Ron Korb – Global Canvas

Ron Korb – Global Canvas – Album Review

I know what you regular readers are thinking.  TWO flute-based albums in review in a single month?  Is there something we don’t know about happening in the world of wind instrumentation?  A surge of flute tunes rampaging the internet, in its own gentle & delicate way?  Perhaps folks, perhaps.  I’ve always kept the doors of sleepingbagstudios as wide open as possible to hear anything/everything that would come our way, so if the flute is making the rounds right now, it makes total sense you’d see those kinds of records here.  Plus, as far as I’ve read and understand, Ron Korb is also homegrown Canadian talent.

Grammy-nominated talent too, from what the internet tells us.  Not just once, but twice!  Back in 2016 for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant album, and nominated in this year for Best Global Music Performance.  As I put on his latest record and heard the immaculate sounds of “Dream Of The King Prelude” lead into the intricate vibes of “Dream Of The King” at the start of Korb’s Global Canvas, it was pretty easy to understand why he’s had such an accomplished career that’s been recognized by his peers for the efforts being put in.  Honestly, it’s extraordinary stuff…the kind of music that’ll take you right out of your workday week and transport you to an entirely different place inside your mind as you listen.  “Dream Of The King Prelude” immediately hints at the quality and ambitious nature of his music, and “Dream Of The King” instantly confirms that.  “Dream Of The King” is exceptionally gorgeous and brilliantly well-played…you really can’t help but admire the stunning sound of the musicianship here.

Such incredible expressionism is indeed, rare.  As you listen to “Desire Prelude” begin with its flute leading into an amazing array of hand drums to follow, it’s impossible not to acknowledge the true skill in all that you hear.  I know we’re not all out there listening to flute-based records, but Global Canvas quickly proves to be the kind of album that has the power to both move you, and to culture you at the very same time.  “Desire” goes on to reveal a wonderfully mysterious and melodic adventure that has all the seamless fluidity you want to find in instrumental music.  Honestly, this is spellbinding stuff!  Listen to how the music expands around the 1:50 mark…that is straight-up wonderful to listen to.  I’m not half as well versed in music as Ron is, so I’m not at all sure if that’s a harp or an autoharp, a kalimba, a gourd piano we’re hearing, or something else entirely…but you’ll know what I’m talking about when you hear the outstanding contribution the extra instrumentation makes around that point in “Desire.”  Ron’s not just standing in the spotlight with his flute solo, he’s wisely expanded the palette of instrumentation on Global Canvas to include a wide selection of instruments and additional players in this effort to engage your mind, body, and soul.  It’s working – I’m listening, like, right on the edge of my seat, because music like this is such a genuine experience, you know?  I love hearing stuff that’s this compelling & composed.

It’s funny…sometimes you find moments of increased accessibility on albums that don’t automatically translate to a more enjoyable listening experience necessarily.  Don’t get me wrong, I hear “Havana Sun” and I’m still absolutely stoked to hear such astounding musicianship on display, especially from featured guest, pianist Hilario Duran who is on a whole other level that most piano players you’ve heard.  All I’m saying I suppose, is that while I think what you’d hear on “Havana Sun” would appeal to most listeners more-so than the opening four tracks might, for me it was kind of the opposite effect.  I think we’re more exposed to sounds like you’ll hear in “Havana Sun” a lot more than perhaps we are with sounds to be found in “Dream Of The King” or “Desire” by comparison, so that’s kind of what tends to stimulate the excitement in my own ears.  As far as the masses are concerned, I think that’s a different story.  I’d expect that people are going to absolutely LOVE hearing what they hear in “Havana Sun” and it’ll even put a few of ya in party mode!  It’s a very danceable track when it comes right down to it, it’s upbeat and it’s got incredibly colorful musicianship to its Cuban-inspired sound…lots to love about this, and again, I don’t think enough could ever be said about the jaw-dropping performance Duran puts in here.

So I guess, to a degree, what I was getting at is that uniqueness will often trump accessibility for me on a personal level…and no, I don’t expect everyone out there to agree with that.  Some will understand what I mean, some won’t…and that’s all good.  Life is short – listen to the kind of music that you respond to and connect with.  As I listened to “La La Formosa,” I kind of felt Global Canvas shifting away a little bit from what tends to interest me, into what seemed a bit more familiar.  The quality remains at a ridiculously high standard, and that’s great – so too does the musicianship itself…no issues at all there.  As I’ve mentioned on these pages of ours many times, that’s really all you can ever do as an artist or a band…you put in the work, you bring the best you can to what you do…and from there, it’s all a matter of personal taste in the court of public opinion that’s far beyond your control.  Like, I’d never dispute that a song like “La La Formosa” is well played…you couldn’t possibly miss the skill and talent it makes to create a cut like this…but it’s arguably a little more ‘normal’ in the sense that, short of the breakdown it has, kind of possesses a sound that’s familiar to us, experienced from county fairs to video games.  Bonus points though for “La La Formosa Postlude” – I didn’t even know a Postlude was a thing until this very moment, and as you can see by the number of reviews I’ve written here on this one site alone, I’ve listened to a little bit of music throughout my time.  I also probably liked the “La La Formosa Postlude” a little more than the main song too if I’m being real with ya, because it was a lot more unpredictable.

“Kindness” put things right back on course, from my perspective.  As far as I’ve read, Ron is Japanese-Canadian, and I feel like culturally, he really shines when you can hear that combination work as well together like it does on “Kindness.”  In fact, I’d probably go as far as to say that this track would be up there at the top of my favorites from the record, or at the very least, puts me back to the same level of engagement I feel like I had at the start of Global Canvas.  Ron’s flute sounds absolutely beautiful, and the instrumentation around him is wonderfully inspired.  It’s tracks like “Kindness” that speak so very strongly on behalf of the musicianship you’ll find on this record.  We tend to get caught up in talking about passion and excitement being created through more upbeat material in discussing music, but when you can hear those same two crucial ingredients on display in mellower songs like “Kindness,” you can’t help but be impressed by what you hear.  The passion, purpose, and intent is prevalent in every single note that’s being played, and the only way that musicians can really get to that kind of sound is through their own combinations of authenticity, professionalism, and natural interest.  Essentially, everyone is playing at the top of their game, because they truly believe in material this well designed.

So there you go…a little bit of proof that I’m not just blowing around a bunch of hot air.  I really like what I hear on “Isla Grande,” which brings back guest-star Hilario Duran for another Cuban-inspired type of song.  This time around however, the whole atmosphere seems to have a lot more depth to it, and an absolutely incredible array of different emotions within its sound that goes from mysterious to joyful to curious to playful…it’s as adventurous as it is ambitious.  I mean, look…I’m relentlessly objective about the music I listen to – I’d be the first to tell you that Hilario’s performance on “Havana Sun” will likely stand out to most listeners more, and to take that even further, I think that was one of the most significant highlights on this entire album in terms of musicianship on display…but “Isla Grande” is a way better song overall, from my perspective.  This sounds fresh and as inspired as ever…the sonic depth in the performance is award-worthy stuff, and the composition/attention to detail you’ll find here is absolutely remarkable by every conceivable definition.  I get that it might not even be considered to be half as accessible as “Havana Sun” would be to the average everyday listener, but I feel like there’s so much more being offered to our ears on “Isla Grande” that’ll keep us all coming back to listen to it.  Hilario gets his time to shine once again too…as the song plays around the 1:40 mark, you’ll hear him spring to life for a gripping solo, before Ron brings the melodic pattern back to the forefront afterwards.  What a finale too!  Listen to the way the drums heighten the whole experience as you cruise into the last thirty-seconds of “Isla Grande” will ya?  Absolutely inspired stuff from beginning to end – I love this.

“Bossa Prelude” is exquisitely pretty.  At less than a minute in total length, you better believe I wanted to hear a whole lot more of this!  That’s how it rolls sometimes though…and I famously take what I can get when that’s all there is, you feel me?  Do I wish there was MORE of “Bossa Prelude?”  Of course!  Will I get that?  No!  So I have no choice but to be realistic about it, you dig?  I love what there is, and that’s all I can do.  “Bass Flute Bossa” expands on the idea, but in a whole different way.  Do I enjoy it?  You betcha!  Does it give me the same feeling I just got with the “Bossa Prelude?”  Nope!  Not at all.  They’re two different entities at the end of the day, and I’m not opposed to that, even if I want MORE of the prelude.  “Bass Flute Bossa” kind of gives me that same feeling I got in listening to tracks like “La La Formosa” and “Havana Sun” earlier on…the material isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the sound is much more familiar to us.  Obviously that can be a great thing for the overall accessibility of a recording, but there’s just something about these more accessible songs that seem to feel like they’re inherently less challenging to Ron, or arguably a little less imaginative I suppose.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s never easy to create the kind of impeccable quality and seamless fluidity in these audibly perfect performances you’ll find throughout the entirety of Global Canvas – Ron and his musical cohorts should be nothing less than completely proud of all they’ve done in that regard – but yeah, I’m always going to side with material that feels more exploratory over songs that feel more familiar to me.  That’s just who I am…that’s not me commenting on what’s really better than something else by comparison, so much as I’m highlighting my own personal preferences in terms of the kind of music that I tend to enjoy most.

“Blue Heron” is a good tune, played with lots of beauty and grace.  As the string instruments take the lead at times, I think that’s where you’ll find this particular track makes its strongest impact on ya.  It’s an interesting song in the sense that it kind of sneaks up on you, in terms of how amazing it can be at times.  I don’t know that it’s necessarily the standout track of all tracks on the album, but parts of it certainly are – you know what I mean?  I had times where I’d listen to “Blue Heron” and feel like I would have no problem supporting it as a decent track in the lineup by comparison to the rest, and I had times where I’d listen to parts of “Blue Heron” that felt like they lifted the rest of the material up to incredible new heights as well.  So I guess you could say that in a way, “Blue Heron” might be arguably a little less balanced in terms of the strengths on display from start to finish, but hey, I think we are all familiar with how one or two absolute amazing moments can influence our opinion of a whole song.  When I hear “Blue Heron” on its way into the third minute, I feel like it’s as captivating as captivating can be, and while I might have wanted that to be the case throughout the entire song, I recognize that dynamics can’t always play out that way.  Sometimes you need those mellower moments or low-key energies in order to raise the stakes and create something that really stands out.  What’s good about “Blue Heron” is undeniably great, and I feel like its most shining moments will be real highlights to everyone listening.

Yeah…I mean…it’s all so very well played no matter which track you’re listening to, that the consistency of the musicianship alone should keep you plenty entertained.  Like, take “Azure Nights” for example – I personally feel like, once again, we’re in the territory of tracks like “Havana Sun” or “Bass Flute Bossa” that possess more familiar sounds, but c’mon y’all…LISTEN to Ron’s outstanding technique on “Azure Nights” and you’ll know exactly why you can’t just skip over any cut on Global Canvas, because you’d be missing out on some truly remarkable stuff if you did.  As a song, I wouldn’t exactly say I’m loving “Azure Nights,” but in terms of performances, I’d put this right up there with some of the very best of the best that you’ll find on the album.  In particular, I feel like the strengths you’ll find in this song get revealed more & more as you continue to listen, as in, it builds with expert precision.  By the time you’re into its last minute or so, and especially in its last twenty-five seconds, you get a real finale on “Azure Nights.”

By contrast, “Angkor Wat” shows you how Ron’s music can be undeniably riveting at its most stripped down.  Sure it’s great to have additional players or instrumentation at times as a solo artist, but it’s also nice to have a track like “Angkor Wat” that reminds us that all Ron needs to entertain us, is Ron himself.  This is a bare-bones performance to say the very least, but so remarkably daring.  Using vulnerability as a strength here, “Angkor Wat” delivers an unforgettable performance that I’m confident most listeners would feel is one of the most potent highlights on all of Global Canvas.  It might not be flashy, it might not be loud, but it truly earns your attention by not being either of these things.  “Angkor Wat” should be the kind of song that gives you chills to listen to, because your ears know when they’re hearing something genuinely special.  In my personal opinion, this one track alone is worth the price of admission…it’s full proof that Ron doesn’t need all the bells and whistles to entertain you, they’re just nice complementary pieces when they’re there.  When it comes right down to it, Korb shows us what an exceptional talent he is through his mastery of expressionism like you hear on “Angkor Wat.”  I’ll tell you this much…if he ever comes touring over here on the western side of the country, I’d be stoked to go to his show and see a moment like this played LIVE…I bet you’d be able to hear a pin drop as he plays this, because even listening to the recording I’m afraid to make any noise that would deter my full attention.

Then of course, you get a song like “Hinamatsuri” where the opposite point could just as easily be made.  The instrumentation on this track is completely mesmerizing…and if this isn’t THE best song on the album, I’d be hard pressed to come up with the name of its replacement.  Again, if we’re measuring the amount of sheer interest a song can generate, then “Hinamatsuri” has gotta be in contention for being the biggest gem in the set-list…it’s got this incredible combination of hypnotic vibes, meditative sound, and outstanding ideas in its melody that you won’t be able to stop marveling at what an achievement this song is.  It’s a resounding example of what real investment sounds like…focused musicianship that never wavers or loses sight of the goal…you have to admire the sheer professionalism to be found in every note and tone that you hear.  Could it be played any better than it is?  How?  Don’t get it twisted, I think the very same could be said about the Global Canvas album overall, but it’s individual tracks like “Hinamatsuri” that go a long, long way to remind us about how many noteworthy pieces have been included to make this the cultural success & worldly record that it has become.  Hooks are a great thing to have…and sure, we can debate about what creates those…I personally think real interest can be the most powerful hook of all, way more so than any catchy sing along chorus could ever be.  I listen to tracks like “Angkor Wat” and “Hinamatsuri” and I’m practically beyond reach…you’d have to physically shake me to get my attention off these songs, and even if you managed to, I wouldn’t be happy about giving it to ya!  Listening to music like “Hinamatsuri” is an authentic experience that’s far beyond typical.

Ultimately, that’s been the real success story of Global Canvas.  The less typical or familiar things have been, the more impact the material has made.  Plus, the ending of this album has been filled with tremendously strong material made with the most delicate touch & resounding technique.  Much like how I felt towards “Angkor Wat,” the song “Peace Flute” is a stunning highlight that once again proves how enchanting Korb’s musicianship can be when he’s on his own solo.  In my personal opinion, I don’t know if there’s a more compelling example of his material than what you hear in “Angkor Wat,” “Hinamatsuri,” and “Peace Flute” being featured back-to-back-to-back.  There might be examples of tracks I might enjoy just as much scattered throughout the album, like “Isla Grande” or “Kindness” or even “Dream Of The King” earlier on, but if we’re talking about three songs in a row, look no further than tracks number fourteen to sixteen on this very record.  “Peace Flute” has such a stoic serenity and confident calmness to it that it audibly feels like it’s got the power to heal you.  Serene and beautiful, some of Ron’s most threadbare moments on Global Canvas are the ones actually filled with the most detail.  His use of the space around him on “Peace Flute” is every bit a part of the atmospheric magic.

As we head to the finish line with “Three Kingdoms Prelude” setting the stage for what feels like a Celtic ceremony of sorts, the final song “Three Kingdoms” ends up smoothing things out for a more cross-cultural experience that captures the hybrid nature of Global Canvas perfectly, without saying a word.  The music has spoken volumes beyond what any words ever could, and believe me when I tell ya, that includes this here review that you’re reading right now.  Anything I could say, or have said, pales in comparison to the experience of listening to this record and feeling this music flow through you.  I felt like “Three Kingdoms” was an excellent way to conclude this album, especially considering the fact that it really does feel like you’re experiencing a more concentrated effort to create a song that acts like a bridge between realms, cultures, and people…it highlights sounds from far away, but brings us all closer together as a result of its clever composition.  So much thought, skill, and talent has been put into this record, and tracks like “Three Kingdoms” reminds us that diversity has been its true strength all along.  I’m fantastically impressed by this effort from Ron Korb from start to finish – it’s amazing to be able to visit so many different cultures and styles of sound without even having to leave the comfort of your own home – he’s done an exceptional job of bringing an entire world of music right to your speakers.

Find out more about Ron Korb from his official website at:  https://www.ronkorb.com

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