Dennis Rea - Views from Chicheng Precipice [CD]

Internationally acclaimed for his work with art-rock juggernaut Moraine and free-jazz provocateurs Iron Kim Style (MJU28 and MJU31), guitarist and composer Dennis Rea presents a completely different but equally compelling facet of his musical personality with his most ambitious release to date, Views from Chicheng Precipice. Views from Chicheng Precipice is Rea's homage to the music of East Asia, a collection of uniquely personalized interpretations of traditional pieces and original Asian-inspired works, performed by some of the Pacific Northwest's most renowned instrumentalists, including trombone avatar Stuart Dempster and koto master Elizabeth Falconer. Blending striking arrangements of ancient and contemporary themes with sonic experimentation and expansive improvisation, Views from Chicheng Precipice is at once boldly unorthodox in it's choice of instrumentation and treatment of traditional musical material, and warmly respectful of it's sources. The result is a sonorous and surprising listening experience that goes far beyond typical attempts at 'East-West fusion.'