The Blind Messenger

Forrest Fang

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The Blind Messenger Review

by Tom Schulte

Chinese-American Fang employs violin, "electronics, " a grab-bag of ethnic percussion and more on this solo release. Carl Weitgarten makes a brief appearance putting the E-bow to a Dobro and Kit Watkins plays piano on one track. Strongly rooted in jazz improvisation, Americana stringed instruments and non-Western classical music Fang is an addendum to the musical atlas. Some composers use fractal algorithms for arrangements and that's an excuse for us to appreciate the music only intellectually. With Forrest Fang the inviting compositions feel much too warm and organic for us to believe they were actually forged in mathematics. This can be credited to the dizzying array of real instruments and Fang's own acute understanding of the creation of music as cultural expression. The Blind Messenger is relaxing, thought provoking and ideal for late at night.

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