|
A review of Forward in all Directions by Kerry Dexter, Folkwax.com.
Forward in all Directions of Acoustic Journey
Sara Milonovich and Greg Anderson manage to keep material ranging from Richard Shindell's reflective ballad "Reunion Hill" to Hanneke Cassel's Celtic-based "Tannen's Wedding March," from the middle European "Mazurka a Rigal" to a handful of lively, moving originals that are led forward, rather than going off in all directions, by the clarity of their playing and the creativity of their musical dialogue.
Though this is their first recording as a duo, Milonovich (fiddle, whistle, voice) and Anderson (guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, bass, voice) each have a stack of credits in other musical configurations, among them the avant-rock band Doctor Nerve, The Schenectady Symphony, The Klezmatics, The McKrells, Whirligig, and The Cathie Ryan Band. For this project they've focused, albeit somewhat loosely, on Celtic roots and acoustic textures. Outstanding tracks include a medley of "Tannen's Wedding March" with Ian Carr's "Bigger House" and Anderson's "Left at the Bridge," Milonovich's original instrumental "The Cold Nightfall," and the sparkling live cut that concludes the disc, Liz Carroll's "Sevens" into Chris Thile's "House of Tom Bombadil." It's a refreshing and creative snapshot of where this pair stands at this moment in their musical journey.
11/15/04
Kerry Dexter is a senior contributing editor at FolkWax.
|