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review by Bill Binkelman Sunset Meditation features fifteen wonderfully serene solo acoustic guitar instrumental numbers. It's hard to believe that after listening to this CD that a person would not be impressed with Tony Sandate's talent. Sandate has crafted fifteen numbers that all manage to convey a sense of peace and calm, even while he varies the emotional tone of each cut. He also impresses with both his instrumental technique and musical artistry. This is one of those one-in-a-hundred albums that literally stopped me dead in my tracks and caused me to "listen" with all my ears the very first time I put it in my CD player. Whether it's the extremely subtle flamenco embellishments to the opening "Waiting for You," the softly rolling-along feel to "Alba," the sedate and solemn "Dios Y Hombre" (translation: God and Man), the quiet and gentle "Before You Awake" (one of the softest guitar tunes I've ever heard), or the classic new age stylings of the low-key yet beautiful title track, Sandate never falters. He has abundant control of nuance, which he needs in these gentle sound-portraits. His compositions never sound trite or cliché, but always ring true with sincere conviction and subdued passion. What might, on the surface, come across as by-the-numbers, is actually anything but that. Sandate displays deep-rooted commitment to this highly personal musical statement If you can listen to "Song for Andrés" and remain unaffected on every level (and not even appreciate the sorrowful delicate beauty of the piece), you just have no taste whatsoever, sorry to say. There's not a whole lot more to write except that if you have even a moderate liking for the sound of an acoustic guitar (and you don't need a lot of fireworks or histrionics to convince you of a musician's master of the instrument), you should get this CD. After you play it the first time, you can write and thank me for telling you about it. Sunset Meditation is almost assured to be one of my favorite recordings of 2004 and earns my highest recommendation. |
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