Even before putting this CD onto the player I was intrigued. Firstly, Dennis Rea is a member of Moraine and the rest of the quintet all play on this album (plus some other guests), and then in the digipak there are details on each song and where they have been adapted from. This is quite different to anything else I have ever heard, as while Moraine are renowned for their avant-garde jazz this is a different beast altogether. In short, this is music that takes traditional Chinese music as a starting point and goes from there in both structured and improvised forms. Now, it has to be said from the outset that my knowledge of this genre is basically zero, so I have no idea if this stays true to the original concept or moves far from it, but I do know that what we have here is a compelling album.
There are times when I am reminded of a trickling brook, while at others it is the spacious sky and mountain tops, but whichever song and at whatever point within that number I am transported away to a place of peace and tranquility where the elements, nature and people are in total harmony. It is one of those albums that is hard to review as all I actually want to do is sit quietly and absorb it instead of tapping away at a keyboard and making noise. Dennis has combined different instruments (including some traditional Chinese) in a way to make an album that is thought provoking yet relaxing at the same time. It is definitely an album that is only going to find favour among a select few, but those who enjoy their music to be outside of the mainstream will find a great deal here to savour.
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