Swathed between two flutes and a mesmerizing piano, the new instrumental song “Liama” is a lovely reminder to slow things down and listen to the music. Ensconced in an imaginative song for the listener’s taking, the duo behind “Liama” are New Jersey’s Steve Markoff and Patricia Lazzara, with Allison Brewster Franzetti helming the piano.
As a listener, the only rush I encountered in “Liama” is the motion created from the double-flute action. Markoff’s alto flute seamlessly intertwines with Lazzara’s concert flute. The movement these sounds create is at times distinctively different, and when the two instruments are combined, the layering effect is added depth to an already full sound. When Franzetti’s piano chimes in, it’s equally warm-sounding.
“Liama” has subtle ways of emphasizing the hills and valleys. Thought-provoking indeed, as a listener, I felt like the narrative to this track is at its height just at the beginning of the song. As the flute makes its entrance, it peeks into the song like a toe dips into the water, and channels that energy from there-on-out. The down beat to this song, is never low in the sense that it’s a murky sound or bass-heavy experience.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-Lazzara-Allison-Brewster-Franzetti/dp/B0842XJ29H
It was a bit of a challenge as a listener to not feel the need to have a dramatic percussion. The rippling effect from the flute sound is there, and it definitely sends shockwaves into the listener’s ear. The symbiotic relationship of the two flutes is substantial enough. The tone of the song is elevated with the piano, the flute is poignant in its own right. I must say I loved the song fine enough with just the flute-sound, but by bringing in the piano the song gained satisfying embellishments.
What I did feel while listening to “Liama” is hope and comfort. That freedom to focus-in on the sound of my breath, uber focusing on the balance between the piano and the flute. I loved that space that I entered. It opened up and let my imagination wander through different settings of past, present and even future dreams. It wasn’t just a relaxing song, it invigorated my soul.
A little bit more about Markoff – he’s quite verse in various styles like Celtic, baroque, jazz, opera, jazz and so on. Lazzara is a three-time winner of the Artists International Competition and has performed on such esteemed stages as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Franzetti is a two-time Latin Grammy nominee (2014, 2018) for Best Classical Album and is a 2008 Grammy nominee for Best Instrumental Soloist Without Orchestra. What gives “Liama” the richness, the textures are off of these accomplishments combined. As the adage “don’t bore us, get to the chorus” applies so well to pop rock music tracks, the same can be send with these virtuosos coming together. They trim the fat and keep the camera on the notes that matter most. The notes that make the most lasting of impacts – all combined in “Liama”. “Liama” is from Markoff and Lazzarra’s upcoming Romances in Blue album.
Jodi Marxbury