Few instruments are as capable of evoking melancholy or joy
as the mandolin family of stringed instuments. In this remarkable compendium,
stringed instrument virtuoso Peter Ostroushko takes listeners on a global and
historical musical journey that shows the myriad genres of instrumental music
in which the mandolin and its relatives have played a key role. The first disc
of the set focuses on American music, ranging from traditional fiddle tunes
through old time and bluegrass music into ragtime, big band jazz and even march
music. The second disc provides a tour through Europe with dance and fiddle
tunes from the Ukraine, Sweden, France, Italy, and Ireland. On the third disc,
Ostroushko tackles pieces written with mandolin parts by Vivaldi, Beethoven,
and Bach as well as some Brazilian choros and a Puerto Rican waltz. To execute
this varied tapestry of music, Ostroushko enlisted an impressive cast of
collaborators, including old time scholars Norman and Nancy Blake, guitarist
(and long time Ostroushko collaborator) Dean McGraw, pianist Butch Thompson, western
swing veterans Johnny and Dick Gimble, a string quartet on the classical
pieces, and Irish guitarist Daithi Sproule as well as many others. On several
tracks, including Scott Joplin’s “Heliotrope Bouquet, Ostrouschko’s mandolin
is augmented by his own overdubbed mandocello and mandola. It is a testament to
Ostrouschko’s versatility as a musician and skills as an arranger that this
polyglot of musical performances and styles, including several original compositions, holds together seamlessly as a
sometimes lively, sometimes plaintive, but always engaging instrumental
tapestry.
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