Gamelan

A historic live recording celebrating the 40th anniversary of a landmark cultural moment including performances by Echo & The Bunnymen, Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds, The Beat, The Drummers of Burundi, The Musicians of the Nile and many more.

The lushness and easy melodiousness of these four orchestral works is almost startling, given Ziporyn’s (b. 1959) history, but it is certainly not an unpleasant surprise. An essential element in the texture of this music derives from the large percussion section, reflecting the composer’s intense and life-long interest in gamelan music. ... The gamelan world does not dominate the current release, but it is nearly always lurking in the shadows, if it is not now and again bursting through in a more exuberant fashion.

Dreaming Out Loud finds Michael Chapman in fine form, turning a record that isn't drastically dissimilar from his early work. While it doesn't have the spark of his early albums for Harvest, it has a professional journeyman quality that is appealing in its own way. Chapman plays most of the instruments on the album himself, which can occasionally give the music a stilted feel, but on the whole, it's an ambitious, successful effort that fits nicely into his body of work.