Mike Marshall – An Adventure 1999-2009 (compilation) – [TrackList below] Adventure Music AM1061 2 (2 CDs) ****:
(with various performers incl. Darol Anger, violin; Phil Aaberg, piano; Hamilton de Holanda, 10-string mandolin; Javino Santos Neto, piano; Hermeto Pascoal, bass flute; Andy Narell, piano, Bela Fleck, banjo)
This is a fine compilation of some of the best work of mandolinist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Marshall, who since the early 1980s has been a major part of the new acoustic music movement. He covers bluegrass, classical, jazz and Brazilian music with ease and also plays the guitar and violin. Together with violinist partner Darol Anger they have done six albums, and Marshall was part of the group Montreux while they existed. He founded the Modern Mandolin Quartet in 1986, which has released four classically-oriented CDs on the Windham Hill label. He is a partner in the Adventure Music label, which has introduced a variety of Brazilian music to North American listeners.
Marshall finds the small eight-string mandolin a passport to far-flung musical adventures covering the world. This compilation documents his various sojourns with friends over the past 15 years, and showcases his amazing virtuosity on the instrument. The main thread here is a tropical one. The Brazilian music takes precedence, and the samba tracks with Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer on bass are delightful. The amazing duets with bandolim virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda (we reviewed a recent video with him) shouldn’t be missed. There’s a lovely bass flute solo “Quando Mais Longe” by Brazilian master Hermeto Pascoal. You’ll want to share in Mike’s musical adventures on Adventure Music.
TrackList:
1 House Camp Marshall 4:16 2 Back To the Castle Marshall 3:49 3 Peter Pan Marshall 7:36 4 Borealis Marshall 3:09 5 Egypt Marshall 6:59 6 Loke’s Troubles Marshall 3:19 7 Blackberry Blossom/Aphenhei-Te Cavaquinho Nazareth, Traditional 5:37 8 Brejeiro Nazareth 3:05 9 Into the Lion’s Den Marshall 4:50 10 Stroll of the Mud Bug Anger 4:19 11 Sarau Para Radamés Da Viola 3:34 12 Um Abraço Seu Domingos Godoy 3:49 13 Serenata Pascoal 3:25 14 Quando Mais Longe, Mais Perto Pascoal 4:15 15 Angels We Have Heard On High Traditional 4:05 16 Um A Zero Pixinguinha 3:41 17 Indifference Colombo, Murena 3:06
— John Henry
