Sahara Media and Reviews
Sahara Sample Newspaper & Magazine Articles
<
>
Sahara ABC News
Sahara Reviews
The Age "For singer guitarist Dave Long and singer-saxophonist-flautist Trish, their inspirational music, a tidy blend of folk, rock and soul is a celebration of hope, dreams and love.... the duo are now busy performing the breezy,somewhat Doobie Brothers-ish Make My Day, the deeply atmospheric Vision of Glory and sprightly Lets Try Peace at various venues.... Sahara maintain an occasional New Age sense of awe through the use of synth and wind instruments and a healthy litany of enthusiastic calls and responses between the spirited singers" Rating: 3.5 Stars
Late Nite TV USA “Dave and Trish from Sahara originated from Dublin but now call Australia home enlightening Aussies with a special brand of music taking inspiration from both music within the Northern and the Southern hemispheres. Sahara is what I call "organic music", with earthly aural tones of honesty, beauty, driving a very Celtic feel within all tunes on Vision. Dave has an almost eerie "Sting" feel to his vocals, whilst Trish's singing is very akin to the very popular and respected Ellen Foley. This is a great CD for an empowering efficacious effect with each and every listen.” Reviewer: Melanie Score:3.5 Stars
The Border Mail "Sahara's album is a good example of music with meaning. Each song has been carefully crafted to convey a message. From the uptempo beat of "Make My Day" to the melody of "Save A Little Love", this album is one worth adding to your collection."
The Advertiser Adelaide " Bright optimism jumps right out of this disc Make my Day and while the heritage is Irish through and through, the vocal harmonies of Melbourne vocalist - guitarist Dave Long and partner in life Trish do more than make you want to tear the tin off a Guinness. The Floyd - esque Vision Of Glory is an emotive, haunting refrain from the jumping main vein, which relies on a high vibe, even with uncool rock instruments like flute and tin whistle (sorry, Trish)...The bounding, punchy percussive element in Party Time shows the kind of groovin' diversity..."
The Planet Newspaper "Originally from Ireland Sahara began producing Vision around five years ago. The result is an album rich in a variety of musical genres, ranging from soulful ballads like "I Found you", a love ballad that is sure to be a favorite for swooning lovers, to jazz influenced tunes like "We All Believe" and "Are You?" For disco fans, there is even a groovy disco tune, "Partytime", that will take you back to the 70's dance floor. Of course this CD would not be complete without an Irish Tune and Sahara indulges our senses with "Tears", one of the highlights of the album. It is a soft, murmuring instrumental that will take you to far away Celtic lands. Overall the final result is certainly worth listening to...."
The Crack "The debut CD from this Dublin duo is an eclectic mix of styles and sounds...to describe the musical style would be a task in itself but to this musical ear it falls somewhere between funk and folksy jazz, if you get my drift...the flute and sax playing of Trish adds an interesting almost dimension to the sound and coupled with Dave's rock/pop vocal range only adds to the charm of this debut CD... all in all a fine debut".
The West Australian "These songs by Melbourne-based duo Sahara would sound quite spectacular with the full treatment from some of the world's biggest names. So Special has a spontaneous flow that's suited to the Band. The storylines often lend themselves to alternate voices which is Sahara's major strength. Whether it's Dave's lead on the sensuous You're My Lover or Trish's breathy whisper on Celtic Love Poem the atmospheres are subtly different. The lyrical definition of the acoustic guitar, the recorder and the tin whistle serve a fervently Irish flavour but the soulfulness is universal" (TR) Rating: 3.5 Stars
Leader Newspaper Group "An interesting mix of music...from songs brimming with energy and passionate vocals to touching instrumentals such as the celtic "Tears, A unique blend of rock, folk, jazz and classical make "Vision" a must for Irish music lovers"
IndieMusicReview "First class production, and catchy melodies make Sahara's There is this place I go a very pleasant listen. Singer/Songwriter Dave Long's voice shines, reminding one of the Simple Mind's Jim Kerr. In fact, the whole sound of the CD is rather similar to the 1980's sound of that Scottish group. This is perhaps not just a coincidence, as Sahara's members Dave and Trish Long, have been playing together since 1984; and hailing from Dublin, they also have Celtic roots. The duo plays a variety of instruments including human voice, flageolet, guitar, sax, flute, recorder and electronic sequencing. Their music is very melodious, and with the already mentioned super clean production, it has a contemporary sort of easy listening sound. Somewhat different than the Simple Minds, the album has 2 rather slower numbers, with more of a folk music character. The lyrics have a metaphysical / devotional aspect to them, with the particular motive of the songwriting on this album being “the long road to healing”. Smooth, seamless and satisfying, Sahara's music goes down real easy, like ice cream on a hot summer day" reviewed by Gary Levinson from IndieMusicReview.net Germany
hEARd Australia "This is an exceptionally diverse collection of songs from Victorian based duo Sahara, consisting of Irish natives Trish & Dave, who have concocted a wildly varying array of tunes, running from the more traditional soft rock to a near-folk style which has a surprising effect. The pair have already garnered themselves some excellent work behind them & the recording found on this CD was recorded live at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. There are a few moments when the softer edged rock comes out, none more exceptional than the opener "No Man's Land", which is a great track & well placed at the head of the album, though I'm more partial to the band's more pop/jazz oriented styles, such as "You're My Lover" & "Higher Than High", while my real pick is the very unusual flavour of "Celtic Love Poem", as the title suggests, a real folk/celtic sort of influence. I'd certainly be checking this band out as soon as possible. They already have a pretty decent profile as far as having one prior release & some serious press & media engagements behind them. Well worth your while, providing a number of diverse styles to whet your aural appetite."
Irish Bands Live UK "Out of OZ come two exceptional musicians with a mixture of contemporary /jazzy /Rock /folk / sound, which leaves you tingling with anticipation of what the next track will bring. Trish plays alto and soprano sax, recorder and tin whistle plus vocals. Dave plays guitar and keyboard plus vocals. NO MANS LAND This has a sound between Rock & Jazz with a good beat that wouldn't go amiss at a rock concert in Hyde Park. SO SPECIAL A love ballad superbly performed, so put on the headphones you won't want to be disturbed. Close your eyes, lay back, and listen to the superb mellow sound of the Sax and when its finished hit the button and play it all over again. These guys have really got their act together Dave's rock vocals are tremendous with Trish's sexy jazzy voice combines to give this album a superb vocal line which pleases the ear and sooths the mind. This all adds to the exceptional instrumental talents, which are shown throughout the album. The sax playing is to die for and if this album doesn't get your feet tapping you must be stone deaf or dead. Credit for this album should also go to the sound engineer Mark Barry of B.S Sounds who has made a live album sound like a studio production. Dave & Trish also wrote the lyrics and music to this album so keep an eye out for future releases".
The Edge Bendigo "Sometimes the best things come along when you least expect it. The spontaneous live feel of the CD is an asset and the duo's range which skims jazz, pop, ballads and Celtic ensures a wide listening variety. The depth of sound is impressive, particularly when you realise it is the work of just two people. Tracks include the jazzy Deja Vu, the Celtic ballad Celtic Love Poem, and an ode to the Irish pair's adopted home city, called Livin' in Melbourne."
Mark Williams 'New Traditions' The Bridge 102.5UK “That’s ‘Live Every Day’ from ‘Sahara’ from their latest album ‘A New Beginning’. Now regular listeners to ‘The Afternoon Show’ and also to ‘New Traditions’ will know that we’re big fans of ‘Sahara’. A two piece band, Trish and Dave Long, and they write all their own material and this album ‘A New Beginning’ is their latest and I would say their absolute best. They’ve relocated to Australia, and one of the things that’s happened with their traditional sort of celtic tinge to their music is they’ve taken on board some of the, I think some of the Australian experience is seeping in to their music and I have to say check this album out - it’s a stunner! It’s called ‘A New Beginning’ and go and have a look at ‘Sahara’, check out their website, google them, listen to them, because I think you’ll find especially, musically they are absolutely stunning. They always have been. And their voices sort of blend absolutely beautifully. But also, I think lyrically, this is a step up and it really is something that we would advise you to have a listen to because they just sort of suck you in and it’s one of those albums that you can revisit time and time again. We’re gonna play a track off the album called ‘Sweetest Things’, and one of the reasons for that is cause it’s a personal favourite of mine - this is ‘Sahara’.” “Cracking stuff that’s ‘Sahara’ and ‘Sweetest Things’, as I say off their new album ‘A New Beginning’ and check out the album, google them, find out about them, and I think your gonna enjoy them. You’ll hear them more and more on ‘New Traditions’- we like them a lot.” (transcribed from radio broadcast)
Jason Hohl of 67 Music USA Sahara brings A New Beginning to the world “A New Beginning” is the latest release by Dave and Trish Long, a duo originally from Ireland who now reside in Australia. The album is a genre-bending amalgam of styles, borrowing from jazz, pop, folk, and Celtic. They describe it on their website as “a marriage of sounds and influences between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, ‘the mist meeting the haze’”. The lyrics are positively uplifting and seemingly personal, not unexpected for a duo that have been together for a few decades.The album begins with the über-catchy “Right the Wrongs” (This reviewer’s children were singing the chorus for hours after hearing the song once). The title track perfectly embodies the positive vibe that the album puts out. “The Promise” is a beautiful instrumental played on whistle (or recorder) that could easily fit into a movie soundtrack during the scene when the protagonist arises victorious against all odds. “Renovating My Igloo” adds an interesting electronic/new age twist along with a delightful key change between verses. “Rainy Day at Shady Creek” sounds like a Celtic song that was dropped into a Spaghetti Western (talk about genre-bending)!The album was completely written, played and recorded by Dave and Trish and it’s done very well. The musicianship is top notch and their voices mesh together well. The instruments on the album include guitar, sax, whistle, flageolet, recorder and keyboards. This may not be the album for those who like their Irish/Celtic music more traditional. But for those who enjoy their Celtic music wrapped up in a perky, jazzy package, “A New Beginning” will do the trick.
The Celtic Music Fan "Fans of Bruce Hornsby, Van Morrison and Marc Cohn will certainly welcome Sahara’s A New Beginning with open arms. The duo of Trish and Dave long incorporate a broader spectrum of musical styles. There are hints of smooth jazz, pop rock and Celtic. In terms of instrumental delivery, I’d say hands down to both of them. Their years performing on stage and recording the way they want their albums to sound, ripened and made their music intoxicating like fine wine. It is the confidence brought about by the test of time, elements and LIFE that we all go through. There are certainly events that shake us rendering us incapable of moving. But it is the call of artistic desire that always brings us into a sense of purpose. This optimistic thought is present all over the album’s 10 tracks. Sweetness, pain, laughter: these are emotions that surround A New Beginning. There are other atmospheric surprises like The Promise which possesses a definitive Celtic sound. The vocal layering and melody lean into Clannad and Loreena McKennitt. Other titles like Right the Wrongs and A New Beginning are songs that anyone who has gone through tough times can relate to. The Sweetest Thing, track four, delivers the “get into the Irish pub” kind of sentiment. It has that relaxed atmosphere of being with someone you loved through the years. It says that you don’t have to hide anything because you can be who you are with the right person. Let’s Unite affirms the belief that we can all get through our differences if we realize our similarities. I reflected on this and also remember all the natural disasters like earthquakes, famine, disease and poverty. We aren’t invincible. So why should we fight each other when nature is already fighting us and diminishing our numbers? Must we also contribute to the pain? The song has that Irish marching beat. It Could be True is an example of someone continuing to “court” a beloved through the years in the relationship. I think it is telling us that winning someone’s heart doesn’t stop after marriage. It continues and there is never a morning when you wake up with a sense of wonderment and challenge to continue loving against all odds. The nice sound of the recorder glides throughout like a nightingale. Renovating my Igloo is groovy. Fans of Talking Heads can relate to the 80’s New Wave style. Another tribute to being with someone through thick and thin and also the idea that nothing is constant but change. But love the a unifying and constant force. Is it only Me has a rocking feel. Both vocal and instrumental arrangement set the example of musical excellence. Rainy Day At Shady Creek explores the world of Jazz and Bluegrass. It sounds like traditional Irish music gone crazy. I love it though. Such a nice ending for this album that needs repeated listens".
Stuarte Amazon UK “A worthy addition to almost any collection, Warm, rich, easy to listen to with shades of jazz, blues, soul, gospel, rock all there. I heard the title track and just clicked with it and wasn't disappointed with the rest of the album. Great voices and harmonies, fabulous sax. What's not to like?”
67 Music “Coming to us from Dublin (by way of Australia) are Husband and Wife Duo Dave and Trish Long aka “Sahara”, with their fourth release entitled “There is This Place I Go”. Consisting of all-original compositions, “Place” is a collection of ten songs that possess a hauntingly ethereal, yet melodic and contemporary ambiance. Easy listening overall, yet pop enough to appeal to a wide audience, the instrumentation from Trish's sax, flute, recorder and synths blend seamlessly with Dave's vocals, guitars and subtle drum tracks and have elements of folk, pop, rock and some Celtic flavor all blended together, offering very smooth songwriting and polished production values. Take a listen and buy their music at their official website” Review by SláinteSteve for 67 Music USA
