STREAMWALKER
Fluid Contemplation Musical poet and solo pianist Craig Urquhart favors listeners with his fifth book of songs so to speak, a CD entitled Streamwalker. Like many artists, Urquhart’s subject defines who he is. Streamwalker is devoted to the many facets of nature; green forests dotted with speckled sunlight, glorious hillside scenery, majestic avian wildlife, and of course, pure, clear, life giving water. Urquhart’s reflective works free up the side of your brain you use for daydreaming, fulfilling fantasies, and pensive thought. Out of the thirteen tracks on the album, with the exception of a track called Jazzed, the tunes are light, very relaxing and more soothing than a mother’s touch. Morning Eagle is the first cut and it makes a good first impression. I am very big on first impressions. Urquhart’s music sits you on the edge of a rocky canyon as dawn smiles her first sunbeam. An American bald eagle, aloft in the pale pink sky catches unseen thermals and soars higher and higher. Your thoughts and prayers fly side by side with the eagle until all vanishes in the rising sun. Brilliant day turns into clear, starry night as we listen to the song, The Astronomer. It is a serious work, but not gloomy. Imagine…striding down a marble hallway, his robes flowing, and his focus at attention is the ancient astronomer, Galileo. He is preparing to test his complex theories using the latest invention, the telescope. How the world changed that day. How can attention to detail change your world? This is discovery music or perhaps, change your life music. Take a piece of paper, double it carefully corner to corner and fold it into a paper boat. Make the corners sharp and the sail tall. Gently set it into the flowing water and follow it along the watercourse. Your paper boat bumps playfully on a mossy rock, twists a bit in the gentle current and follows the path of least resistance. In you mind you can hear the music of Craig’s song, Silver Stream. Interlude, appropriately, track number seven, is a bright, cheery tune that gives you a chance to slow down from your busy life and catch your breath. The music is sparkling like the glimmer of the sun on a drowsy lake and as brilliant as the feather of the cardinal. The song is strongly evocative of a quieter time when only friends and family were important. Do you remember? The title tune, Streamwalker, is a classical-flavored tune and it is my favorite cut on the album. Once again, Urquhart’s music flows out on the speakers and into you mind and spirit. It is a song of optimism that says questions will be answered, dreams will be fulfilled, and hope is just around the corner. I listened to this one many times over... If the hustle and bustle are sometimes too much for you and the wonders of nature are far from where you live, then put Streamwalker in your CD player and let it carry you to the trees, the forests and the water.