Michael William Gilbert

“One of the best albums of pure musical bliss I have heard in a while is I Can See From Here by Michael William Gilbert. It is a breath of fresh air in today's musical landscape too often cluttered with the average. I Can See From Here gives new life to styles of music rarely, if ever, heard on modern radio. The songs are expertly crafted, and the flow of the album definitely had me wanting more at its finale. A very well timed release, potentially worthy of a 2011 Grammy nomination. - Cashbox “If the NPR radio show, Hearts of Space, were hipper and less ambient, it would fall over itself playing Michael William Gilbert's I Can See From Here…Gilbert approaches his task multi-focally, generating first a sonic-rhythmic landscape over which to spread his sound colors: everything from electric piano and Fender jazz bass, to vibraphone and human voices

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“One of the best albums of pure musical bliss I have heard in a while is I Can See From Here by Michael William Gilbert. It is a breath of fresh air in today's musical landscape too often cluttered with the average. I Can See From Here gives new life to styles of music rarely, if ever, heard on modern radio. The songs are expertly crafted, and the flow of the album definitely had me wanting more at its finale. A very well timed release, potentially worthy of a 2011 Grammy nomination. - Cashbox “If the NPR radio show, Hearts of Space, were hipper and less ambient, it would fall over itself playing Michael William Gilbert's I Can See From Here…Gilbert approaches his task multi-focally, generating first a sonic-rhythmic landscape over which to spread his sound colors: everything from electric piano and Fender jazz bass, to vibraphone and human voices. The mood of the recording is one of perpetual motion. There is nothing ambient about this music, however. It is kinetic, even hyper-kinetic, always moving. Where ambient music can serve as a background distraction, Gilbert's music demands input of the listener, revealing something new and novel with every spin…Gilbert has created his own sound universe on I Can See From Here, a stylistic mash-up that reveals musical secrets like the fog burning off of a summer's day.” - All About Jazz “…an enjoyable disc that, despite its technical savvy, still has a big heart. Gilbert is a rocker at heart and the energy level on I Can See From Here remains high.” - GoodSound “This (is a) dense and rich aural tapestry of adventure. I can guarantee you won’t hear music that’s like this anywhere else – this is purely original & right from Mr. Gilbert’s soul. A most highly recommended, an EQ (energy quotient) rating of 4.98, as well as the pick of this issue for dark-horse CD and most adventurous music. As I said earlier, this is a totally unique musical experience that you owe to your ears!” - Improvijazzation Nation 

 ”Arranged in a percussive surrounding, Gilbert offers a variety of exotic melodies and orchestrations. Despite the technological implications of the synthesized tones, the songs have a very organic quality…a spiritual richness. Amerikan Dream has the album’s sole guest musician, Peter Kaukonen (Black Kangaroo guitarist). He offers a sharp change of pace with reverberating acid-fusion guitar runs. There is a diverse assortment of musical genres, including jazz, folk, fusion, new age and electronic. The pieces resonate with a natural fullness, avoiding pretense. This album is original and commands the attention of the listener.” - Audiophile Audition “Composer Michael William Gilbert has found a place where technology meets the heart. Gilbert's work is an effective fusion of the synthetic sounds and natural samples in songs that commingle African and Asian world music, jazz, and electronica into an intriguing musical journey. Although there is at times a feel of otherworldliness, this is electronic music that maintains its humanity quite well. The album is graced by the contributions of guest Bay-area electric guitarist Peter Kaukonen on the superb Amerikan Dream. Gilbert's interesting new album should open some eyes as to the possibilities inherent in electronic music.” - Jazz Chicago “There is something appealing about the way Michael uses electronics in the creation of his music. The electronic sound on Michael’s music is more human and organic than most pop music nowadays. Special guest Peter Kaukonen plays excellent guitar improvisations over Michael rhythms on the track Amerikan Dream.” - JazzTimes

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