Rainbow by Robert Stillman

The fact that I ever got to hear this album brings together two recurring themes of this blog; Aquarium Drunkard and Hiss Golden Messenger. As I have done since I first encountered it, I regularly check in on the Aquarium Drunkard site and a few months ago read their glowing appreciation of Robert Stillman's latest album, Rainbow. It registered but at the time that's where it ended. Then more recently Hiss Golden Messenger's Twitter feed posted an equally compelling recommendation (see below). With both these guys praising the album, I was now paying attention. And rightly so. The vinyl is being put out by Orindal Records, a Chicago label "specializing in small-run vinyl & cassette releases of eclectic & eccentric home recordings by solo artists." With shipping costs from the US to the UK seemingly rising daily, I plumped for the download option.

'Rainbow' by @Robert_Stillman. Worth whatever you have to pay for 'As He Walked Into The Field' alone. So gorgeous. pic.twitter.com/6DNngzXGWH

— Hiss Gldn Mssr (@hissgldnmssr) February 20, 2016

On his website Stillman describes the album as, "Six solo-multitracked recordings of woodwinds, pianos, drums, and electronic sound. Composed as dedications to my wife, Anna, my late daughter Ruth, my second-born daughter Romilly, the landscape of my adopted home in East Kent, and my blue station wagon, Warren." In trying to capture what it was about, UK Vibe called it "an ethereal jazz/folk/ambient/experimental hybrid with a gorgeously shameless dose of melancholia". I was blown away by the beauty and intensity of the music. I do not have a deep appreciation of jazz or many reference points, but this music resonated with me.

After I replied to Hiss Golden Messenger's tweet, Robert kindly sent me a message saying he had checked out and enjoyed the blog. That conversation resulted in me buying a vinyl copy of the album directly from him so shipping was more reasonable. If you read the album's backstory, the front cover quote will stop you in your tracks (as seen in the above tweet). The back cover, which Robert says he is particularly proud of, is nicely summed up by Jason Woodbury, who reviewed the album for Aquarium Drunkard, "Stillman sounds as if he’s drawing on a deep reserve of sacred conviction. He’s featured on the back cover with his daughter Romilly and his wife Anna, surrounded by instruments, and the black-and-white photograph speaks to the core of the album: Rainbow is a record of dedications — to family, to traditions, and to musical freedom."