Reviews of Dana’s Music
Reviews of Hindmarsh CDs
Old Father Time
Dana Paul Robinson delivers another endlessly charming Jazz Ballad with timeless classic appeal that speaks right to the heart of a world that stands uncertain of the future, and swooning for elements of a romantic past. From its sentimental, sampled intro, to its bombastic final refrain, “Old Father Time” is a carnival for the ears, lighting up with brilliant brass, consoling keys, and a full instrumental cast, masterfully arranged by Andrew Farstar to lift Jeff Reim’s heavenly vocals up, up and away in this heartfelt pleas to the passage of time. Mary Wildsmith, Radio Airplay
Danger
Close you eyes and let yourself be swept away in the mysterious current of Dana Paul Robinson’s “Danger”, brimming with top-notch vocals, romantic, spicy instrumentals, and a melody full of intrigue. Stefanie Griffin’s captivating voice steals hearts with her high-powered delivery of the song’s alluring insinuations of peril, while Andrew Farstar’s superb arrangement masterfully layers together luxurious layers of strings, European accordion-like features, subtle chorus accents, and mature percussion, accentuating David Zipse’s highly expressive, dynamic performance on the piano, and transporting listeners far away on a thrilling sonic adventure. Mary Wildsmith, Radio Airplay
Journey
Dana Paul Robinson has crafted a uniquely beautiful reflection on the sense of purpose, or lack thereof, we struggle with throughout our lives. “Journey” is just that – a journey through the melancholic longing that comes with youth, age, or simple survival – and Dana Robinson has masterfully captured the sentiment through engaging instrumentals and heartfelt vocals, all the while bringing a sense of originality and authenticity to the topic. The instrumentals are really clear and supportive, and the surprise sax solo is both innovative and steeped in nostalgia… culminating in the masterful line “When do the sounds turn into a song, and the journey get underway”. Really great songwriting! _Jon Wright, Radio Airplay
Look Around
“Look Around” bears a visceral sentimentality and a depth of emotional expression delivered through poignant orchestration, heartbreaking lyrical content, and outstanding vocal performance. It is a lovely ballad. The orchestration is perfect – organic and balanced while lending a very grand sort of gravity to the song. The cascading piano part that begins at 2:21 is sublime beneath Ms. Joy’s strong vocals. The use of the song’s melody in the instrumentation both at the beginning and during the interludes gives a strong sense of classical drama and narrative cohesion to the sound – really well done. Melodically, “Look Around” is highly memorable and emotionally evocative – which is exactly what a composition of this nature needs. – Jon Wright, Radio Airplay
Empty Blue
The vocal stylings of Andrew Farstar put a lovely shine across the whole of Dana Paul Robinson’s brilliant writing in this rendition of “Empty Blue”. Boasting expertly selected voicings and inspiring melodic and harmonic composition, “Empty Blue” is a smooth and sultry piece that perfectly captures deeply emotional sentiments through the beautiful lens of classic jazz. The arrangement here is intensely lovely – the dynamic swells and gorgeous vocal tones are deeply intimate and emotionally evocative. The horn solo are delightful, adding a really nice brightness to the song while maintaining very succinct melody and mellow tone. The strings are nice and lush in the background and the piano supports fully. – Jon Wright, Radio Airplay
Scorpios
This astrologically themed tune is quite a departure from all of the previous songs I’ve reviewed by Dana Paul Robinson. The arrangement feels much more experimental, fresh and contemporary. I absolutely loved the melody and how the song has a breakdown, radically changing the mood. Of course, certain signature things remain the same as in Dana’s previous songs such as his truly admirable ability to cook up clever lyrics that make you laugh out loud, yet there’s always something sobering and honest – a message – for the listener. “Scorpios” transcends cultures, however, I would argue that all of Dana’s work touches on universal themes appealing to people everywhere. The lyrics are clever and very funny. Dana is a brilliant lyricist! – Ama Cruz, Radio Airplay.
I’ll Be Here
Jeff Reim gives us a memorable performance in this song by Dana Paul Robinson. In “I’ll Be Here” we get a fresh new direction in Dana Paul Robinson’s music, showing off his ability to write operatic pop/adult contemporary vocal music. This is for audiences who love soft ballads with great voices and cinematic/Broadway-type instrumental moments. Check out “I’ll Be Here” go day dream, or get lost in Reim’s voice. Ama Cruz, Radio Airplay
Until
From the first moments of “Until”, listeners are transported by the compositional stylings of Dana Paul Robinson. Beginning with a jazzy Bossa Nova feel and quickly incorporating the soothing vocal qualities of Sevil Sabah, “Until” carried a lilting, satin sheen that lulls listeners ever deeper into a soundscape of smooth sailing and gentle breeze – inviting us to take a moment just to wonder. The overall feel is really wonderful – there’s a lovely fullness to the sound while still retaining an airy sense of organic expression…. Excellent lyrics, and wonderful performance from Ms Sabah….. The strings are sublime, filling the space but not dominating or drawing attention away for the lead lines….This is a really excellent composition. – Jon Wright, Radio Airplay
Your Smile
There’s something undeniably lovely about a duet. Something about the give and take of masculine and feminine energy in vocal harmony is both timeless and temporary – and extremely compelling. The sound of this piece is nostalgic, calling back to Broadway classics and a time when contemporary composition was meant to elicit and emotional response rather than entertain alone. Dana Paul Robinson’s “Your Smile” is like the soundtrack to a long-lost love scene, and one listen is bound to have you longing for more! –Jon Wright, Radio Airplay
Bright New Horizons
Arranged by Andrew Farstar “Bright New Horizons” is an instrumental escapade written by the composer for a good friend on the occasion of the latter’s becoming a septuagenarian. It is a lilting and lovely waltz presaging happy and carefree years to come. As such it serves as an appropriate conclusion for this album which ends with an open and hope-filled embrace of the future. The composer
