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| Doug Floyd, Nick Coventry, Ralph Gilmore, Amber Norgaard, Jay Trapp, and Joe Ferguson. Photo Courtesy Of Nancy Herndon. |
By Judy
Jennings
Copyright © 2015
“There were days I lost my way, and now I see
The way
home revealed to me
In the
Breath of Life, the Breath of Love
The breath
we all breathe as One . . .
Where we
are free, we are free”
(From “Possibility”)
What’s so unique about Amber Norgaard?
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| Photo By Nancy Herndon |
It’s no one thing in particular. It’s everything, together. While Norgaard is an accomplished songwriter,
vocalist and pianist, the incredible magnetism of her music is to be found in the
message it delivers. Norgaard is on a
mission that’s “not about the money or the name,” and that “goes deeper than
fame” (from “Alchemy”). Amber Norgaard’s
mission is about using her musical talent as an instrument for healing on a
mass level. “Possibility”, from its
exuberant opening track to meditative outro, is a reflection of that intention.
“It feels like a communion with something bigger,” Norgaard
says of “Possibility”, referring both to her message and to the spirit of
collaboration that went into the making of the album. Co-produced by Norgaard and Steven Lee Tracy
of Saint Cecilia Studios, “Possibility” is Norgaard’s most sophisticated effort
to date. While four previous CDs provide
an excellent platform for her uplifting lyrics and soaring vocals,
“Possibility” marries that with powerful instrumentation and masterful studio
mixing that lifts this album to another level.
Norgaard and Tracy were in synch during production in another
way too: Both agreed from the start that
all of the musicians on the album would be paid for their work. Surprisingly, that’s not a given.
As are most of Norgaard’s songs, “Possibility” is filled with
metaphors based on the connection between human beings and the natural
world. “Everything I experience goes
into what I’m writing, from day to day interactions, to nature, to what’s going
on in the world,” Norgaard says. “The
life cycle continues on and on. A lot of
that comes into my music.”
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| Photo By Nancy Herndon |
The title track is a celebration of spiritual and emotional
release, symbolized by the hummingbird.
Nick Coventry is uncanny in his channeling of the bird, with his
swooping, insistent viola, vibrating against the soothing background of Michael
G. Rondstadt’s cello. The bluesy
breakdown in the middle of the song where the gospel choir comes in is one of
the most fun parts of the album.
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| Photo By Nancy Herndon |
“Alchemy,” the first track, pays homage to Norgaard’s
midwestern roots. In fact, the song is
dedicated to her Dad, who’s still working the family farm in Iowa where she
grew up. A rock and roll anthem about
the power of the land and the power of choice, this song features Norgaard’s long-time
band members Doug “Hurricane” Floyd wailing on guitar, Jay Trapp on bass, and
Sabra Faulk on harmony vocals, along with Ralph Gilmore on drums and Steven Lee
Tracy on the organ.
“Possibility” ranges from the intimate solo acoustics of
“Made Of Light,” to Norgaard’s rewritten version of the classic “Morning Has
Broken”, complete with a clapping, stomping choir finale, to the blue collar
rock and roll of “Alchemy”. One of the
most powerful songs on the album, though, is a bluegrass-infused number that’s among
Norgaard’s most recent songs.
When you think about it, Amber Norgaard has three fan bases;
the folk-rock community, the spiritual community, and the community
organizations with which she works.
“Wide Open” is a song that plays to all three audiences. Big enough that anyone could read anything
into it, this highly sing-able song might become a groovy hymn, or as Norgaard
puts it, simply relate to a personal “journey of depth and resurrection.” Doug Floyd’s electric twang and the acoustic
finger-picking of Joe Ferguson craft a joyful bluegrass sound through which
Norgaard sings her way from darkness into light, and makes us believe we can do
that, too.
“Possibility” is the result of a state of creative explosion
that has consumed Amber Norgaard for the past year, a brilliant showcase for her
evolving talent, and a promise that there’s more where that came from. Judging from Norgaard’s talent, dedication,
and commitment to serving a higher purpose with her music, the possibilities
seem limitless.
Purchase the CD at www.cdbaby.com/cd/ambernorgaard4@
