Published on Jun 23, 1999
As much as I love good old American rock and roll, there’s a
part of me that sometimes longs to get away from the volume,
shouting and electric guitars. I think that’s what first got me
interested in things like classical music, the Narada record label
in the ’80s and – God help us – new age music, from time to time.
When you really need a few moments to yourself, there is honestly
nothing like hearing a song with hints of Celtic music, a good
piano solo piece or Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony.
One label I find myself going to more and more is Zebra
Acoustic, an offshoot of the jazz/fusion label Zebra. We’ve already
reviewed a few of their artists, David Pritchard and Pierre
Bensusan. Now, for those who might be interested in some of the
things they’ve read about these artists and who might not be ready
to sit through an entire album out of fear of the unknown, there’s
help in the form of
Natural Selection… A Sampler.
Featuring two tracks from seven of the label’s releases, this
disc covers the spectrum of acoustic music quite well, and serves
as a very nice smorgasbord of all their delicacies. Sure, there may
be one or two that you’re not fond of, but two tracks isn’t that
much of an investment of time.
Bensusan gets the most coverage with two tracks from his career
retrospective
Nice Feeling (which we reviewed here a few weeks ago) and
paired with flutist Didier Malherbe on
Live In Paris. The two selections from
Nice Feeling, “4 a.m.” and the title track, show the
absolute mastery that the French-born fingerstyle guitarist has
with his instrument. Anyone who is a lover of solid guitar work
will be hooked by these two tracks. (I’ll get back to Bensusan in
just a moment.)
Speaking of solid guitar work, Pritchard’s cuts from
Unassigned Territory (which we also have reviewed) are
wonderful examples of his talent. Everyone I have ever played his
disc for has fallen in love with his tone and guitar work; “Stairs”
and “Brazil” should have the same effect on you.
With all the wonderful guitar work on
Natural Selection, it’s surprising to hear a few examples of
work that disappointed me. Gavin Lurssen impressed me with
“Venetian Rush Hour,” the first featured cut from his
Restless album. But the title track seems to be less rich in
tone and style, and is a major letdown coming off of “Venetian Rush
Hour”. And while I’ve already sung the praises of Bensusan, when he
teams up with Malherbe, it’s almost like his guitar work becomes
second in importance to the flute – and the overall sound suffers
as a result.
Natural Selection has one group of singers who might take a
little time getting used to – Bulgarian Voices (Angelite) with
Moscow Art Trio & Huun-Huur Tu. The two selections from
Mountain Tale are intriguing (sometimes, it sounded like they were
singing backwards to my untrained ear – I’ve not cultivated an
appreciation for Bulgarian singing yet), but it wasn’t anything
that would have had me running for the “skip track” button. It’s
almost like listening to other-world folk at times; maybe that’s
why I found it intriguing. But don’t be disappointed if you find
you can’t bring yourself to get through these selections. It’s not
the easiest thing to listen to at times.
Of the remaining artists on
Natural Selection, Vince Mendoza with the London Symphony
Orchestra presents an interesting picture of what classical music
in the late 20th Century can sound like. Both “Impromptu” and
“Sanctus” are curiously engrossing. Rounding out the selections are
Thomas Beckmann and Johannes Cernota, who perform music by Charlie
Chaplin written for the cello and piano. “Limelight” and “There’s
Always One You Can’t Forget” harken back to the days of silent
films – which both of these tracks could easily fit to. It’s an
intriguing listen – though it got a little tired quickly.
Natural Selection is the kind of disc that should get the
listener interested in any of the seven groups of artists that are
highlighted here. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself checking
out many of these artists after listening to this – proof positive
that the sampler has served its ultimate purpose.