You Are the Ocean, Vol. 2

This sequel to Schawkie Roth's classic You Are the Ocean combines the heavenly free form sounds of Roth's flurries on the zither with the golden and stately concert harp of Deborah Henson-Conant. The pieces flow easily from floating improvisations to more composed pieces similar to the impressionistic works of Maurice Ravel. "Of Green Rolling Hills" exemplifies the word pastoral, and one could easily imagine a slow motion frolic through emerald grasses. Roth also plays a variety of flutes that soar or flutter against the melodramatic lines of the cello played by Daniel Reiter. An exotic mood is created on "Spanish Memories"; no castanets or flamenco guitar, but harp and flute weave a pulsing dance of romance reminiscent of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. As promised in the title, the ocean is featured on several tracks, both in nature sounds and through Debussy-like undulations, waves, eddies of sound, and melody. This album is perfect for relaxation and background music, yet if you listen carefully, you will appreciate the artistry of the musicians.