Forever Friends

Description

Forever Friends is the sophomore solo album by the Colombian-born, US-based flutist and saxophonist Justo Almario of Koinonia fame, released on Meadowlark Records ‎in 1985, manufactured, marketed, and distributed by Sparrow Records. The album was part of the Meadowlark Series, a series of contemplative instrumental albums launched by Sparrow Records in late 1985, sub-titled “Music without words for thoughts without limits” and later ammended to “Music for your personal retreat“. The album was produced by Bill Maxwell assisted by Justo Almario.

Music for Your Personal Retreat (PROMO TEXT)

Justo Almario – Forever Friends

Colombian-born flute and tenor sax player Justo Almario has over 40 albums to his credit, but this one is different. Even more than his two releases with Koinonia, Justo explains that this one “gave me the opportunity to explore the more melodic and mellow.”

When searching out other musicians to get him in the contemplative mood, he might turn his turntable on to hear anyone from Bartok to Coltrane, from fellow South American composers to Swiss harpist Vollenweider. But to record his own “listening album,” he turned to Koinonia friends such as Abraham Laboriel, Alex Acuna and Hadley Hockensmith.

“Peaceful, yet rhythmic” is how Almario both describes and fashions the flow of his newest project, produced by Koinonia/Keith Green veteran Bill Maxwell.

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Sharing” – 6:08
A2. “Song For Lea” – 6:11
A3. “Forever Friends” – 5:05
A4. “Siciliano” – 3:13

Side Two
B1. “Beautiful” – 5:05
B2. “Skipping Pebbles” – 4:14
B3. “To The Praise” – 3:50
B4. “My Love” – 3:50

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Meadowlark Records.

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CREDITS. Produced by Bill Maxwell with Justo Almario as assistant producer. Engineered by Win Kutz with Matthew Warnick as assistant engineer.

Musicians: Justo Almario (Flute, Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax, Lyricon, Vocals), Russell Ferrante (Piano, Keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Synthesizer), Jimmy Tanaka (Synthesizer DX-7, Log Drums, Fender Rhodes, Piano, Vocals), Hadley Hockensmith (Acoustic Guitar, Guitar), Abraham Laboriel (Bass), Larry Klein (Bass), Bill Maxwell (Percussion, Drums, Vocals), Alex Acuña (Percussion, Programming, Drums, Pan Flute).