Search - Michael Brook :: Live at the Aquarium

Interesting Ambience - 4.5 star

applewood | everywhere and nowhere | 02/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brook is new to me (via a reviewer's for Steve Tibbetts recommendation), and I'm delighted, satisfied and hungry for more. This recording, live and solo, as part of his promotion of his Cobalt Blue studio work sounds neither live nor solo. My first impression is of Trey Gunn's Chapman stick playing (the ability to get alot of synthesized and layered sinuous sounds out of one instument). Fripp also comes to mind, but these sounds are all gentle, melodic and soothingly beautiful without the Fripp dark side. This music also doesn't have the intense dynamic layers of guitars riding on driving percussions of a Tibbetts composition.

In other words Brook reminds me other accomplished guitarists but with a pleasing and peaceful sound of his own. Within the layered loops there is enough variety to make a close listening interesting, but enough ambience to make replay enjoyable.

Highly recommended (ps. I like this recording more than his studio version, Cobalt Blue)!"