Syncretic Strings
Selva, 2023
8/10
The Grammy-nominated acoustic guitar greats Strunz & Farah bring a small handful of esteemed guests for these Latin, Middle Eastern, jazz fusion, and acoustic rock songs that are as unpredictable as they are cultured.
“Summerborn” gets the listen off to a highly melodic start, where the flowing guitars and crisp drumming emit much warmth, and “This Could Only Be” follows with plenty of rhythm, as the superbly meticulous guitar progressions are nothing short of fascinating.
At the halfway point, “Merry Chase” displays firm drumming amid the radiant, pretty guitar tone, while “Fortune’s Brothers” displays very playful percussive sounds to complement the swift guitar picking prowess.
Close to the end, the intimate and dreamy “Jungle Rain” uses the bass guitar precisely to illuminate the skilled drumming, and “Cybele’s Jester” exits with a festive and highly energetic delivery of cultured songwriting.
Jorge Strunz and Ardeshir Farah’s guitar acrobatics are nothing short of stunning, and with Al Di Meola (percussion), Carlos del Puerto (bass), Ron Wagner (drums), Carlitos Cuba (bass), Paul Alexander Gonzales (drums), Luis Conte (percussion), Majeed Ghorbani (percussion), and Diego Alvarez (percussion) along for the occasion, every second here is absorbing.
Travels well with: Dogo Du Togo- Dogo Du Togo; Plena Libre- Cuatro Esquinas