Search - Free Design :: Heaven / Earth (Mlps)

Worth the Price

M. Broer | palm springs, ca USA | 12/22/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although I found their two prior albums a cut above this one, this is the one that ends up on my player the most due to one song. DORIAN BENEDICTION is a jazz/choral piece that astonished me when I first heard it. It isn't often that I listen to a single song repeatedly, but I did in this case. Chris Dedrick wrote 8 bars of a melody and lent it to some prominent New York jazz musicians to improvise to. Chris in turn wrote the vocal arrangements, with lyrics apparently in reference to the Israelites' enlightenment in the wake of the crucifix. The group's vocals are at their most exquisite here. This "Mormon Tabernacle Choir in miniature" as the group jokingly refers to, is a perfect example of how good fusion music can be. Any fan of Herbie Mann's "Concerto Grosso in D Blues" would find this four minute plus piece equally enjoyable. A masterpiece."