New Reviews: November 8, 2004
Reviews by Matthew J. Forss
Various Artists
Traditional and Contemporary Music From Italy
Arc Music
The traditional and contemporary music of Italy is showcased on one of
Arc Music's latest release. Various male and female musicians from many
different localities within Italy are presented. A plethora of string, wind,
and percussion instruments accompany all of the songs. Passionate and intricate
vocalizations profess discuss love, hope and almost every other aspect of Italian
life. An incredible selection of tunes, waltzes, dances and folk expressions are
included. A fine recording with liner notes in Italian, English, German, French,
and Spanish.
Keezing & Florio
All Rivers Run To Rain
Passion Records
An entire album of acoustic guitar? You bet! Keezing & Florio both play
acoustic guitar on their latest release, All Rivers Run To Rain. All tracks
are void of vocals. However, the guitars 'speak' for the entire album. Slow to
moderate tempos, acoustic interplay, precise fingerings and contemplative stylings
are representative of Keezing & Florio's approach. A very interesting and relaxing
album of musical originality.
Imaginary Homeland
Jump For George
Jumbie Records
Imaginary Homeland combines American jazz, West African instrumentation,
and Appalachian folk music. Each instrumental track is experimental, yet
accessible to fans of Americana and West African music. The exhaustive
ethnomusicological study of Ghanaian folk traditions by Imaginary Homeland's
brainchild, David Rogers, definitely shines through on Jump For George.
Birkin Tree
3 (Three)
Felmay
An Italian Celtic music group? Absolutely! Birkin Tree performs Celtic jigs,
reels and tunes on fiddle, guitar, piano, sax, uillean pipes, flute, whistle,
violin, and cello. You will not find any hint of Italian music here. Two vocal
tracks are interspersed in the instrumental songs. Fans of Celtic music should
acquire 3 (Three) without hesitation. It's that good!
Various Artists
Bula Fiji Bula - Music Of The Fiji Islands
Arc Music
Bula Fiji Bula - Music Of The Fiji Islands contains the music of Rewasese and
Nawaka groups. The two groups perform traditional meke music. Traditional music
of Fiji incorporates the use of slit drums, bamboo stamping tubes, clap sticks,
ukulele, guitar, mandolin, and acapella singing. The form of meke music featured here,
includes both voice and dance components. Perfect music for the Pacific Islander and
traditional music connoisseur! Liner notes are included in English, German, and Spanish.
Matthew J. Forss is currently a full-time student at Lakeland College-Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He is majoring in Biology and German Language/Culture. Since 1998, he has collected numerous musical instruments and CDs from around the world. Also in 1998, he wrote a paper on Mongolian Ethnomusicology, entitled: How Does Music Play An Important Role In The Life And Culture Of Mongolia? Currently, he has collected over 100 CDs that represent dozens of different countries. His general interests include ethnomusicology journalism and researching the traditional/contemporary ethnic music of various cultures from around the world. His specific, geographic areas of study include the traditional and popular music from Central Eurasia (especially Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.) In November of 2000, he accepted the position of writing world music CD reviews for this site.
