STUART HOFFMAN

This debut offering from New York-born Stuart Hoffman bursts from the speakers with a spirited vocal from African percussionist Marcel Adjibi. Until the concluding reprise, the central focus of the album is a neo-classical/New Age crossover ambience generated by piano, flute, cello, harp, oboe and strings. Classically trained pianist Hoffman composes in a variety of styles for a multitude of instrumental soloists who alternate musical lead lines." A breezy “Spring” featuring flute and strings precedes the pensive French horn and oboe of “Silent Longing.” Piano and flute duets gently implore one to “Open Up Your Heart,” and you’ll smile at children’s laughter amid guitars, keyboards, and a young choir during “Joy to Joy.”

Horns, oboe, and Iman’s guitar pick up the leads in the measured “Hand of Time,” while flute and cello honor a loss in “Gone.” Flutes, oboe, and strings are lushly layered in the final two songs.

Hoffman writes in the linear notes, “There is always music; every day there is a song, or songs, waiting to be discovered. Just being able to allow the music to channel, to manifest through, is the most rewardingand uplifting part of the composing process.” He has scored beautiful orchestrations for numerous ensemble instruments to accompany his understated piano and keyboards, making this initial project especially pleasing.

There’s a reason this album includes the word “longing” in the title. Every track on Stuart Hoffman’s latest recording evokes a melancholy yearning in the soul. The music speaks to the unfulfilled in all of us, and draws it out for expression in a remarkable emotional experience.

Hoffman expresses the mysterious and unformed inside of us, coaxing it to the surface to be felt and experienced.

Standouts include “Waiting” with its Johnny Clegg-ish sounding African rhythms and the yearning of tribal voices for a homeland long gone (guest vocalist Marcel Adjibi.) Track two, “River of Kindness,” veers off in a completely different direction, a simple melody anchored by a delicate piano arpeggio, augmented with a flute that yearns for satisfaction.An airy, plucked string sound induces a (yes) yearning for spring on another track (“Spring.”) One can almost see the fresh green sprouts peeking out of the ground. Peggy Baldwin’s cello cuts across the green like a voice from the soul.

My favorite was “Open Up Your Heart,” which is beautiful, spacious, and wistful in its longing. It’s also deeply relaxing. Flautists Richard Hardy finds a melody that is sad and hopeful at the same time, like coming out of a storm into a warm, but empty house. Hoffman tugs at emotional strings with this one. Silent Longing is perfect for those days when what you want seems very, very far away. (MC)

Stuart Hoffman - Silent Longing
Phenomenal. In a word, that’s the way to describe the new album by Stuart Hoffman. Jazzish new age music mixed with a world music edge is a little more verbose, but phenomenal suffices. Silent Longing comes from those fine folks at Max Music & Entertainment down in sunny Miami, and the label’s locale comes shining through via the music they choose to release. Keyboardist Hoffman, along with a host of other musicians including guitarist Manuel Iman, weaves a portrait of lazy days spent lounging and the long nights missing someone near and dear. One stand-out player is flautist Richard Hardy whose sensibilities give this CD a nice edge.