Search - Andrew Sparling :: Uzundara

Beguiling 'Sparling' by Laurence Crane

Peter Heddon | 09/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A celebration of Andrew Sparling's considerable talents but also an enjoyable cross section of compositional activity in the UK.

Don't be put off by the splodgy cover art work and some of the thinner items as there's plenty to cherish here:

Laurence Crane's utterly beguiling 'Sparling' where simple progressions sound completely fresh.

Finnissy's Uzundara is of his most exciting single line pieces...improvisational in feel but with a clear sense of purpose,especially well projected here.The intensity never drops! By way of contrast,Skempton's quietly poised tribute to the slightly precious art centre in Cambridge is delightful as is Gabriel Jackson's perky 'The White Bird' which has a warmth of spirit characteristic of this composer.Diana Burrell's colourful 'Double Image' is the most extended work on the disc and makes for a very colouful splash:confident unisions becoming increasingly broken up.



Besides these tracks which leap out at even the most casual listener,there's alot more to enjoy on this album.

Strongly recommended!

"