Michel Griffin

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After a symphonic opening, this piece evolves into a lovely, lilting melody which is traded between piano and strings.

Released: March 2004

REVIEWS:

"Michel Griffin gives [the listener] a special feeling of inspiration and relaxation ... he is a great artist." - Ernesto Cortazar

BACKGROUND:

The Still Centre is the first album I released commercially and is quite unlike anything else on this site, being a series of nocturnes for the piano and little orchestral pieces.

The music is unashamedly romantic and relaxing, and a number of people tell me they use it for meditation. Some of the tracks have been picked up to be used as backing tracks for films and videos.

TRACK BY TRACK:

It must be Love - After a symphonic opening, this piece evolves into a lovely, lilting melody which is traded between piano and strings.

The Still Centre - The birdsong in the park, the roar of city traffic, the flutter of your heartbeat - they're all symptoms of life's eternal longing for itself. Chill out. Relax. Become the still centre of your turning world.

Eclipse - This six-minute orchestral piece conjures up all the drama of a solar eclipse - the hush before the blackout, the eerie calm of darkness in the middle of the day, and then the triumphant re-emergence of that distant sphere upon whom our fragile lives depend.

La Tendresse - A piano piece to help you unwind. Lean your head against the music and let it soothe away the strains and cares of this tiring, troubled world.

John’s Song - This duet for piano and cello is an elegy for my father. He always said he never wanted to be old. He got his wish.

A Snowflake Kissed Your Cheek - In the silence of the snowfall, a single streetlamp casts a pool of light which seems to freeze the flakes in mid-fall;a young child swirls and turns in the spotlight like a clumsy ballerina in slow motion, arms outstretched, trying to catch a tumbling snowflake on the tip of her tongue.

A Fond Farewell - A nostalgic evocation of that mixture of tenderness and regret which accompanies every parting from someone or somewhere you love ...

Monte Alban - A dreamy piece for flute and synthesiser, which evokes the spiritual calm of the high temple-strewn plateau in Mexico of the same name.

Joy of Love - Sunlight sparkling off the crystal fountains, the faint whiff of jazz in the air, the bounce in your footsteps, the tang of Spring. It's that softness in her eyes that sets your heart soaring ...

Candlelight - The flickering flame shapes a cocoon of soft light, into which we weave our dreams. An orchestral and choral piece which gradually builds to an inspirational climax.

Francoise - She's funny, she's pretty, she's wise and impulsive. She's generous, she's witty and she is as tender as the buds in May. This tune's for her.

Dreamwing - Above the rippling, lapping ocean waves, a sea bird gently glides in ever increasing circles upwards, ever upwards, riding the thermal that will take her home ...

Standing On the Edge of the Universe - Staring over the rim of the world, poised over the void, sometimes wondering what keeps us all from falling ....

Somewhere Out There - ... there is a star with your name on it.


Click or tap its cover to explore an album:
Mornings+Like+This

A selection of 12 - mostly self-penned - lovesongs.
"A beautiful and emotional listening experience ... " - Facebook
Sep 2021
Dance+Me+To+The+End+Of+Love

A collection of 14 beautifully crafted Leonard Cohen songs.
"[Michel's] takes on Leonard's songs are impressive" - Allan Showalter, founder of CohenCentric.com
November 2019
Feel+My+Love

14 of Dylan's greatest lovesongs.
"Beautifully produced album ... pure joy." - Music- News.com

".. songs positively shimmer and shine ... " - Skope Magazine

"Respectful of the originals while offering his own take on these true-blue American classics, Michel Griffin's Feel my Love: Bob Dylan's Finest Lovesongs simply stuns." - Skope Magazine

"Michel's voice - all velvet & smoke - brings new life to the familiar lyrics ... with such feeling it'll give you goosebumps."- Music- News.com

"Griffin manages to capture Dylan's spirit and personality, and more generally the feeling of the 1960s folk music scene, through his elegiac, romantic delivery and dexterous acoustic guitar picking."- The Big TakeOver

Feb 2017
Atlantic+Avenue

9 originals and 5 covers, including Imagine & Suzanne.
"Spectacular Songs" - iTunes
"Superb musicianship" - Amazon
"A poet's poet of our times" - iTunes
Oct 2013
Ballads+and+Blues

Twenty two tracks of Michel in concert.
"Beautiful voice .. emotive singing ..  fine guitar- work" - iTunes
"An utterly natural and masculine voice." - Amazon

August 2013
Who+Knows+Where+the+Time+Goes

7 original songs and 5 covers, including 'One Too Many Mornings'.
"Stunning Lyrics" - iTunes
"Pure elegance ..." - Amazon
"Brilliantly arranged" - CD Baby


"Michel Griffin's singing can transport the listener to the best of old French cinema..." - Amazon

"Fabulous guitar playing and dramatic accompaniments... This is an album to listen to again and again." - iTunes
August 2008
Russian+Dolls

10 original songs, including 'Russian Dolls' & 'Children of Circumstance'.
"Musical Mastery" - CD Baby
"Well-crafted songs and performance ... A real Keeper!" - CD Baby

"I have rarely heard an album that provides such a compelling combination of poetic and musical pleasures." - CD Baby

"The multi-talented Michel Griffin just gets better and better.." - CD Baby

"I can't say enough good about the album Russian Dolls" - CD Baby

October 2006
Echoes%2C+Waves+or+Ricochets

14 original songs, including 'America, Come Weep, 'Fûr Elise' & 'Freeze the Moment'.
"The new Leonard Cohen ... " - CD Baby
"Masterly songwriting" - iTunes

˜This is one of those rare albums where the lyrics are as good as the melodies. Griffin combines the dexterity of James Taylor's guitar work with the genius of Bob Dylan's poetry. - CD Baby

Michel weaves his magic like an artist on canvas, with inspired lyrics set to haunting melodies that reach deep into your soul. - CD Baby

˜Michel's talent lies not just in his musical prowess but in the eloquence and poignancy of his lyrics." - CD Baby

 

May 2005