Still Gazing At The Moon
John Mills
2007/EverSound
46:00

What is the measure of John Mills’s success? If you were to measure him quantitatively then his three discs in fourteen years is an utter failure. However, if the measuring stick is quality despite his once in a blue moon showing, then he is an outright genius by taking the time and tenacity over his trade. That said, the slightly adorned “sequel” Still Gazing At The Moon is an utter triumph that will leave you quietly howling at the moon.
                           
While John Mills’ guitar work on Hallowed Moon was sparingly complimented with some very light percussion and strings here and there, this winning format is expanded upon slightly with Still Gazing At The Moon. Lisa Harbor repeats her elegant touches as guest musician on violin and viola but this time around John adorns his compositions with light sprinkles of saxophone, flute, piccolo and tin whistle.

Those of you concerned with Mills trampling his winning formula that he discovered last time around need not be concerned. The album opens with the bare essentials of “Wish” followed by the melancholy of “Left Counting The Stars” that include light string embellishments. In utter contrast, there is the optimistic and invigorating “Joy” with a most memorable melody that will leave a smile on your face and your worries and cares at the door. By this time Mills has you hooked and gently introduces a drop of saxophone to the title, which is a new texture and tone for this mild but inspiring artist. There is also the more percussion driven “Into The Blue” but once again Mills keeps the pastoral and passionate pulse perfectly balanced.

Just prior to closing out the disc with the stark yet sweet “One Small Step”, Mills presents his listeners with his most adventurous composition to date entitled “Facing Into The Sun”. Clocking in close to eleven minutes, the song is divided into three parts. It is here where the additional nuances are the most obvious with the wind instrumentation being the most distinct. Mills even seeks assistance from Lisa Harbor on “Sunrise” Part 3 both as a musician and writer.

It has been over eight years since John took us to his creative moonlit skies. That said, the “sequel” is not a carbon copy of its predecessor. Instead of just a beautiful Hallowed Moon, John stretches his heavenly artistic canopy and adds a few sparkling stars via the additional instrumentation, leaving you Still Gazing At The Moon in awe of its astonishing mystery and wonder.

CD available at:
amazon.com
eversound.com
johnmills.com.au

Hallowed Moon
John Mills
1999/EverSound
54:45

After discovering the stirring acoustic guitar work of Tony Sandate last year, a desire to find accessible yet inspiring fretwork had been awakened. However, the exploration did not take long but it did require some archive digging courtesy of the EverSound label. They released an intriguing album by the unpretentious but provocative Australian guitarist John Mills back in 1999. Much like Sandate’s Sunset Meditation, this overlooked disc has the paradox of being equally accessible, as it is astute.

Largely disregarded Stateside, Australian guitarist John Mills has quietly impressed critics but apparently commercial success has avoided him. Listening to Hallowed Moon only seems to make this issue more puzzling as it is an album of quiet joy. In addition, with the exception of “Away In a Manger” and “Oh Where Would I Go” the album is pre-occupied with original compositions from the guitarist.

Hallowed Moon concentrates on John Mills’ guitar work though it does include embellishments from a few guest artists. One such guest is Lisa Harbor who adds her evocative violin and viola work. The most obvious track that features her is “This Winter’s Sadness” and most likely “Rhea’s Song”. Both tracks are reflective and poignant. In fact, this tone is also well represented by the opening track “So The Wind Won’t Blow It All Away”. Fortunately, the song is as lengthy as its title and is as refreshing as a soft gentle cool breeze on a warm summer day.

However, this album is more about Mills and his exquisite guitar work. His most optimistic work can be found courtesy of “For You”. Ever so lightly embellished by his minor percussion effects, the song is an utter bliss of melody and performance. This sanguinity is revisited on the closing track “An Unusual Summer”. However, if the more ambitious themes are preferred then check out “To The Hallowed Moon”. It clocks in over 8 minutes of music and during that time John explores the entire neck of his guitar without ever going over the top. It also features the labor of Lucy Bellfrage on oboe. Meanwhile, the illuminating “Into The Dark Night” explores a more classical guitar performance.

CD available at:
amazon.com
cduniverse.com
eversound.com