Restless Nation
Navona, 2022
9/10
A very diverse effort, Andy Teirstein offers us Bedouin singing, Scandinavian folk music, and evidence of his time as a folk fiddle and banjo player across these 4 pieces that welcomes a string quartet and spans many moods and textures.
The title track opens the listen with a pair of violins, a viola and cello interacting in swift, dynamic ways as the the strings are meticulously played with power and emotion. By the time the later chapters arrive, such as “Of Rocks And Rivers”, the setting is more calm, intimate even, as each instrument shines in its own light.
The middle tracks, “Secrets Of The North” and “Azazme Songs”, are particularly luminous, where the former spotlights a nychkelharpa solo from Marco Ambrosini to complement the cautious string interaction, and the latter recruits a playful, busier landscape that benefits from Yair Dalal’s oud and Teirstein’s dulcimer.
The final track, “Letter From Woody”, showcases the vast talent of the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra and Teirstein’s harmonica prowess in the soothing delivery that builds into a soaring, majestic finish that pays homage to Woody Guthrie.
A student of Leonard Bernstein and Henry Brant, Teirstein brings a wealth of talent to these Appalachian influences and chamber and orchestral nods, and it results in a very worldly adventure that’s as accomplished as it is memorable.
Travels well with: Various Artists- Legends And Light Vol. 2; Trio Casals- Moto Finale