Customer Reviews

Voyagers

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

 

 

Pairing two great musicans together doesn't always make for good music. The cello solos are beautiful, but when Carlos enters the duet, I get the feeling he is really struggling to break free of the limitations of his instrument. I play native american flute-- unlike the cello each flute has a limited tonal range, and you can only play in one key at a time. It is a fantastic instrument, and Nakkai is the master. However Carlos' work on the duets really didn't fit very well and was disappointing-- it felt forced. I would stick with "Sanctuary" which is my favorite Nakkai CD. Unlike "Voyagers" it has a consistent, moody musical texture and vision. Also, what's up with "Amazing Grace" on this CD? This was off-the-charts cheesy and really didn't fit in with the other tracks on this CD.

This is a very good collaboration, but with some major weaknesses. First, I'm disappointed by the selections. Most range from serious to downright somber, but there are three (out of 14) where these two excellent musicians seem to relax and have a little fun. A little. How can you combine American Indian music (with its lively powwow traditions) and Jewish music (with its dance traditions) and come out so. . . serious, so. . .gloomy? After "Amazing Grace" the CD descends (except for the last piece) into a kind of spiritual/philosophical swamp. But I can't say I wasn't warned: the little introductory blurbs that the two men wrote are just as much of a spiritual/philosophical swamp as some of this music. (At least, to their credit, neither claims to be a writer!) They just seem to take this cross-cultural experiment a little too seriously. Too many songs too much the same. Some very good music, but too many unrealized possibilities. And too little Will Clipman!

This is one of R. Carlos Nakai's best collaborations. The music is fluid , moving and spiritually uplifting. Is is rellaxing without being boring, Both are skilled musicians and their collaboration is inspiring.