Lisa LaRue - Fast and Blue

Release Year: 2011

Track Listing:
1 - Mystery of the Rose (1:09)
2 - Prometheus (17:58)
3 - Tryptych (4:54)
4 - Jam Jehan Nima (12:50)
5 - Lament of the Cerokee/Ruins of Home (7:29)
6 - Fast and Blue (5:11)
7 - Recurring Dream (7:17)

There's a simple reason why I'm a huge keyboard fan. It's a multi-faceted insrument that sends chills up my spine and creates wonderful fantasy worlds in my mind! Lisa LaRue is more than capable of achieving this effect. The award winning musican has the smarts and the chops to pull off an amazing keyboard-based album called Fast and Blue with an All Prog Star cast to support her.

The impressive line-up includes:
Lisa LaRue - Keyboards
Steve Adams - Guitars and Bass
Merrill Hale - Drums
Michael Alvarez - Cello

With contributing guest musicians:
John Payne - Vocals
Michael Sadler - Vocals
Maxi Nil - Vocals
Ryo Okumoto - Keyboards
Mitch Perry - Guitar
Don Schiff - Chapman stick

This is not the first time she has collaborated with some of these musicians. Her recent album, World Class, also hosted many of them, including Mr. Payne. I am not able to compare Fast and Blue with her previous releases, having never heard them before, but that is a situation I will soon remedy. She is a rising star in the Progressive Music movement and should be taken seriously by fans and fellow musicans, as well as industry leaders.

The album starts out with Mystery of the Rose, a lively, short number with tribal influences, and continues on to Prometheus, a true epic in the Prog sense. Mysterious and spooky at first, it ends on a happy note with a serious Kansas influence. The third song, Tryptych, is a very sweet and pastoral tune with pretty piano and cello. It might be my favorite of the instrumentals on this album.

Jam Jehan Nima has strong Asian influences, complete with a Tibetan-type chant, which then melds into a lovely guitar. It has a variety of movements within the song, leaving the listener wondering what comes next! The fifth song, Lament of the Cherokee/Ruins of Home is perhaps her most dramatic, symphonic track on the album. It has metal edges that mellow out to cello, complete with a vocal narrative describing the Native American experience.

The last two songs feature singing and lyrics. The title cut, Fast and Blue, is a lovely power ballad with strong synths and drums, with tinges of metal guitar. Sung by John Payne, this could easily be a single! The album winds down with Recurring Dream, which has a gorgeous keyboard/guitar duet morphing into a beautiful love song. It's very dreamy and perfect for Michael Sadler's voice.

Prog fans and keyboard fans alike should dish up this wonderful, tasty album It's the sort of music you can daydream by, which is why it is one of my favorite releases of 2011. Please order this album from the"shop" at her website http://www.lisalaruemusic.com/ , which also comes in a deluxe edition with DVD and a magazine describing the album. Unfortunately, I don't have that magazine, so my review is probably missing some obvious key elements.

In any case, I can't wait to explore her previous works! I hope she will contunue to make beautiful Progressive music for many years to come.