Grasping the concept behind this unconventional project might be difficult, but grasping the innate elegance carried by each of its 11 songs definitely is not. The first volume of Songs from the Heart is an extremely engaging affair that aims to celebrate the art of songwriting via songs that gracefully paint lush pictures of music and life from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Collaborations is a musical project for purists, from purists. A delectable collection of funk, soul, and pop that is delivered with consistent attention to minute details. The results are wholesome sounding and well-structured songs that took me back to life as a kid in the back seat of my father’s car, listening to classics from the 70s that he used to enjoy. Spearheaded and envisioned by songwriter Ed Daniels, supported by an illustrious band of lyricists, musicians, and singers, and then recorded and produced by consummate professionals down at Horizon Music Studios in West Haven, Connecticut, Songs from the Heart Vol. 1 is a deeply gratifying listen.
The atmosphere created by Ed Daniels during the creation process for this set of songs was one of artistic liberty and expressions. Daniels, as the lead songwriter, provides the artists with a foundational theme and structure for each song, he then encourages each artist to bring their own flair and personality in each of their different lines. The results are songs that sound lush and authentic, with vivid instrumental tapestries, majestically weaved together by the collaborative production efforts of sound engineers Vic Steffens and Matt Oestreicher. The presence of rich strings, woodwinds, and horns, right alongside blazing guitar solos and danceable grooves, is a testament to the collective’s innate musicianship and veterancy as professional recording artists.
Among the album’s many highlights we have the exquisitely characterful starter ‘Let The Love In’. With the breezy percussion and the easygoing pace, ‘Let The Love In’ does a fantastic job introducing listeners to the group’s leaning to soul music’s vocal harmonizing and laid-back funk syncopation. This cut in particular has a particular bossa nova feel that is exacerbated by the heart-warming flute parts delivered by Bill Holloman. A warm and charismatic starter. ‘Ready For Love’, the album’s sophomore cut, features the first of the album’s many standout grooves. A solid backbone of a beat delivered by Bobby Torello gracefully carries this tighter arrangement forward with precision and confidence. The soft and creamy vocals delivered by Sheila Fabrizio easily took me back to the 70s and the heyday of disco music. A colorful starter with energetic backing voice quartet and a short-but-sweet guitar solo delivered by Al Ferrante. The gentle disco mayhem continues with track 3 ‘Don’t You See’. With yet another stellar vocal arrangement led by Sylvia Jones’s main vocal part, smooth and silken, this song features the mesmerizing support from a trio of backing vocalists, Simone Brown, Tonya Ricks, and Kyle Brown, as well as an extremely efficient strings arrangement delivered by Dave Eggar’s cello and viola parts with Xavi Morato’s violin.
‘Doing Fine’ might be among my personal favorites on the record. This soft and sweet song is like a gentle assault on the senses with its snappy groove, syncopated funk guitar scratches, and caramel-smooth backing vocals. An arresting arrangement that features yet more lush strings and the album’s crunchiest snare sound. Ed Daniel’s rhythm guitar part is exquisitely tight and colorful, elevating this gentle disco funk stunner. The cinematic horn section on track 6 ‘Time For You’ introduces us to one of the album’s more dramatic and vividly emotive songs yet. With the capable vocals of lyricist and singer Anais Preller in the forefront of the mix, ‘Time For You’ is a busy song with a distinct presence. The saxophone solo is enriching and charismatic, and overall, ‘Time For You’ is a very well-layered song with a distinct character. ‘Already There’ features one of the snappiest rhythm guitar parts and the boomiest bass lines yet. A seesawing, 2-chord song that is very easy to digest, Anais Preller’s colorful vocal melodies and gentle delivery make ‘Already There’ an extremely easy song to fall for.
‘I Wanna Know’ is another cinematic song with a well-structured, syncopated main motif that gives the song an insistent forward drive. Suzanne Kiss’s main vocals are masterfully restrained so that when she bellows, showcasing her exquisite range, it is that much more effective. A delicately balanced and thoroughly enjoyable cut. The sunshine gospel flair of the characterful closer ‘Running Out Of Tomorrows’ make it a clear standout and a stunning way to close the album. With the lead vocals duty divided on Ricky Alan Draughn, Anais Preller, and Suzanne Kiss, and with an impressive presence from the strings section, this song takes the group work aspect of the music up a couple of notches. A truly outstanding piece of orchestration and a fantastic way to bookend such a delightful set of songs.
Collaborations just seem like a good environment to be in. A collective of music lovers with advanced levels of musicianship and an astounding array of musical talents coming together to celebrate artistic freedom, musical personality, and creativity, resulting in a group of some of the best written songs I’ve recently come across. Song from the Heart is really an apt title for this project by mastermind Ed Daniels.
