Customer Reviews

Chiaroscuro

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It's a bit of an embarrassment to admit that the thing that has gotten in the way of reviewing this album is that I keep forgetting to review and wind up just listening. All of the musicians at the heart of this album are remarkable. Darol Anger on violin, Mike Marshall on guitar, Michael Manring and Todd Phillips on Bass, Andy Narell on Steel Drums, Barbara Higbie on synth, and even George Marsh on triangle. Some of the best light jazz players of their time (1985), it is immediately apparent that they respect what each has to add to the mix and have a strong commitment to be something else besides 'yet another new age group.'

Darol Anger needs no introduction. 'Dolphins' and 'Spring Gesture' are hallmark tunes, that get a lot of airtime and inclusion in other collections. Mike Marshall is no slouch either, comfortable trading lines with Anger or stepping out for a short moment of Bach just to show off. These to are regular playing partners and have the entire Windham Hill stable of artists to draw one. This makes the player lists on their albums a catalog of wizardry. As I've already demonstrated, Chiaroscuro is no exception to that rule.

So the next time you are feeling that New Age music is a little to spacey, and that light jazz has vaporized, grab this album and give a listen. This is fun, showing off, and everything from Bach to blues in the blinking of an eye. And not by rote, but with every bit of imagination that they can muster. Anger and Marshall playing 'Piacenza' is something that needs to be experience at least once in every life. Trust me, this album is one of the reasons you have a shelf right next to your CD Player.

Darol Anger - an impossible-to-pigeonhole fiddler - has been one of my favorite fiddlers for nearly two decades, going back to when I first discovered him on some early Windham Hill albums (including this "Chiaroscuro" album). Since those early days, he's gone on to do such a wide range of projects with so many other string players that it is almost impossible to ascribe a single style to him, save to say that he's one of the most original fiddlers, and on occasion one of the hardest-swinging dudes I've ever stumbled across. Name a fiddler, and Darol has probably worked with him or her: Mark O'Connor, Michael Doucet, Natalie MacMaster, Bruce Molsky, Vassar Clements is only a very short list.

Sadly, the Windham Hill label has had more than its share of ups and downs over the years. Once the vision of its founder, Will Ackerman, it boasted a catalog of some of the very best acoustic and electronic artists. These days, the label - and its stable of artists - are mere shadows of what they once were. And, in its early days, "New Age" had some value as a descriptor of the types of music possible by these artists. Regrettably, over the years the genre has become so devalued that one of its first practitioners has long since come around to stating that the expression should rhyme with "sewage." Indeed!

One of the casualties of these various Windham Hill "catalog shakeouts" was an early Darol Anger effort titled "Live at Montreux: Darol Anger/Barbara Higbie Quintet." To this day, their "Near Northern" track on that CD remains one of my favorite Darol Anger efforts. In fact, it was more than "good enough" to be anthologized on the Windham Hill "Sampler '86." Oh, the losses!

Fortunately, this "Chiaroscuro" album is still listed by Amazon.com (although no longer shown in the Windham Hill catalog). And it's a good thing, too, because it contains some of the best "early" work of Darol Anger and Mike Marshall. But - with backup work from the likes of Michael Manring (electric fretless bass), Todd Phillips (upright bass), Andy Narell (steel drums) and Barbara Higbie (synthesizer) - this album is more than "just duets." (In fact, with Darol on violins, viola, cello and diverse other instruments, and Mike on steel string and classical guitars [often with steel string guitar in one channel and classical guitar in the other], mandolins and mandocellos, this is obviously a "studio" effort, with much overdubbing of multiple tracks, always to good effect.)

The lead track - "Dolphins" - gets the album off to a flying start. Michael Manring's fretless bass work on the second track - "Saurians' Farewell" - is astounding; almost trombone-like in its timbre; this then leads into a nice riff by Mike on electric guitar, answered by Darol on violin. A very nicely swinging track.

The next track - "Beneath the Surface" - gives a nice sense of the use to which steel drums can be put when not in "calypso mode." I doubt there is anyone on the planet who has a way with these that can match Andy Narell.

I could continue like this, describing every single track (and risk this review being overly long). So let me just mention a few other highlights.

"Piancenza" must, when all is said and done, be one of my all-time favorite Darol Anger tracks.Once again swapping riffs with Mike Marshall (on steel string guitar), here Darol takes his licks on viola. Skip all the dumb viola jokes, folks. Darol swings with the best of them here, and the timbre of the instrument is absolutely perfect for the tune.

"Dardanelles" is a track to be enjoyed for the richness of its back-up tapestry provided in the introduction, with Mike Marshall on steel string guitar and Michael Manring once again providing his awesome electric fretless bass "bottom." When, once past this intro, the music takes off, it does so with a vengeance, only to return to the opening rich tapestry of sound.

"Beloved Infidel," the final track, is a masterpiece of multiple-track recording, with Darol providing a complete string quartet in a serenely reflective introduction. Once past this introduction, the group gets into what I like to characterize as "Darol's curiously-loping rhythms" full of off-beat accents. Curiously refreshing, too.

This is "strings and things jamming" at its best; a near-perfect blend of acoustic and electronic sounds. Get it while you can. And, if you run across those other two out-of-print Windham Hill albums mentioned at the top, get those as well. If you've read this far already, I've got you figured for "won't be disappointed!" And, who knows? Maybe Windham Hill will get itself straightened out some day and realize that, in losing its vision, it also given up on some of its best titles, and, along with these, some of its best artists. Stranger things have happened.

Bob Zeidler

If you enjoy contemporary (non- classical) violin music and acoustic guitar instrumentals, then the combination of the two here is without question a masterpiece. This is a must for any one who enjoys music. An easy to listen to, very impressive array of instrumentals that is relaxing and envigorating at the same time. Marshall and Anger have created a piece of music that trancends time and will always be a current favorite for a Sunday morning breakfast, romantic dinner, or (my favorite)..a ride in the country during foliage season. A great contemporary alternative to classical.

Very few albums have had such an impact on my life. This album because every cut evokes a mood that is so deep that it moves through my body releasing energy and relaxing me. It appears that at the time of this review that this album is out of print...so committing to it will involve a little cash, well worth it. An earlier review mentioned the artists, this review is about what the music can do to the soul. Highly recommended!!!!

I bought this CD when in first came out in 1985. 20-odd years later, I'm still listening to it. There has not been a time when this album was not in rotation on my player. There isn't any other album I can say that about. It's good, it's still good, it never stales.

My first taste of Mike Marshall and Darol Anger and I have to say ~ very nice indeed!! Dolphins (track #1) and Bach Bouree (track #9) are played on many "new age" stations, so people will be familiar with those pieces. I must say that these two are my favorites as well.

Interesting combinations of violin and guitar, as well as other stringed instruments. Had my doubts that it could work, and was very pleasantly surprised! Very nice indeed~!

Well worth listening to and I found this cd to be very soothing and relaxing.

Of course musical taste is subjective, so take this with a huge grain of salt: This is one of the best music albums of all time. Every musician is at the top of his class, the songwriting is varied and intriguing, and the music itself is timeless. I've seen this line-up live, and this is the closest we'll get to a time capsule of New Grass/New Age at its very best.

Check darolanger.com for more of Anger's music.