Highlighting William Aura

[Found Goat]

Of the music artists that would make my Top Ten list of names of favorite (solo) instrumentalists, William Aura would be among them.

In this thread I would like to highlight two of my most listened to William Aura albums. They are very different from each other in style but equally loved by me.

Aura will be a name recognizable to anyone familiar with the '80s/90's 'adult contemporary' genre that was -- a genre grounded, more down-to-earth than "New Age," however often it was for walk-in music stores during the day to file Adult Contemporary artists under the (very broad) "New Age" section.

..Incidentally, not a notable release but still worth mentioning is Aura's 1987 album, Half Moon Bay. It's listenable, with "Come My Way" and the title track its two best songs but, for me, the album plays somewhat amateurish in tone; it has the feel of a musician just starting out in his career, not yet having come into his own. Nothing all that special, but good enough...

Then, as if out of nowhere and a clear blue sky, along came Aura's 1991 album, Paradise.

Tropical Breeze 22:25
Serenity 14:52
New Dawn 23:23
Watersong 7:40

Note the length of these tracks. Needless to say, Paradise demands of its listener ample time, patience, and one's undivided attention in order for it to be thoroughly appreciated and to experience its full intended effect. In just four short years, Aura's sound had matured and remarkably so; akin to the difference between night and day.

The following year would also see the release of Every Act Of Love. I remember falling instantly in love with this album the moment I heard the first few seconds of it. To this day I play it repeatedly and never tire of it -- it speaks to my soul. Seldom, also, does one see in today's world such innocent (read: neither dark nor weird) cover art, as the cover image to this release: A picture of a smiling, happy human, so childlike and pure.

Indeed, both Paradise and Every Act Of Love are truly 'diamonds in the rough': equally uplifting are they; a refreshing escape from all the gloomy, grungy garbage that passes for (mainstream) 'music' nowadays -- but, again, two albums quite different from each other in style. The former I would describe as contemporary classical; the latter, pop instrumental.

Paradise -- what I personally consider to be Aura's crowning achievement, with its artistically textured, layered use of breezy flutes and airy harps -- is especially exceptional and most transporting. As noted above, 'tis a recorded rarity, a real gem, comprised of 4 extended compositions, that sends me to a timeless, beautiful, imaginary oasis, where lightness, peace and tranquility are ubiquitous and eternal. Obviously, not to everyone's liking and an acquired taste, to be sure.