Lagq: Guitar Heroes
These guys are amazing. This CD is for everyone, regardless of "favorite" musical tastes. Classical, pop, new-age, country, whatever: the LAGQ's virtuosity is stunning, and the sounds they make are engaging, clear and clean (and aided by recording engineers who should win the Nobel Prize for recording, were there such a thing). Nominally, this CD is inspired by the heroes of the four members of LAGQ, but that's only a piece of  information: What they do with music by, or indebted to, or inspired by their "heroes" is the issue, and it's never less than original, by turns lovely (the Pat Metheny piece), reckless and innovatively busy (Jimi Hendrix's "Pluck, Strum and Hammer"---with gorgeous harmonics), flamenco (Steve Howe's "Aire para un dia," totally re-conceived), and kitchen-sink (Frank Zappa's "Let's be Frank"). Even the infuriating John McLaughlin is well represented. The recording is vivid and the artists are identified from left to right, speaker-wise. And the Chet Atkins piece that closes the CD is nothing short of delicious. What is this uncategorizable CD? A joy---that's what.--Robert Levine