Customer Reviews

Indigo Road

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

 

 

I first heard a sampling of this music while driving home from work. It so caught my attention that I pulled over and wrote the name of the album and immediately ordered it when I arrived home. The music is surprising and haunting -- not what you'd expect at all. For those who enjoy renaissance music, this will both delight and astound! A true find. Jay.

...in McFarlane's hands. He's an excellent lutenist, his attack clean and crisp. The music is smooth and relaxing, reminding, in an odd way, of Ottmar Leibert's more reflective moments. Let's hope we can expect more original lute compositions from him.

From the ethereal, meditative "Catheral Cave" to the virtuoso show-piece "Blue Norther", he demonstrates a deep knowledge, and mastery, of the instruments potentialities. But the best part is: he's shown the instrument is very much alive as a vehicle of contemporary expression; that lutenists need not rely on the huge backlog of brilliant music from the 14th-18th centuries.

While the album isn't entirely lute music, there is some light keyboards (somewhat reminiscent of Windham Hill, as another reviewer noted, as well, in my opinion, as that of Narada) some largely decorative percussion (e.g. castanets on "Rosa"), the lute dominates to point to there everything else is basically a grace note.

Hopefully, on future albums, Mr. McFarlane will dispense with the superfluities and let the lute speak for itself.

Don't get me wrong, I love lute music from all periods, but after 1750 the lute went into rapid decline. (like Baroque music, the lute went into decline after its greatest composer/performer, Sylvius Leopold Weiss, died in that year, the same as the Great Bach--whose own lute compositions were influenced heavily by the former). Whereas after the mid-18th century the ability to play the the pianoforte (and then piano) was an absolute requirement for anyone claiming to be a gentleman, or gentlelady, the same was true for the five centuries before with the lute. Even kings and queens frequently played; one story, perhaps apocryphal, holds that Henry VIII wrote the holiday perennial "Greensleeves"; tho' one does wonder between all the marriages, mistresses, beheadings and misgovernment he could have had anytime for musical composition. Be that as it may, tablature, a simplified system using lines and numbers to teach the musically "illiterate" how to quickly play any piece--it can be found in present-day guitar magazines to teach wannabe Jimmy Page's to play without spending a year or so mastering the complexities of traditional notation.

I hope this album stimulates other composers to write new pieces for the Grandfather of the Guitar (and the son of the 'ud). HIGHLY recommended.

I had the great fortune of listening to McFarlane in concert recently, and his music is absolutely magical. He can do things with the lute that require skill beyond what I can imagine possessing. While I enjoy older music that's time period-appropriate for the lute, I prefer some of the music that McFarlane himself has composed for it (in particular, Cathedral Cave blows my mind). After first finding Indigo Road on iTunes, I bought the CD from Amazon for my mother, and hunted down some related albums (look for albums by The Baltimore Consort such as "Gut, Wind & Wire").

This is a very nice, pleasant listen to a master Lute player. I enjoy listening to it very much. He is a genius on the Lute and the music is very relaxing.

I heard a track from this album on PBS radio, and went onto Amazon as soon as I got home. I had no idea that lute could be so versatile and lovely. Ron McFarlane is such a talented musician - I found a youtube clip of him playing, and just watched his fingers mesmerized. This is a beautiful and evocative album and I shall wear out the CD if it can be worn out. I never tire of it, and I do not hear many complaints from the teenager either!!!!!!

Lovely original music by an amazingly talented musician - I thoroughly recommend it

I discovered this CD while listening to a recital by The Baltimore Consort - a group of musicians who play medieval music. One number did not seem very Medieval to me. It was basically a bluegrass song but played on the lute! The composer- a member of the Consort - was Ronn McFarlane and this CD (appropriately nominated for a 2009 Grammy award - in the Classical crossover category) consists of that song ("Pinetops") and other original compositions by McFarlane (accompanied by other members of the Consort). The title track has the same light feel and these are mixed with slower numbers, reminiscent of the best of the Windam Hill guitarists. Without looking at the instrument listing, you'd find it hard to guess that the music is being played on 16th century instruments.

You can listen to McFarlane's songs, and masterful playing, proactively have it playing in the background as you relax with the Sunday paper over a cup of coffee. I've even programmed this as my morning wake up music.

I love this CD and highly recommend it. The sonic quality is high as well. Think of it as "acoustic folk" and give it a chance. Listen to the sample tracks on Amazon and I think you'll be hooked.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"