Heading West

Mike Howe is a late comer to performing music and didn't start writing songs until his mid-30's but has made up for lost time by releasing an album a year since he started in 2009. Mike is a multi-instrumentalist and his albums feature a combination of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, piano, drums and bass that allows Mike's talent to shine through regardless of what instrument that he might be using at the moment. Mike was nominated for “Best New Artist” in 2009 and has had nominations as “Best Acoustic Instrumental Album” in 2010 and 2011. Not bad for someone who got into the game late.

Mike's latest album is called Heading West and was recently released on the Real Music label out of California. As you might guess by the title, this album chronicles Mike's travels through the American West. Through some beautiful compositions Mike will leave you marveling at how well he has managed to capture what he experienced on this journey forever in his music. Although Mike is a multi-instrumentalist and can do justice to a variety of instruments on his recordings, he really shines when he picks up his guitar and begins to play his emotions into life. The music on Heading West is a peaceful journey and one that evokes the many landscapes that Mike must have encountered during his time in the West. With titles like “Old Wooden House,” “Badlands,” “Prairie Dreams” or “I Can See For Miles” you can understand some of what Mike was trying to translate into music as he wrote this album. Oftentimes Mike's music reminded me of another wonderful guitarist who has made a name for himself playing in the jazz field named Pat Metheny. There are times that Mike's music on Heading West flirts with a soft jazz vibe, but as you listen it just becomes a part of the overall canvas that he is painting for you while adding a new layer for you to appreciate.

The music on Heading West is emotional music that communicates a deep appreciation of what Mike saw during his travels out West. The trick for any instrumental artist is to tell a story with music alone without using any words to describe what you are seeing or feeling. Heading West is a perfect example of exactly how an artist best accomplishes this difficult task. Listening to Heading West is like sitting down with an old friend who has just returned from an extended vacation trip and wants to tell you all about it. Instead of using the clichéd presentation of photo slides, Mike pulls out his guitar and begins to show you through his songs what he saw on his trip. The songs on this album are intimate in nature in that they communicate the deep feelings that a person has when confronted with the beauty and majesty of nature at its finest. In fact, it might be that a musician has a better chance of sharing such an experience with someone else because they don't have to search for the right words to do justice to what has been seen.

All in all the music on Heading West is of a quiet and calming nature which allows the images that are embedded in the music to be shared with the listener with little or no effort on the part of the listener. Mike Howe's music is a delicate collage filled with images of the vastness of the desert or the prairie and able to take in an old wooden house that he ran across as well. He has skillfully woven all of this together like a quilter pulling together patches of cloth to make a wonderfully beautiful quilt that is much greater than the sum of all its parts. The songs on Heading West weaves together all of the sights of the American West and presents them to the listener as this marvelous creation that can be enjoyed as a whole or as the individual memories (songs) that represent a different part of the overall experience. Mike has crafted a great collection of 14 songs on this latest release and this album certainly does not disappoint this reviewer. In fact, it raises the bar just a bit and now our expectations

of Mike's future music, and perhaps other instrumental artists as well, will shift just a little higher. We will expect just a little bit more the next time we sit down to listen to our favorite musicians.

Some of my favorite songs on this album are “Navajo Wind,” “Desert Solitaire,” “Friends Lost,” and “San Francisco” which by the way, is one of those songs that borders on, if not outright crosses the border into light jazz. I can see the difficulty artists have when they are asked if they have a favorite track on a new release and they are forced to pick a song out of music that they have labored over for months or years, and say they like this one better than the others. Let's just say that all of them are great tracks but the ones above stood out to me over the many times that I have listened to this album over the past few months. Ask me again in a few months' time and I might give a different answer with different favorite tracks.

Just try them all and find your own special songs on this album. You will be glad you did. Recommended by Ambient Visions.

Michael Debbage

Mainly Piano

With Howe’s impressive debut being released back in 2009, every single year he has come up with a new shining jewel to add to his recording treasure chest. However, 2012 represented the first year that Howe was unable to maintain this ridiculous recording pace. Instead, he finally skipped a year with Heading West receiving a formal release in the year of 2013 as well as probably one of his finest recordings to date.

While Howe continues to lay his musical foundation in pastoral yet engaging pastures, Heading West represents a more exploratory recording and is best summed up by the liner notes which state that “through the heart and hands a British guitarist interprets his American travels.” Needless to say, Heading West lightly draws on the strains of folk, jazz and country allowing us as the listener to hear this very intelligent and introspective music become a tad more retrospective without losing his gorgeous original musical voice.

Though Heading West begins like any typical Howe album, by track 3 you will find yourself in somewhat new territory with Howe exploring the light jazzy winds of “Badlands” that is driven by what sounds like a stand-up bass and light percussive work that intermingles seamlessly with Howe’s guitar and piano work. Speaking of percussion work, check out the stark exotic “Navajo Winds” that features Howe on bongos who decides to pick and pluck at his guitar strings versus strumming. Meanwhile, the light orchestration and gentle spacious piano work on “The Last Buffalo” have similar exotic results but this time leaving a sense of openness. It brings to mind the rolling open plains that are now empty and bear with only ghosts of the once great roaming buffaloes. The same exotica can be found on the mystical “Desert Solitaire” that includes Howe’s delectable but restrained guitar work. On the completely different end of the musical spectrum, perhaps the more driven melodic sensibilities of “Wyoming” may also your suit your fancy.

Otherwise, Heading West is filled with Howe’s effortless ability to make outstanding exquisite music, reflecting his musical journal of his stateside journeys. It also represents one of his best recordings to date and undoubtedly one of 2013’s finer musical moments in its genre. So travel west into a sunset with Mike Howe as his music is your perfect engaging travel companion.

Bette Timm

Often musicians have borrowed landscapes to define areas and cultures. Few have done it as well as Mike Howe. On Heading West he provides another exquisite view of nature though his musical compositions. Some of these landscapes are soft and gentle; others are roaming and adventurous as he travels through many different moods on his journey through the South, Southwest and West Coast of the United States. This recording draws on the musical roots of these areas ranging from folk, jazz and gospel influences.

Dan Cowan

Music Design/New Sound

Mike Howe divides his time between being a guitarist and an ecologist at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales. There is a connection between these two endeavors; listen to the music of Howe and you'll instantly sense his kinship with the natural world, evident by his breezy, nuanced guitar rhythms.

Heading West, which marks Howe’s fourth journey with Real Music, features some of his most sublime music to date. The guitar is central on this release, featuring warm, carefree strumming that is accented by keyboards, piano and rhythm. Songs like “Old Wooden House” and “American Travels” have a pensive beauty to them — the guitar harmonies bear a reflective essence, as if Howe is wandering through old haunt reminiscing of past joys. “Badlands” ups the tempo a bit and adds a bit of bluesy groove, while maintaining Howe's signature laid-back flair. A must listen for fans of relaxing guitar music.

Kathy Parsons

MainlyPiano.com

Heading West is the fourth Real Music release from guitarist/composer Mike Howe. An ecologist for Welsh national parks by day, Howe’s uncluttered and heartfelt music is always warm, soothing and reassuring. Proving himself to be quite the one-man band, this time Howe performs on guitars, double bass, electric bass, piano, keyboards, and drums in addition to composing, arranging, performing, and producing the music. With the theme of travels throughout the United States, Howe draws on folk, gospel, and jazz influences to create songs that “are reflections and dreams from my journey.” The simple honesty of these fourteen pieces suggests that Howe spent more time in natural open spaces than in the bustling cities where quiet and serenity can be much harder to find.

Heading West begins with “American Travels,” a soft-spoken piece that moves at a leisurely pace and tells its story via guitars, piano, and drums. “Old Wooden House” suggests a time-worn structure that has seen better days and holds generations of precious memories of days gone by. “Badlands” picks up the tempo a bit, adding jazzy bass rhythms to the lead guitar melody and creating a slightly mysterious air. “Navajo Wind” is solo guitar with simple drum accompaniment (and a little wind sound in the background) — very evocative. “The Last Buffalo” is somewhat more orchestrated, but still very spare and mournful. Keyboards take the lead on this piece, which would be magnificent in a soundtrack — heartbreaking in its beauty! “I Can See for Miles” seems to be about freedom and an appreciation for peaceful solitude. “Friends Are Lost” is an introspective and gentle acoustic guitar solo. I really like “Wyoming,” a very visual and spirited piece that evokes images of wild horses running through vast open space. “Drift” is a rapturous slow dance with a gentle sway. Piano, guitar, and light percussion elicit sighs of contentment. I also really like “San Francisco,” which is a bit jazzier with a slight edge and a somewhat darker hue. This must be a late-night San Francisco that’s away from the often manic downtown area! The album closes with “Prairie Dreams,” tranquility set to music.

Mike Howe has released another beauty … recommended!

James McQuiston, Editor

NeuFutur Magazine

“American Travels” is the initial track on Heading West, and it provides listeners with an insight into the new direction taken by Mike Howe. Howe establishes a very specific atmosphere for Heading West that is bolstered by “Old Wooden House.” There is a pristine and untouched feel to the compositions on this CD that will stick with listeners long after the title closes up. “Hope” is a very deliberate and alluring styling that weaves together small-time coffee house and full-on operatic rock. What results is something refreshing and utterly unique that makes this disc into one of the best we’ve reviewed in the last 12 months.

“The Last Buffalo” is placed smartly in the middle of Heading West; the arrangement is precisely what listeners need to keep interested in the second side of this title. I feel that the combination of aboriginal and classical elements spice things up considerably, allowing Howe to expand his palette considerably.

“Moon Over Saratoga” and “San Francisco” are two late-disc tracks that destroy the conception of musicians placing their lesser efforts later. “San Francisco” is one of our favorite tracks on Heading West as Howe establishes a compelling interplay between the instrumentation and the blank space in which it exists. Purchase Heading West at any well-stocked independent music retailer, online store, or from the Real Music collection. Bookmark Real Music’s website for more information about their 2013 slate. Despite growing up and living an ocean away, there is no denying that Howe is able to faithfully recreate the spirit and the soul of the American West. Top Tracks: “American Travels,” “I Can See For Miles,” “Prairie Dreams”. Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

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Heading West

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More Music By This Artist

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