording ever since.The Patterns music CD is the first release of Zane's music which spans two decades of creativity and production. In a very real sense, this collection of music and lyrics documents his emotional life journey from adolescence into adulthood.A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange by Lindsay Cobb (ezwriter99@yahoo.com)Edited by Roberta B. SchwartzCopyright 2002, Peterborough Folk Music Society.Zane composed, arranged, performed and produced the entire CD, employing electric keyboards and a software application. But if the production is a "labor of love," the songs themselves, and Zane's performance of them, are a labor of love, heartache, grief, healing and redemption - the work of a lifetime. Indeed, the songs on Patterns were written over the span of two decades, and as such, serve as the story of Zane's life. Or, perhaps more accurately, the songs tell the story of his love life, from the first forays into puppy love (and hangdog disillusionment), through a sad marriage, to a growing self-awareness and centeredness as a gay man.In every song, Zane wears his heart on his sleeve, and it's a gorgeous heart. His lyrics are forthright and unpretentious as they examine love gone bad, the tension between romance and long-term commitment, and the yearning for something sure and lasting. Zane's strong tenor rings out with understated candor, expressing the emotion through words and music rather than any vocal dramatics. This clear-eyed exploration of love ultimately offers hope, if only the hope of getting beyond the hurt and becoming stronger.The style ranges between lush ballads and mid-tempo pop, suggesting Zane's roots in contemporary cabaret and torch song - Peter Allen, Barbra Streisand, and (don't laugh) Barry Manilow come to mind (Zane does confess in the notes that he wrote one of his prettier songs, Tell Me When, while having "a Diana Ross moment"). Some particularly catchy melodies include Haven't Got a Clue, Simon Says, Fantasy, the anthem-like Isn't Enough, and a sweet, almost baroque instrumental called Somewhere in This World.In fact, now that Zane has proven himself as a talented singer-songwriter (arranger- producer-musician-engineer), my wish for him is that he could eventually develop enough financial backing to hire a band. On a few songs I could imagine female back-up singers joining the chorus, and the energy created by musicians playing together is often difficult, though not impossible to attain in a solo effort. But this is not the first recording by one man and his MIDI, and very few sound even half as lovely, or achieve half the energy that Zane achieves here. You have to start somewhere, and on Patterns Zane Kuchera is off to a running leap.(P.S.: such rugged individualism has been paying off. "Patterns" has received glowing reviews on several web pages, including http://mp3.boston.com/bands/zane.shtml, and stage.vitaminic.com/zane_kuchera/singles, http://www.stonewallsociety.com/EqualPride/ep20zanekucherareview.htm.)TRACK LIST:All My LifeHaven't Got a ClueIn Your Eyes (lyrics: Debra Kuchera)Simon Says (lyrics: Katie Sieber)Tell Me WhenCathedrals (lyrics: June Santucci)FantasySomewhere in This WorldIsn't EnoughAll My Life (unplugged)In Your Eyes (unplugged) (lyrics: Debra Kuchera)Isn't Enough (unplugged)A review written for StoneWall Society by CodiCopyright 2002, StoneWall Society.A basic premise of all art is to share. Zane Kuchera strongly achieves this with "Patterns". The more I listened the more I felt like I was taking part in a personal invitation to experience what is Zane Ku