Oktober County: Contemporary, Ancient And...

Oktober County: Contemporary, Ancient And...

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Neal Hellman chose his favorite time of year to inspire his bittersweetly lovely title tune - other originals include Durango, Little St. Anne, Picnic on the St. Croix and La Mort de Coucy. Oktober County also features arrangements of French and Italian early music including Douce Dame, El Tutu and Lauda de Maria Maddalena; O'Carolan's Sheebeg Sheemore, and more. Traveling down Highway One between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz on a fall day with the ocean on one side and the pumpkins on the other and the sky this incredible blue coming alive with the songs of the gulls, pelicans and cormorants...

A walk through the New England countryside in the same month of October with all the trees saying their multi-colored goodbye till next spring...

It's such a bitter sweet time of the year: a time of the harvest and fulfillment and yet a time of sadness for one knows the beauty of Autumn will soon be gone.

October has always been my favorite month. Whether traveling down the California coastline, driving through the high desert at late afternoon or just walking up Fifth Avenue in New York City and gazing at the warm sun through the reflection of the Chrysler Building.

Oktober County is those feelings I have for this time of year set to music. Many of the compositions on this recording have that "happy-sad" theme.

Durango is a fall song for Colorado while La Mort de Coucy is my homage to the brave 14th century knight. Little St. Anne is my tribute to a courageous young handicapped girl while Oktober County is my musical impression of central California during pumpkin season.

Picnic on the St. Croix was inspired by Americana and Robertson's Unreel is for harper extraordinaire Kim Robertson. It was from Kim that I learned the two Laudas which are ancient Italian church melodies. El Tutu was gleaned from the playing of the group Calliope and Sheebeg Sheemore is the legendary tale of two fairy hills written by the blind Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan.

I hope you enjoy your visit to Oktober County.

Product Description
As an independent label, we've worked hard to develop a distinctive sound — part-folk, part-classical, all-acoustic instrumental music. We feel our music is indeed unique, and we've never compromised in our determination to produce only the highest quality, most beautifully packaged recordings.

Gourd has licensed music to Warner Bros. Music, Narada, Hearts of Space, Windham Hill, The Disney Channel, A&E and The History Channel. Selections from the Gourd recording The World Turned Upside Down were featured on the Ken Burns documentary Thomas Jefferson. Three Gourd recordings were featured on Ken Burns' latest project ( a documentary on Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton) on PBS.

Tracks:

Durango
La Mort De Coucy
El Tutu
Douce Dame
Robertson's Unreel
Little St. Anne
Lauda
Lauda Di Maria Maddalenna
Picnic On The St. Croix
Sheebag Sheemore
Oktober County

Album Description

As an independent label, we've worked hard to develop a distinctive sound — part-folk, part-classical, all-acoustic instrumental music. We feel our music is indeed unique, and we've never compromised in our determination to produce only the highest quality, most beautifully packaged recordings.

Customer Reviews:

This Music Is Magical.......2006-06-13

October County and everything else on the Gourd label is magical. I say that because of the impact that this music has upon one's mental/emotional state. It really will put you in your 'happy place'. It is the ultimate contemplative, quiet-time music...it will make you feel beautiful.

Truly inspiring!.......2000-11-25

A musician friend of mine gave me a copy of this years ago when I bought my dulcimer with the intent of inspiring me! It did just that! The instrumentation is outstanding. A little bit of western, blue grass, celtic -- one moment you're picturing Maverick riding over the countryside, the next minute you're swept away to a Renaissance moment. Each song is vastly different from the others -- exciting, yet soothing -- and all with a distinctly Oktober feel. I play it constantly in my car. I'm so afraid the tape will wear out, I'm buying the CD!

Darn you....go and ruin my rep like that..........2000-06-27

Yikes! I don't generally *LIKE* instrumental music [or even tolerate?]. Too sappy, too happy. Too cold, sterile, impersonal. Too "is this fluorescent light giving you a migraine?" Too perfectionistic...too manipulative...too "in lack of emotion, just add strings" mock emotional pie...What happened? Why is this different? Simply....it's good. Very, very, very good. I bought this CD for my father...now I need to go and get another one. It's worth the money.

This is my absolutely favorite albulm of all time!.......1999-09-03

I used to work in a bookstore that sold some music. This was one of our best selling cds that we ever carried. Granted I played it quite frequently. I have personally worn out 3 cassettes & 1 cd; I'm on my 2nd cd. It is wonderful for quite solitary times. It always brings me peace. I love listening to it for sleeping, hot soaky bathes & around the campfire. I don't no a single person who hasn't liked though they might not have LOVED it as much as I have. You can't go wrong with this cd.

An autumn delight of a musical feast.......1998-10-09

Neal Hellman, of the highly talented group of Northern California musicians, the Gourd group, specializes in instrumental versions of traditional and modern Celtic airs. This includes some of the loveliest offerings from this genre, including an unforgettable version of Turlogh O'carolan's best piece, "Sheebag Sheemore." I've played my copy to pieces. A musical treat.