Search - Earth Sounds, Gordon Hampton :: Tennessee Nightwalk - Earth Sounds - Documents of Earth's Living Music

Tennessee Nightwalk is part of the Earth Sounds series, which, as the liner notes say, is dedicated to preserving "nature's pure sound without any alterations in the studio." This particular recording was made by renowned natural sound recording artist Gordon Hempton, and captures the nocturnal sonic mayhem of frogs and toads in Appalachia. "Spring Peepers" hums with humidity and circular sound, seeming to come at the listener from all sides in the dark -- it's easy to imagine cold due on dark grass, faint starlight illuminating a distant tree line, and thousands of insects all around you. Later, "The Meandering River" and "The Clearing" offer a more subdued respite, incorporating the twitter of grasshoppers and the bubbling of a brook into their relaxing, sometimes eerie soundscapes. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide