Toward the Center of the Night (1989, Windham Hill)

This week I will talk about Michael Manring's second album, Toward the Center of the Night, released in 1989-1990.

Basically there's a bit of guitar playing, but it's also relaxing for a soft jazz album. One person said "" which I don't entirely agree. I think "Life in the Trees" is very relaxing, especially the bit with the vocals. It makes me feel like I'm watching the sun set in Africa. "A Way With Birds" is a very catchy tune, despite being short and fast, for something boring, "The Precise Moment of Dusk" has a hauntingly good melody to it, making the rest of the album worth checking out at least once. In other words, I recommend this Michael Manring album to those who aren't too crazy about Manring's bass playing. Here is another rewiew:

5.0 out of 5 stars "There is no guitar on this recording�" April 15, 2004

By Marc Ruby™ HALL OF FAMEVINE VOICE

Format:Audio CD

There is no stauncher advocate for the bass, electric, acoustic, or otherwise than Michael Manring. He has a long history of inventive and skillful playing that covers almost every possible variation of popular, new age, and jazz musicianship. This album, mostly soft jazz, is from 1988, and sets out on uncharted territory, where the only stringed instrument is Manring's bass, using a sparse instrumental style to underline and guide the content of the cuts.

Paul McCandless is the woodwind player who takes a good piece of the burden of balancing Manring's playing. McCandless is no slouch himself, a veteran of the Paul Winter Consort and his own group, Oregon. Both musicians are adept at both solo and consort work and mange the interplay between their parts as if they had practiced for centuries.

The play between the melodic bass line and what amounts to a brassy promenade herald 'Renegade Intellectuals,' while a densely presented minimalism prevails in 'Geometry' and 'The Precise Moment of Dusk'. 'A Brief History of the Wind' is a musical chase scene, where each part skirls about the other trading quotes. Wandering through this are the bluesy bass playing on 'Funk and Disorderly' and the pure new age playfulness of 'Life in the Trees.'

Michael Manring's work is designed to take you out of accustomed groves and display new and enticing possibilities for the listener. Consistently high musical and production standards make this another exceptional album.

Here is the track listing:

1. Life in the Trees
2. A Way With Birds
3. Geometry
4. Near
5. Cats Go Forward
6. Blue Orleans
7. Renegade Intellectuals
8. The Moving Darkness
9. Magnets
10. Far
11. The Precise Moment of Dusk
12. A Brief History of The Wind
13. Funk and Disorderly

To listen to the full album, click here for the playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLECFEC641EA43C42E

Click here to order the album: http://www.amazon.com/Toward-Center-Night-Michael-Manring/dp/B000008I3C