Hearing Aide: Holly Bowling ‘Distillation of a Dream’

music-of-phishListening to tribute albums of your favorite band can be hit or miss, but it’s almost always an interesting experience. Holly Bowling’s Distillation of a Dream is no different. She took an assortment of Phish songs, listened to them and transcribed them by ear for solo piano. This album is different from past Phish tribute albums, such as the bluegrass or string quartet tributes, in that it consists of a single musician on a single instrument. The sound and feel are very different.

The aural skill required to take on the task of transcribing not only studio versions of songs featured on the first disc of Distillation of a Dream, but also the complex jams in the three live songs Bowling recorded for the second disc, is commendable. She does justice to the variety of songs she chose for the album. While many fans might already be familiar with her rendition of the “Tahoe Tweezer,” it’s worth giving a listen to the other songs. The album starts off a bit rough with “My Friend, My Friend,” but improves immediately with “The Horse > Silent in the Morning.” Some of the songs seemed to be odd choices for solo piano, such as “Wingsuit” or “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing”. But those turned out to be some of best songs on the album. There are moments when some of the songs seem unrehearsed. There are moments with small imperfections. Some of these imperfections, like pauses that don’t fit with the song, detract from the music, while others, like slight variations in the tempo, bring that organic feeling of Phish.

Overall, Distillation of a Dream is a solid, creative tribute to Phish. The album reflects the difference between studio Phish as heard on disc one, and live Phish as heard on disc two. However, it is almost as though the first disc feels like a warmup to the more complex second disc. Bowling’s musicality, experience and talent are in full display on this album. The creativity and effort put into the re-creation of these Phish songs and jams make for a fun and interesting listen.

Holly Bowling will be making a few stops in the northeast on a short fall tour. She will perform at The Massry Center for the Arts at The College of Saint Rose on Oct. 28, and in nearby south Burlington, VT at Higher Ground supporting Pink Talking Fish on Oct. 29. She will also be performing at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 in New York City on Nov. 8.

Tickets for both shows are still available. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Key Tracks: Harry Hood, Wingsuit, Fly Famous Mockingbird, all of disc two

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_5l6zMrcD0[/embedyt]

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