Barrage
The creators ofBarrage(the ensemble and the touring show of the same name) have said that they "wanted to create a unique violin concept." And that they have accomplished: their slant is to play everything you can think of on violins, fiddles, or a combination thereof (spiced with a variety of percussion, electric guitar, and other instrumentation, along with occasional vocals). Formed in Calgary, Canada, in 1996, Barrage leaves no stone unturned. The first track, "Chopsticken," is total riff-o-rama--imagine Led Zeppelin played by a pack of out-for-blood violins.Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing" is surprising at first, but its echoes ofStephane Grappelliand '40s swing quickly seduce. "Mountain Spring" then slows things down to a quasi-New Age pace. Most of the album balances between these two poles--perky and excited or slow and (overly) mellow.  This album might not cast a very wide net beyond those who really enjoyed theBarragespecial on PBS, but the energy is pretty irresistible.--Elisabeth Vincentelli