John Williams records another great CD. From the thrilling opening, "Sunburst" by Andrew York, through Mangore', Brouwer, and Charlie Byrd, the music is very well-chosen and impeccably performed. Bursting with energy, South American dance rhythms or slow and melacholy, these are great pieces.
This music goes in a completely different direction from, say, Bach or Scarlatti or Albeniz or Tarrega. It's the American sound in many of its guises. Wonderful music. One of my favorite classical guitar CD's.
The first 11 recordings from this CD are among my favorite of all guitar recordings, epecially "Sunburst," "Aconquija," "Verano Porteno," "Natalia," and "Cueca." Both the performances and the recording quality are outstanding.

After releasing many great albums , composed each for a different guest preformer (lagoya-guitar,rampal-flute,zukerman-violin etc.) bolling returns to his trio (bass , drums and jazz piano) to take the spotlight back on himself. there are seven new pieces in this album changing from jumpy but not annoying jazz to floating - almost classical music ! if you have "tasted" any of his other albums - you are sure to enjoy this one as well !
I will start by saying that I think the first track A la Francaise is one of the best jazz songs ever written. In my opinion Bolling is best at straight jazz and I wish he would have recorded more as a trio. The album reminds me alot of an Oscar Peterson album with and extra dash of classical.

The Mystery of Sound and Silence. This Sampler offers brief extracts from a selection of Nightingale's topical music programs. A Must Have, specially for Meditation and Relax moments.

Classics in Jazz is a budget-priced, ten-track collection of fusion interpretations – by the likes of Hubert Laws, George Benson, Paul Desmond, Jackie & Roy, Jim Hall and Deodato – of classical pieces by Satie, Debussy, Bach, Purcell and Deodato. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

If you are looking for the best Asian style music ever created, you have found it with Himekami. Every song is painstakingly crafted to deliver greatness to our ears. Pure sonic poetry.
This is simply one of the best new age albums ever made and it is deplorable that Himekami may never have the popular acclaim of Enya, because Yoshiaki Hoshi (the leader of Himekami) is even more brilliant at songs than her!!! Especially noteworthy are the tracks Tosa Dunes (heaven on earth, it sounds to me), Earthflame (mournful, but gentle and loving at the end), and Evening Poem (music to make you stop and think).
The music flows like the tide, the name "Moonwater " says it all. Each track invokes a different emotion and immage.The music is sharp,clear and clean.When you listen to this music you not only hear the music you see it as well.

Do not let the prosaic album title fool you; contained within is 50 minutes of truly lovely Chinese orchestral music, designed to harmonize the body, emotions and mind. For millennia the Chinese have been aware of the healing properties of music but in recent years research has thrown new light on the relationship between music and the medical and philosophical model of the Five Element system. Regimen is the outcome of this study, a collaboration between medical researchers and leading Chinese composers. Two long tracks offer sweeping melodies performed by The Shanghai Racial Music Troupe, featuring shimmering strings, soaring flute, piping reeds, massed lutes, tuned bells and assorted percussion. Designed to balance all five of the elements within the listener, Regimen is an uplifting album that does indeed have a calming and inspiring effect. Besides Regimen, there are additionally five other titles in the series, each addressing one of the five elements. The entire series may also be purchased in a box set. ~ Backroads Music/Heartbeats, All Music Guide

Japanese keyboardist and innovator in the field of music therapy, Fumio Miyashita has created Meditation, an album that fuels the healing mechanism of the body, mind and spirit. It is, in short, a harmonic convergence brought to its highest and best use. The repetitive sounds on his compositions are perpetuated by nature sounds. The combination is wholly organic-sounding and soothing. The music is slow and rhythmic, echoing patterns used in nature and creating environments that promote feelings of well-being. Fumio lets a note hang in an empty soundlessness as though that single note was the only thing that mattered. ~ MusD, All Music Guide
Keyboard artist Fumio is one of the most popular artists in his genre, having released over 50 albums in Japan. In the late 1970s, Fumio studied acupuncture in Los Angeles and returned to Japan where he became a master and innovator in the field of music therapy. He was born and raised in the mountains of Nagano and went on to perform in the ground-breaking rock musical Hair. Founder of the Far East Family Band, Japan's first progressive rock band, Fumio played alongside Kitaro and released the hit album Cave Down to the Earth in Japan and England.

More seminal performances from the '60s ABC catalog of the Genius (DCC split the classics evenly between the two discs, making both of them indispensable). His beloved "Hit the Road Jack" (one of several Percy Mayfield copyrights dotting Charles' repertoire), the daring country crossover "I Can't Stop Loving You," an electric-piano powered "Sticks and Stones," a wise "Them That Got," and a wonderfully mellow "At the Club" rank with the 20-song disc's standouts (though versions of the Beatles' "Yesterday" and the corny "Look What They Done to My Song, Ma" end the set on a bummer note).- Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

The first of two DCC compilations to collect the best of Brother Ray's 1960s stint at ABC-Paramount Records, when he flew off in a dozen different stylistic directions. Included on this 20-track disc are Charles' immortal rendering of "Georgia on My Mind," and the sinuously bluesy "Unchain My Heart," the Latin-beat instrumental "One Mint Julep," personalized remakes of the country standards "Born to Lose," "Your Cheating Heart," and "Crying Time," and his exultant rendition of the soulful "Let's Go Get Stoned." - Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

After the disorganized and often unlistenable Alan Douglas-produced reissues in the '70s and '80s, MCA has been releasing the vast Hendrix archives in an intelligent and methodical manner. Blues is a perfect example, making the case that–on top of everything else–Jimi Hendrix was one fine blues guitarist. Combining the fluid lines of B.B. King with the spikiness of Hubert Sumlin and the crying tone of Elmore James with his usual synapse-frying intensity, Hendrix manages to both honor the music tradition while remaining uniquely himself. These studio outtakes and warm-ups (plus one previously released track, the magnificent "Hear My Train a Comin'") include a playful "Mannish Boy," the slow burn of "Once I Had A Woman," and a metallic "Bleeding Heart." –Steven Mirkin

Nightingale is actually a compilation of the artists from one of Europe's premier new age labels. Karunesh, Anugama, Kamal, and Sangit Om are the names of the musicians, with Karunesh contributing six of the ten tracks. Each is German, offering music which is colorful and spirited, a musical celebration of life's rhythms which integrates beauty and liveliness. Similar to the percolating sounds of Tri Atma and Cusco, Connection will enable the Nightingale "magic" to spread even further. Light and breezy, this adds up to more perfect summer fare.
When I listened this music, I fell in love with the sheer Purity, gentle Beauty and true Joy of it. If you ever need a pick me up for your heart, remember this cd and pick it up and enjoy. I cherish it! CONNECTION displays HEART. This is what I love the most about it.
Each song flows into the other yet there are many moods and exquisite beauty. CONNECTION has a tropical paradise feel to it that I love–makes me want to take a cruise! I bought this at first mainly for Indian Springs but I love all the songs now, so hard to pick a favorite. Yet Indian Springs remains very close to my heart–I'm listening to it now.
CONNECTION is an instrumental fantasyland! It is so peaceful!

Acoustic Highway is without doubt the purest of all Chaquico albums. The instrumental landscapes he paints with majestic melodies and Native American earthbeats spread the complete spectrum of sense and emotion. Each song on this album contains nostalgic undurcurrents of innocent, child-like adventure. Have you ever actually "heard" the stars come out at night? Have you ever actually "heard" the smell of Californian Redwoods while at home in front of your stereo? Chaquico uses layers of tracs with sound effects and surround sounds to bring the listner into a new, pseudo-world. Chaquico is no doubt a genius SONGWRITER. His songs are at the same time crafted and improvised, held-back and let-loose. This man can jam. Great roadtrip music. A must buy. Title trac #5, "Acoustic Highway," truely reaches a cathartic moment by the end of the song. Check it out!
For fans of guitar music, this is an album that should not be missed. Craig's deft fingers and extraordinary melodic skills, coupled with Ozzie Alher's production talents, make this album one of the freshest sounding recordings I've had the pleasure of hearing! I have also had the pleasure of seeing over 15 "live" performances by Craig (it helps to live in his hometown), and can honestly say that if he plays in your area - Don't miss it! His live shows are a real treat and sound amazingly true to his recording performances. Four years ago I took my then girlfriend (now wife) to a Craig Chaquico concert at the Sweetwater in Mill Valley, CA for our first date and it was pure magic!

This is a diverse set of standards and original tunes that aims at the intimacy and spontaneity of John Pizzarelli's live performance with a studio setting. The singer-guitarist's long-established trio with pianist Ray Kennedy and brother Martin Pizzarelli on bass just keeps getting better, working with an instrumentation that Nat "King" Cole first perfected in the '40s and which also served Oscar Peterson well in the '50s. The trio achieves a sound that's both smooth and complex when all the parts are working in perfect synch, and that's what happening here. Whether they're flying on uptempo numbers like "I Got Rhythm," with Pizzarelli scatting in unison with his guitar, or playing at a medium bounce on the Cole signature "When I Take My Sugar to Tea," the group swings magnificently. Pizzarelli's light but resilient voice can suggest Chet Baker at slower tempos, but his relaxed delivery and conversational ease contribute to this music's distinctive charm. He sounds particularly good on some great Jimmy Van Heusen songs, both the well-known "I Thought About You" and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and the rarely heard "I Could Have Told You So." Pizzarelli's ingrained familiarity with the great American songbook is such that his own songs–like the witty "I Wouldn't Trade You" and the effective title ballad–sound right at home beside the classics. Kennedy wrote the sole instrumental, "Oscar Night," a fittingly ebullient tribute to Peterson. – Adam Rains, Editorial Review, Amazon.com

"Mystic Island" by Cusco captures the heart and soul of the listener with ambient soothing mysterious music. This CD has flowing melodies and wonderful instrumentation and synthesizer accompaniment. One track includes a wonderful harp and flute melody with chimes and synthezier variations on the theme … which is very magical. Another track has an upbeat tempo with guitars and percussion … The music is varied and altogether highly satisfying - it does not get stuck in one mood or feeling but carries the listener across many feelings all of which are enjoyable experiences. The overall feeling of this music is like experiencing the wonders of nature … a sunset … watching the waves splash on shore … gliding down a river in raft or boat and absorbing the scenery as it unfolds. One senses the natural balance and harmony of different instruments but there is no competition for solo recognition … This CD is about moods and feelings that ride the waves of natural flowing music … slower at times, other times quicker paced but always natural and free. The ethereal sensations stay with the listener … long after the music has stopped playing. The sense of peace and contentment this CD produces is priceless

Cusco, under the watchful direction of Michael Holm, has once again managed to adopt traditional world music melodies and instrumentation into a Western Eurojazz sound with Apurimac II. Taking the music of the Andes, with its strong rhythms and ethereal flute sound, Holm has added the music of modern technology. The result is a near full orchestra of wonderful music with new depth and complexity without betraying its native roots, where Holm had found his inspiration.