MUSIC REVIEWS
• “Living proof intelligence can sing” CBC Radio • “The silent prince of words”, Mercan Dede, Istanbul • “He is a great artist” Kris Kaldwell CKHA 100 FM, Ontario • “an amazing record” Val Cormier, CITR 101.9 FM Vancouver • “His lyrics naturally evoke dear Leonard (Cohen)… great songs” Liona Boyd • “I can understand and feel the sublime poet in his voice and music… it is a joy and honour to perform and record with him.” George Koller • “A superb CD… at times haunting, always lyrical and meaningful – in a word captivating! Steve Clarke, Acoustic Planet, Ches 101.5 FM • “Compelling, a great debut” Doug Gibson, CKWR • “a lyrical genius” Marvin Lagunoff, Manager/Producer, Simon & Garfunkel, Eddie Harris • “Make no mistake about it you have witnessed a major artist”, Free Times Café • “Jeff Bien’s music asserts a belief in the visionary imperative of song. Unapologetically lyrical, Songs of Forgiveness & Prayer, is a fervent exposition of art as incantation.” Mitchell Caplan, CHUO-FM 89 • “Beautiful voices and beautiful songs… it brings you to the heart of spirituality” Julie Miller, CJMQ, Sherbrooke, Quebec • “Jeff Bien brings magic to the spoken word. I have always been touched by his dedication to his art and the tapestry he creates through his music.” Rick Shadrach Lazar • “Performed with a graceful minstrel like quality… the merging of music and lyric shines” Rob McLennan, Ottawa Xpress • “Finally if you want to know what happens if you put Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond and Rumi, into a gene pool, look to Jeff Bien from Kemptville, Ontario. A nominee for World Folk Music Artist, Jeff’s stature as a poet is global in scope. His genius is a genre that doesn’t easily lend itself to categories, but then neither does life. Well it shouldn’t.” Dan Clost’s Greenscapes, The Good Earth columnist • “Very good to have something so finely recorded.” – Tom Coxworth, CKUA • “…very moving (Spirit Mix) – music that inspires, guides, and consoles us.” • Brenda V. CJTR (Saskatchewan) • “Sometimes I glance at his books and it brings me back to the gift of the songs, the ambience, the honesty, the feeling of creativity. This music has already stood the test of time.” Bob Cohen • “Through the high watermark of musicianship, composition, and lyric, he has achieved in this integral collection a fulfillment which is extremely rare in the world.” Erich Kory, Ayer’s Cliff • “I give thanks for the uni-diversity of his work, the wealth of his heart, the song of his stories, and the love of light” Kobena Harrison, CKLN 88.1 FM, Toronto •
