Blue Landscapes V - Forever the Sea is the fifth album in the Blue Landscapes series (plus an EP!) that began in 2012 with pianist Robert Thies and flutist Damjan Krajacic. Subtitled “Music from a Quieter Place,” the series doesn’t fit neatly into one specific genre - something I always appreciate! Robert is an active and award-winning classical concert pianist, but his passion for a wide range of musical styles has inspired him to create and express himself through his own compositions (lucky us!). Damjan, who was born in Croatia, is a musician of eclectic styles with a background in jazz and the folk music of Eastern Europe. The music for all of the Blue Landscapes albums was inspired by nature and interpreted through the artists’ unique musical gifts and perspectives. I have reviewed most of the albums in the series and have loved them all. Soothing and relaxing, but never boring, this is truly “soul music” that deserves to be savored many, many times!

Blue Landscapes V - Forever the Sea begins with “forever the sea,” a beautiful piece that expresses a sense of urgency as well as profound peace, energetic movement as well as calm stillness - an amazing start! “our sails know the way” has a hypnotic flow on the piano while the flute dances and sings - again, very peaceful. On “mirror of floating stars” much of the piano part is played in the upper end of the piano keyboard, depicting the sparkle of stars on a clear night while the bass flute (in places) feels more like the darkness itself. Damjan plays a couple of different flutes on this piece - gorgeous and very soulful! “(i’d follow you) to the edge of the world” appears twice on the album - first as a gently-flowing instrumental and again as a vocal on the last track; both are dreamy yet passionate. “through the mist” beautifully captures the atmospheric essence of dense fog, moving slowly and mysteriously. “elle joue sous la pluie (she plays in the rain)” is an amazing example of how tuned in to each other both artists were as they created the music. It begins as a piano solo that makes me think of Erik Satie, and then the flute takes much of the melody, keeping the piece slow and very graceful. I love this one! “where love flows” moves smoothly and very leisurely, with both passion and deep emotion. “quiet shore’s lullaby” is putting me to sleep - it’s SO peaceful and relaxing. Robert plays a repeated pattern (with many variations) that feels like the ebb and flow of gentle ocean waves reaching the shoreline while Damjan’s flute plays a slow, beautiful counter-melody. “the waters between us” is longing and loneliness set to music. It’s amazing how much emotion can be expressed so simply yet intensely - another favorite (although I love the whole album!). “and so it shall be” is also very simple and direct, yet profoundly emotional. It begins with a piano solo, flowing slowly and with resignation. The flute brings even more poignance - especially the breathy final notes. Wow! I give this album my highest recommendation!

Blue Landscapes V - Forever the Sea is outstanding from the first note to the last and proves that Robert Thies and Damjan Krajacic are artists in every sense of the word! The album can be streamed and downloaded from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes, and can be streamed on various platforms including Spotify. Don’t miss it!