Albany Records release Gernot Wolfgang's new album of chamber music, Vienna and the West. This is the composers follow-up to Passing Through and the fourth in Groove-Oriented Chamber Music series...

If you've been following Gernot Wolfgang's Groove-Oriented Chamber Music series then you'll already have a pretty good idea of what to expect on his fourth volume, Vienna and the West.

The six compositions (spread over 8 tracks - 1 hr, 08 min, 40 sec) are deeply influenced by the composer's Austrian musical roots, filtered through more than twenty years of California living. It further strengthens his ongoing quest to integrate rhythms from musical styles such as jazz, rock & roll, pop and world music into concert music idioms.

If you're new to the series then you might have to give it some time, as this is not an overly easy album to digest on a first play through. In fact, I found the further through the album you travel, the more instantly accessible the tracks appear to be.

As with his earlier albums, there are tracks that you'll instantly fall in love with, while others take quite a few listens to get your head around. This is experimental music that keeps the sensibilities of the original influences.

It's a lovingly craft album and another wonderful release from Wolfgang.

8

Darren Rea