Stairway (band)

Stairway was an English new-age band in the late 1980s.

History

In 1986, after the Yardbirds' reunion project, Box of Frogs, drummer-composer Jim McCarty and guitarist-bassist Louis Cennamo (McCarty's colleague from Renaissance) decided to regroup to create music of a healing nature. Both expressed an interest in what is now known as new-age music, a then-emerging genre characterized by pastoral melodies, gentle shifting textures, echoing ambiances and identification with a growing alternative listening audience.

They subsequently signed with Colin Wilcox of New World Cassettes, a U.K.-based independent label that specialized in "healing music". Consequently McCarty and Cennamo went on to record two cassette albums for the company: Aquamarine (1987) and Moonstone (1988), a mixture of songs and instrumentals. They were joined by keyboardist Clifford White and guest appearances by another Renaissance colleague, vocalist Jane Relf. A later CD release as Moonstone included tracks from both cassettes. These albums were subsequently followed by two albums with the psychologist and spiritual healer, Malcolm Stern: Chakra Dance (1989) and Medicine Dance (1992), which they promoted through a few live performances, mainly at St. James Church in Piccadilly, a video of which is commercially available. Stairway’s New World cassette albums have been re-released on compact disc format. Stairway also resurfaced once more as simply “James McCarty/Louis Cennamo” on Canadian flute player Ron Korb’s Oasis label, releasing Raindreaming in 1995.

Discography

(Note: In the Stairway albums, Louis Cennamo re-spelled his name as “Loui”, reportedly his attempt to avert it being mispronounced as “Lewis” by their American listeners.)

Chronological releases

CD track listing (includes some tracks originally released on "Aquamarine") -

  1. The Lovers
  2. Sunset Point
  3. Bird of Paradise
  4. Blue Pool
  5. Alcazar
  6. Lavender Down
  7. Looking Inside
  8. AquaMarine
  9. Island of Jewels
  10. Ship of Happiness
  11. Dolphin Voice

Personnel :
- Jim McCarty - keyboards
- Loui Cennamo - guitar
- Clifford White - keyboards
- Jane Relf - vocal on 'Moonlight Skater'
Tracklisting :

  1. Light on a Dark Road (McCarty)
  2. Raindreaming Part 1 (McCarty/Cennamo/White)
  3. Raindreaming Part II (McCarty/Cennamo)
  4. Raindreaming Part III (McCarty/White)
  5. Whale Song (McCarty/Cennamo/White)
  6. Moonlight Skater (McCarty/Clayson)
  7. Beautiful Changes (McCarty)
  8. Misty Veil (McCarty/Cennamo/White)
  9. Secret Getaway (McCarty/Cennamo/White)
  10. Collections of Lights (Cennamo)
  11. La Giralda (Cennamo)

External links

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