Expect the nostalgic good vibes of smooth jazz and Adult Alternative in abundance on this single, “What The River Knows,” from Richard Isen and Sarah Isen, and one of the genre’s most subtly memorable melodies in a long time.
Sarah Isen was destined to sing. An anonymous donor created her in Berkeley, CA, the daughter of LGBT mothers. She grew up in the same house as her uncle Richard Isen, a professional musician, and award-winning musical theater songwriter.
She got her first concert at the age of 14 at a local senior center, where she performed her favorite songs and some jazz standards taught to her by her uncle Richard. Her donor father agreed to let himself be known during her adolescence, and it turned out that he, too, sang and had been a part of a professional ensemble years earlier. Sarah appeared as avatar St. Luna on Alter Ego.
Richard Isen was a jazz cocktail lounge piano man, television composer, musical theater experimenter, software engineer, and online pioneer. Richard Isen and his piano weave a dreamy, after-hours melancholy with a thoughtful, sympathetic, and frequently hilarious perspective on life and music.
He has an MFA in Musical Theater Writing from NYU and has been nominated for an Emmy Award. He has garnered numerous theatrical prizes and funding throughout the year, including Performing Songwriter magazine designating him Top 12 DIY for his debut release, ‘LET IT FALL.’
This song was written specifically for Sarah to sing and is inspired by Tao Te Ching. Sarah read “The Tao of Pooh” in school when she was 12 and talked about it a lot. Richard Isen was amazed that a young American girl would be captivated by this ancient eastern concept, so he wrote this song to sing whenever she was angry or frustrated.
In their own right, the duo brings a smooth and soulful approach to music and performance; yet, in this latest release, they collaborate for what appears to be a match made in heaven. The recognizable talent adds an unexpected yet magnificently fascinating dimension to “What The River Knows,” allowing an already great song to shine even brighter as it flows through.
Sarah Isen’s voice melts the heart instantly on our latest release. “What The River Knows” is a classically warm, organic song with a jazz/Adult Alternative and soul-infused vibe. By the halfway point, the song has progressed from mildly familiar to unexpectedly excellent, and it continues to hug the listener until the finish.
This entire composition has a humble character to it and every ounce of skill and passion that has led to it, and for these reasons, it stands considerably taller than the great majority of its peers right now. It’s definitely worth a try.
Follow Richard Isen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Website. Follow Sarah Isen on Facebook, and Instagram.
