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Binkelman's Corner by Bill Binkelman |
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Bill Binkelman is a long-time icon in the industry. |
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| Gardens Of Hope |
| By Frank Smith |
| Label: Open Tune Music |
| Released 4/24/2007 |
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| Gardens Of Hope tracks |
1. Inspired By a True Story 
2. Chasing the Shade
3. Gardens of Hope
4. Anything For a Smile
5. Bella Vita
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6. Out of My Hands
7. It’s All Good
8. Soothe
9. Porch With a View
10. Crossroads
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Gardens Of Hope |
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Will Ackerman may want to look into changing careers and becoming a professional gambler because he sure can pick 'em. Here's yet another artist he's producing (and playing with) and, yep, here's another stellar recording. Frank Smith plays acoustic guitar with uncommon grace, delicacy, and subtlety, kinda like Will Ackerman, in fact. He's accompanied here by such notables as cellist Eugene Friesen, ambient guitar wiz Jeff Pearce, flugelhorn player Jeff Oster (another Ackerman find), fretless bassist Michael Manring and bassist T-Bone Wolk, as well as a few more folks. Frank Smith certainly deserves to be in their company, as Gardens of Hope is one of the best acoustic instrumental albums of 2007.
Inspired by a True Story starts things off in a quiet introspective mood that sets the tone for the rest of the album (there are moments of energy on the CD, but overall this is a "quiet" recording). Joined by Jill Haley on English horn and Wolk on bass, this track will evoke comparisons to Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel (meant as a huge compliment, obviously). The music flows with the same beauty and melodic lyricism as the Pacific Northwest duo's best work. Chasing the Shade, on which Smith is joined solely by guitarist Ackerman, combines a light-hearted mood with a slow-paced tempo, both artists amply displaying their virtuosity on the guitar. Despite its title, Gardens of Hope is a somber affair with four artists accompanying Smith: Manring, Dana Cunningham on piano, Noah Wilding on wordless vocals, and Derrick Jordan on percussion. Plaintive and reflective, the song also features two rhythmic interludes, however, so as to not disturb the mood, Jordan plays his snares with brushes, lightly yet emphatically, so that the sensation of rhythm emerges but doesn’t overpower the more delicate aspects of the tune. Wonderful and imaginative stuff, that!
While Anything for a Smile livens things up, Ackerman's skillful production allows this sprightly song to remain consistent with the rest of the album. Steve Schuch's violin gently floats and weaves amidst Smith's guitar and Jordan's Spanish-inflected percussion (although the music itself carries no overt Spanish influence). Bella Vita ("Beautiful Life" in Italian) opens in a subdued vein (reminding me, to be truthful, of The Kronos Quartet’s amazing performance for the soundtrack to The Fountain), but picks up steam and infuses passion and power via Friesen's cello and Jordan's percussion. Out of My Hands features Pearce's ambient guitar textures (easily recognizable to his fans if they listen carefully). As one might deduce, the song is subtle and soft (Manring also plays on the track and adds just the right touch).
There are four more tracks on the CD but I'm running out of glowing adjectives to describe how wonderful Gardens of Hope is, so I'll let you discover those last four on your own. Frequent readers of my reviews may be tired of my next comment, but I have to write it anyway. Gardens of Hope is the perfect soundtrack for country highway drives in autumn. The subdued nature of the music, the lack of over-the-top histrionics, the beautiful amber-tinted melodies and overall sensation of gentle movement are perfectly suited for traveling amidst falling red and gold leaves, grey skies with a hint of rain, and small towns adorned with pumpkin stands and Halloween decorations on front porches. However, you can also content yourself with playing this magnificent recording while just idling away the hours in your sunroom or maybe in front of the fire, reading. The main thing, though, is to get your hands on Gardens of Hope and start enjoying it right away. I can't recommend it highly enough for fans of acoustic instrumental music….and, uh, Will, can you tell me who's going to win the Super Bowl next year?
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Rating: Excellent  |
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- reviewed by Bill Binkelman on 6/9/2007 |
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