Fresh Aire 7

by Mannheim Steamroller

Overview

Chip Davis didn't have to look far for inspiration on Fresh Aire 7, using the occasion to indulge a long-standing interest in the number seven. The result is rather strict program music: the seven chakras are aligned to seven unique works, the seven colors (or "colours" if you live in the U.K. or Nebraska) of the rainbow are transcribed into seven separate notes/instruments, a seven-part rondo is recorded between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on a single day, etc. Of course, this sort of mystic numerology is a natural fit for new age, a point acknowledged when Fresh Aire 7 won the Grammy in 1991 for Best New Age Album, but luck had little to do with it. Combining synthesizers with an orchestra and choir (old pal Jackson Berkey occasionally appears behind the harpsichord), Davis bridges acoustic and electronic sounds together into a new age/classical tapestry more rich in color and effect than most of his contemporaries. Having left medieval rock behind him, Davis has evolved into a savvy electronic composer on a par with Michael Oldfield, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Vangelis, but his electronics are always tempered with a human element. The disc begins with "Conjuring the Number 7," uncorking a bubbly bottle of musical champagne at the onset. "Sunday the 7th Day" re-creates the scene of fox hunts from Davis' hometown region, an engaging confection of light classical music. "The 7 Colours of the Rainbow" may be the most steeped in new age idioms, featuring soothing sounds with rolling notes; "The 7 Metals of Alchemy" is edgier, inviting comparison to contemporary Tangerine Dream or Oldfield. Both pieces rank among the best electronic compositions in the Mannheim catalog. But the album's highlight is the extended work, "The 7 Chakras of the Body." "Chakra 1" starts in the primitive forest, "Chakra 2" mixes mechanical sounds with an Eastern melody, and soon Davis has left the earth in a mix of angelic voices and keyboards that achieves the same effect as Harold Budd's best work. "The 7 Stars of the Big Dipper" closes the disc on a note of childlike wonder. Though "The 7 C's" is really just a puddle of a pun, Fresh Aire 7 is a septemfluous collection of sounds that channels Davis' creative energies, and in the end it's new age's cup that overfloweth. Mannheim Steamroller seems to just get better with age, due largely to Davis' boundless curiosity. ~ Dave Connolly

Product Details

Release Date:	10/15/2021
Label:	American Gramaphone Records
UPC:	0012805500715

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mannheim Steamroller   Primary Artist
Cambridge Singers   Primary Artist,Vocals
Laura Miller   Violin
James Ottaway   Bass (Vocal)
Liba Shacht   Violin
Everett Mirsky   Violin
Stephen Hartman   Harp
Paul Gordon   Tenor (Vocal)
Karen Kerslake   Vocals,Soprano (Vocal)
Roger Moulton   Viola
Robert Swan   Viola
Chip Davis   Conductor,Bass (Upright)
Bobby Jenkins   Oboe,Horn (English)
Collins Trier   Bass
Leonard Chausow   Cello
Mary Hitch   Alto (Vocals)
Jackson Berkey   Harpsichord
Harvey Brough   Tenor (Vocal)
Lawrence Golan   Violin
Joseph Golan   Violin
Arnie Roth   Violin
Caroline Ashton   Soloist,Soprano (Vocal)
Dale Clevenger   French Horn
Charles Pott   Bass (Vocal)
Bradley Opland   Bass
Mark Le Brocq   Tenor (Vocal)
Jo Maggs   Vocals,Soprano (Vocal)
Fox Fehling   Violin
Angus Smith   Tenor (Vocal)
Martin Abrams   Viola
Simone Mace   Vocals,Soprano (Vocal)
Jeremy Taylor   Tenor (Vocal)
Otakar Sroubek   Violin
Clare Wallace   Vocals,Soprano (Vocal)
Frances Jellard   Alto (Vocals)
Donna Deam   Vocals,Soprano (Vocal)
Blair Milton   Violin
Penelope Stow   Soprano (Vocal)
Charles Greig   Bass (Vocal)
John Sharp   Cello
Daniel Strba   Viola
Marlou Jonston   Violin
Alice Render   French Horn
Don Greig   Bass (Vocal)
Alison Smart   Vocals,Soprano (Vocal)
Phyllida Hancock   Alto (Vocals)
Florentina Ramniceau   Violin
Kim Sholes   Cello
Nicola Barber   Alto (Vocals)
Patrick Lee-Browne   Bass (Vocal)
Kim Scholes   Cello
Susanna Spicer   Alto (Vocals)
Charles Gibbs   Bass (Vocal)
Adrian Gola   Violin
Catherine Brubaker   Viola
Gail Salvatori   Violin
Gregory Sarchet   Bass
Li-Kuo Chang   Viola
Samuel Magad   Violin
Rachel Platt   Vocals,Soprano (Vocal)
Marlou Johnston   Violin
Jocelyn Miles   Vocals,Soprano (Vocal)
Mike Chambers   Bass (Vocal)
Peter Gritton   Alto (Vocals)
Andrew Gant   Tenor (Vocal)
Gary Stucka   Cello
Andrew Hammond   Bass (Vocal)
Mary Gingrich   French Horn
Thomas Yang   Violin
Peter LaBella   Violin
James Smelser   French Horn
Walter Preucil   Cello
Victoria Mayne   Cello
Florentina Ramniceanu   Violin

Technical Credits

Bill Bradley   Engineer
Chip Davis   Composer,Producer,Liner Notes,Photography
John Boyd   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering
Brian Ackley   Assistant Producer
Arnie Roth   Orchestra Contractor
Wayne Jesz   Mastering,Assistant Producer,Assistant Production Coordination
Gregory Sadlek   Consultant
Sharon Davis   Photography
Campbell Hughs   Engineer
Louis Davis, Sr.   Keyboard Technician
Campbell Hughes   Balance Engineer
D.L. Cramer Ph.D.   Illustrations
Rick Harrig   Photography
Dennis Di Cicco   Photography