It's a quiet September night as I gather my stack of C.D. to review. No one else around, just me and the C.D. player. Where will the music take me tonight? I never know until I'm there. By morning I will have been around the world, went back in time and soared through the heavens. And perhaps I will have discovered that I am a Celtic dreamer or a closet gypsy ...and that despite my sober disguises I'm still a hopeful romantic at heart.

NOTES FROM THE TREE OF LIFE, Nancy Rumbel (Narada)

After four years with the Paul Winter Consort and ten years of recording with guitarist Eric Tingstad, this is Nancy Rumbel's first solo composing/recording project. Having followed her work over the years, in my opinion this is her finest recording to date. Notes from the Tree of Life uses a combination of extremely well recorded and performed ethnic instruments accompanying Nancy's oboe, English horn and ocarina. The melodies have depth and substance and Nancy makes good use of the ethnic instruments to provide a wide variety of interesting rhythmic feels. As diverse as these selections are they all seem to fit quite nicely into the tapestry of the overall recording, and there is a common undercurrent of positive energy (an Overcurrent) that keeps me coming back for more. Each time I do, it sounds better. Hats off to Nancy and co-producer Dave Dysart for a great job.

• STYLE Acoustic New Age with World influences.
• INSTRUMENTATION Oboe, English horn, ocarina, keyboards, percussion, harp, guitar, bass, choir (on one selection) & cimbalon.
• FEEL From playful to serious, a feeling of warmth pervades.
• PERFORMANCES Excellent overall.
• COMPOSITIONS Memorable, well written songs.
• ARRANGEMENTS Creative, tasteful use of ethnic colors.
• TEMPOS Wide variety
• RECORDING QUALITY Exceptional clarity and warmth.
• REMARKS I highly recommend listening to Notes from the Tree of Life for its creativity, excellent production and overall good vibes.

CELTIC TWILIGHT 2, Various Artists (Hearts of Space)

On the wings of their mega-hit, Celtic Twilight, Hearts of Space has released this sequel to tickle your Celtic fancy. True to form, the folks at Hearts of Space have once again conjured up a delightfully eclectic blend of musical themes and artists to make this recording even more impressive than the first. With performances by Loreena McKennit, Bill Douglas, Nightnoise, Steve McDonald, Talitha MacKenzie, Kevin Braheny and many others, this recording successfully accomplishes the most difficult task of combining several diverse elements and artists into a cohesive collection where all selections compliment one another and flow gracefully into the next.

• STYLE Nouvo-Celtic.
• INSTRUMENTATION Everything from bagpipes and whistles to synthesizers and electronic woodwinds.
• FEEL Magical and inspiring, quietly simple.
• PERFORMANCES Outstanding overall.
• COMPOSITIONS Combination of well- chosen traditional and original selections.
• ARRANGEMENTS Variety of musical styles, each a gem in its own right.
• TEMPOS Mostly slow, except for the lively Highstep by Bill Douglas.
• RECORDING QUALITY Consistently high quality.
• REMARKS Whether you're a seasoned Celtic listener or a first-timer, Celtic Twilight 2 is one of the best recordings out there in this genre. Buy it!!!

BELOVED, David Lanz (Narada)

A fine collection of some of David Lanz's best compositions with some additional new recordings, Beloved is a superb sampling of his work. These romantic piano-based melodies with occasional orchestral or synthesized accompaniments are great for unwinding or creating a relaxing atmosphere anytime of day. David's themes are appropriately simple but never boring. Of special note is the inspiring orchestral performance on Madre de la Tierra, as cinematic as any great movie theme. Lyrical melodies and a gentle ebb and flow keep the music engaging yet contemplative. David's music has a distinct personality. It's the kind of personality you'd like to relax and have a cup of tea with. He has something intelligent and valuable to say, but also knows how to listen ... and always leaves you feeling a little better than you did before.

• STYLE Lyrical, romantic piano selections.
• INSTRUMENTATION Solo piano with some orchestral and synthesized accompaniments.
• FEEL From intimate to expansive, David Lanz's music has a warmth and tenderness that is unmistakable.
• PERFORMANCES Very good to excellent.
• COMPOSITIONS Well-crafted, memorable melodies.
• ARRANGEMENTS Excellent. The accompaniments are all creative, tasteful and very well suited to each piece.
• TEMPOS: Slow to moderate.
• RECORDING QUALITY Excellent.
• REMARKS I highly recommend Beloved by David Lanz for its musical sensitivity, warmth, tasteful arrangements and gentle, memorable melodies.

JESSE COOK, Tempest (Narada)

A day before going to press I found this C.D. in my P.O. BOX. Loving the simplicity and passion of Spanish music, I was thrilled to hear Jesse Cook's spirited Flamenco performances with lively percussion accompaniment. Jesse Cook's music will definitely bring out the gypsy in you. A few romantic ballads slow things down for quieter moments, but not for long. You'll be up on the dining room table with a rose in your teeth before you know what happened. Just don't let anybody see you. Now if you'll excuse me....

• STYLE Flamenco with contemporary and world influences.
• INSTRUMENTATION Flamenco guitar, assorted percussion, electric bass, synthesizers.
• FEEL From serious to lighthearted.
• PERFORMANCES High quality performances.
• COMPOSITIONS Good overall. In this genre it's the rhythmic feel and ethnic colors that do most of the talking.
• ARRANGEMENTS Simple, effective arrangements. One sore point however: I didn't care for the occasional use of drum machine sounds on this otherwise classy acoustic recording. I would have preferred to hear the real thing in this context. The synthesizers work nicely because they're not imitating any real instruments.
• TEMPOS Moderate to upbeat.
• RECORDING QUALITY Very well recorded.
• REMARKS In this genre, Jesse Cook is a major contender.
• TEMPEST is definitely worth hearing. Check it out.

ERIC TINGSTAD, A Sense Of Place (Narada)

In this new solo release by Eric Tingstad, Eric successfully achieves his goal of creating a musical comfort zone that leads to a sense of belonging. These guitar-based arrangements of eleven Tingstad originals avoid the heavy-handed approach with a small ensemble of acoustic and electric guitars, light percussion, bass, piano, flute, mandolin and soprano sax. He's not trying to break new ground here and doesn't pretend to be. Overall, A Sense of Place is a very sensitive, well-produced recording that does exactly what it sets out to do, and does it extremely well.

• STYLE A combination of influences portrayed in an instrumental folklike setting.
• INSTRUMENTATION Guitar-based (acoustic and electric) with light accompaniment. (see above)
• FEEL Warm and friendly. Easy going.
• PERFORMANCES Excellent.
• COMPOSITIONS Very nice.
• ARRANGEMENTS Subtle variety creates a nice, gentle flow.
• TEMPOS All pretty laid-back, which helps to achieve a comfortable feeling in knowing that the next tune isn't going to jump out at you just when you were feeling cozy.
• RECORDING QUALITY Excellent.
• REMARKS This music is great for creating an atmosphere that doesn't demand your complete attention but still maintains its high standards of quality, musicality and intimacy.