COMPOSERS: Marty Regan
LABELS: Navana Records
WORKS: Forest Whispers: Selected Works for Japanese Instruments, Vol. 1
PERFORMER: Various musicians
CATALOGUE NO: NV 5831
On the other hand, composer Marty Regan shows in Forest Whispers (available from novonarecords.com) what can be achieved with a combination of Japanese and European instruments, when the undogmatic aim is simply beauty of effect. A shakuhachi (flute) can blend gorgeously with a cello, or with a piano trio, if the aesthetic remains – as here – essentially Japanese. Michael Church