Search - Various Artists :: Windham Hill America

Cameron Ashley H. from LACEY, WA
Reviewed on 3/17/2007...

Windham Hill great

A pastoral, melodic and noble side of America

William Merrill | San Antonio, TX United States | 06/06/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here's another fine compilation from Windham Hill house producer Dawn Atkinson. As made clear by the title, the overall theme this time is American music, the kind that defines the pioneering spirit of its people and their belief in the beauty and value of the land. To celebrate this music, the usual stable of WH artists have made some recordings of familiar works that are quietly uplifting and subtly capture the majesty and awe in the source material. The highlights include a lovely, magnificent "O, Shenandoah" played by pianist Phillip Aaberg, trumpeter Chris Botti's marvelously jazzy take on Gershwin's "Prelude No. 2," and a contemplative version of a Bob Dylan song by Fred Simon ("The Times They Are A Changin'"). Along with George Gershwin, many other classic American songwriters and composers are represented, as the artists covered songs by Stephen Foster, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, etc. I like every cut on the CD a lot -- except one. I found George Winston's discordant, clunky version of "It Ain't Necessarily So" rather unappealing. But that's just one small bump on an otherwise highly enjoyable ride. Almost all of the music was newly recorded just for this collection, and the few possible exceptions - such as Mark Isham's brilliant "On The Threshold of Liberty" - can be forgiven as they fit in so well with the other pieces."