16-11-2023, 08:19
Acoustic Alchemy
This is an ensemble that debuted in 1987 with their most recent recording in 2018 and line-up changes along the way.
It’s smooth jazz, to me – not a genre of which I am particularly fond, personally. I listened to the debut album which gets a good rating, and I can understand why from a skill and presentation point of view but it’s just not my thing, with the exception of one or two tracks and the occasional flashes of brilliance. The jolliness gets a bit wearing for my ears – the relentless salsa vibes – that sort of thing – way too cheerful for my tastes – it’s the beat and tempo, I think, that become blah blah blah eventually. And I’m not sure I would have pegged it as New Age. However, that is not to say that they are in way poor musicians – definitely not – perfectly competent and slick, and obviously there a gazillions of people out there who love this type of music and who are not curmudgeonly, unlike yours truly!
From that debut, Red Dust and Spanish Lace, “The Colonel and the Ashes” which I liked because it was not so busy – had more feeling and some nice little key changes towards the end - gotta love a well placed change of key …
This is an ensemble that debuted in 1987 with their most recent recording in 2018 and line-up changes along the way.
It’s smooth jazz, to me – not a genre of which I am particularly fond, personally. I listened to the debut album which gets a good rating, and I can understand why from a skill and presentation point of view but it’s just not my thing, with the exception of one or two tracks and the occasional flashes of brilliance. The jolliness gets a bit wearing for my ears – the relentless salsa vibes – that sort of thing – way too cheerful for my tastes – it’s the beat and tempo, I think, that become blah blah blah eventually. And I’m not sure I would have pegged it as New Age. However, that is not to say that they are in way poor musicians – definitely not – perfectly competent and slick, and obviously there a gazillions of people out there who love this type of music and who are not curmudgeonly, unlike yours truly!
From that debut, Red Dust and Spanish Lace, “The Colonel and the Ashes” which I liked because it was not so busy – had more feeling and some nice little key changes towards the end - gotta love a well placed change of key …
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