Many artists would say that their music was inspired by personal experiences, but how many can say that their albums were inspired by their travels? Instrumental artist Lawrence Blatt can. His recently released album, “Longitudes and Latitudes” was inspired by his world travels. His tracks were written in a variety of places, such as Makawao, Hawaii, Florence, Italy and even his hometown of San Francisco, California. I love to travel, so I can truly appreciate this album, and I think you will too.

Written in Makawao, Hawaii, “Two Shades of Sunshine” has a beautiful and soothing melody. The softly strumming guitar and percussion make of this track will make you think of a warm, sunny day. The title track “Longitudes and Latitudes” starts off with a sweet guitar solo, leading into a quiet drum beat and the gentle touch of the piano. Lawrence’s trip to Florence, Italy was the inspiration for “A Place in Your Heart”. The guitar and percussion reflect that amazing and wondrous beauty.

London’s “Hyde Park Bench” is a jazz fan’s fantasy. The dreamy guitar and smooth saxophone make for a romantic evening in the park. This beautiful sound is truly a memorable one. We now head to China with the track “Open Fields and Running Water”. The curious sounding piano and the resounding percussion and strings give this song its glorious sound. The lively beat of the drum and the sound of a warm saxophone in “Two Steps Down the Line” bring us to San Francisco. One might view this song as a welcome home party of sorts after such a wonderful trip.

The sweet and soft flute in “I.M.A.” makes it a fun and light hearted song to listen to. You may even find yourself dancing to it. Our musical travels bring us to Beerse, Belgium, the inspiration for “Morning in Beerse”. Such a soothing song could best be enjoyed during a warm and marvelous sunset. “Upon Griffy Lake” takes a different turn from what we’ve heard so far.  This song includes vocals, whereas the previous songs were primarily instrumental. The vocalist brings a bit of mystery to this track, making you wonder what else is in store for the listening audience.

“The Places Left Behind” leaves us dreaming wistfully of the roads we’ve travelled. “Park Lane” is truly a stunning song. The guitar and horns make it a song that fans will fall in love with. “Noches de Barcelona” is upbeat and a fun song to listen and dance to. The trumpets and strings make this song energetic and one that the fans will count as one of their favorite dance tracks. “Flying Over Ellis Island” starts slow but soon becomes an up-tempo dance track. The strings on the track bring the music to life.

“Slow Walk Past the Bank” is one exciting melody. The quickened beat of the drums and the jazzy sounds of the sax are what make this song so amazing. Finally, we have “Over The Rainbow”, an instrumental version of the Judy Garland classic. This amazing rendition brought a smile to my face, and I found myself playing this song repeatedly.

Lawrence Blatt’s music is absolutely peaceful and wonderful, and it is truly perfect for those who want to enjoy a relaxing day. It’s also perfect for date night, so if you’re looking for the perfect album to play on your next evening out, this is the one. This album will have “the song” for you, so go get a copy and enjoy every minute of it.

Final Grade: A

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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