Different Prelude: A Contemporary Collection
As this disc's title suggests, none of the contemporary instrumental artists assembled for this project plays it straight with their selected classical selections, yet their imaginative efforts yield a respectful, tuneful, and peaceful retooling of works byBachandChopin(three each), plus pieces byWagner,Rachmaninoff,Debussy, andSatie. Bassist-keyboardist Patrick O'Hearn takes the repeating cello passages from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 and layers them atop a shimmering, softly pulsing electronic landscape. Violinist Charlie Bisharat, accompanied by guitarist Wayne Johnson, introduces flamenco-like brushstrokes to Chopin's Prelude No. 6 in B Minor. Pianist-keyboardistPhilippe Saisseadds a jazz twist to a lovely, beguiling interpretation of Bach (No. 1 in C Minor). TrumpeterChris Bottitakes aGeorge Gershwincomposition (Prelude No. 2) and expresses it as a smoky, sultry mood piece. Dawn Atkinson, who producedA Different Mozartand has overseen many past Windham Hill compilations, also produces this project involving, among others, Windham Hill alumni. She debuts as an artist as well, putting an angelic, keyboard-based spin on Chopin's Prelude No. 20 in C Minor. A nice package.--Terry Wood