Bohemian Boulevard

Album Review

In the right hands the classical guitar is a beautiful instrument, a thing of both filigreed delicacy and raw passion. Andre Feriante is a man who can explore the moods on the guitar in beautiful style, whether on Bach's Preludio No. 1 or flying free on some of the several improvisations that are on this disc. As he admits in the liner notes, improvising is a new field for him, and he takes to it with delight on tracks like "Melancholy Avenue" and "Samba de Alma," bringing a new energy and possible direction to his music. He's also a very talented composer, most of the pieces here coming from his own pen. He can summon up the duende of flamenco with "Spanish Rhapsody" and capture gentility on "Juliet of the Snow." It's an intensely satisfying record. Certainly not classical or flamenco, it offers its own take on the world, beyond any easy definition.