Customer Reviews

Heart of the Heartland

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Very relaxing and gorgeous. The "Seattle (The Fantasy Reel)" and "Heart of the Heartland" tracks have an ambient soundtrack feel with the title track as the feature track from the _Lewis and Clark_ motion picture. "Montana" and "Kasposia" have an emotional classical feel. "Nicaragua: Prelude and Dance" and "(Twilight On) The Sangre de Cristos" add a more Spanish touch to the classical compositions. Many tracks will take you to the Wild West. The CD is truely a journey across the Americas and through time.

This album is a journey...it takes you away and into the heartland of both the country and your soul. Ostroushko and McGraw spin stunning melodies and play with talent and passion!

I first heard the title track on Prarie Home Companion, and I wept. The song conjures up the melancholy longing easily recogizable by anyone from a midwestern small town. It balances that with the hope of the sunrise seen from across a vast expanse of prarie.

Peter Ostroushko is a genius, no doubt. The emotion in his music is powerful. If you have a chance to see him with Dean Magraw on stage, do not pass up the experience.

I suppose like a lot of people I first got exposed to Peter's music on "A Praire Home Companion". When I received an amazon gift certificate, I decided to take the plunge and order this cd. I am really glad that I did. The improvement in the sound quality over what I had experienced on FM radio made this an investment worth making. I happen to think the performance is better than on the live versions I've enjoyed on APHC.

As to specific songs on this one, track 3 - Puppy Belly Dance is my favorite. It's an upbeat song featuring some fine mandolin playing.

The track that surprised me the most is track 8 - Sweet Betsy From Pike. Yes, it's the traditional folk song you've known forever, but you've never heard it arranged like this. The tempo is slow, and a mandolin and a piano deliver the melody in a sweet, thoughtful way.

If you are a fan of Peter's and you've listened to the samples available on amazon and are on the fence about ordering this cd, I'll suggest that you won't be sorry.

Simply a great collection of instrumental music. Worth it for the title track alone but it offers much, much more.