12-11-2014, 19:33
[INDENT]For the handful of people out there who do not know who Johannes Linstead is, he plays instrumental Latin-style nylon-string acoustic guitar in a very enjoyable and popular style. His melodies are catchy and memorable. He is a Canadian of German descent who lives part of each year in the Caribbean (the Dominican Republic). He surrounds himself with a handful of international musicians on each tune, most notably accordion player Jordan Abraham, violinist Vasyl Popadiuk, and percussionist-drummer Anastasios Bigas. These instruments give the music truly a world-fusion sound combining Old World and New World elements. One moment you feel like you are sitting at a European cafe or bar, perhaps in Italy (âLâItalianaâ), and on the next tune the mood has shifted to South America (âRadio Argentinaâ). The ambience is definitely from anywhere it is warm (and in the background materials Linstead says he wanted the music âto serve as an exotic musical escape from day-to-day-lifeâ like âwhen you visit the warmer climes, especially all the Latin countries on both sides of the Atlanticâ). The next piece whisks you to a âPineapple Groveâ in Hawaii followed by a trip to Spain for âSiempre (Now and Forever)â (it just FEELS like a love song) and âEl Lobo.â Then he moves to France for âBalzacâs Brew.â The next two are sort of religious numbers, âAngel on my Guitarâ and âThe Oracle,â and could be from anywhere (Greece, Portugal, Cuba ?). âMidnight Rhumbaâ feels like South America (Brazil or wherever). Then Linstead definitely ends the CD with a travel-stop in the Caribbean on both âCalypso Islandâ and âBewitchedâ (there is plenty of voodoo left in those islands). This is Linsteadâs ninth album and all of them have been best-sellers in this genre. If you still havenât turned on to this wonderful musician, now is the time. His CDs and downloads are easy to find. For more information, check out his website (his first and last name dot com).[/INDENT]