Mike Oldfield Returns to Ommadawn and Pianist Michael Whelan Plys Us to Sleep.
Weekend listeners hear Mike Oldfield talk about Return to Ommadawn. He’s best known for his 1973 epic, Tubular Bells, but one of his most beloved recordings is his third album, 1975’s Ommadawn. Like Tubular Bells it was two, side-long journeys, this time into a sound that was pastoral, Celtic and African. Oldfield spins back to that time with a new album, Return to Ommadawn, on which he plays over 20 instruments in crafting a composition that echoes the original without retreading it. From his Bahama home, Oldfield talks about his Return to Ommadawn.
Then weekend listeners will hear Michael Whalen, who is a skilled keyboardist and composer who has nearly 20 albums to his name ranging from electronic ambiences to solo pianos in reverb. His latest album, Dream Cycle, is inspired by his difficulties with sleep and health. It’s all electronic, but Whalen comes in and plays music from it on solo piano as well as some old favorites.
