Search - Rhonda Larson/Various :: Distant Mirrors

Stunning music, amazing flute playing

Frank Sabatini | New York City | 07/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've had been luke-warm about the flute until I heard Rhonda Larson play live in performance. I had no idea that there could be so much variety both musically and with the many different kinds of flutes, and it made the entire experience so much more profound. Her level of technical expertise was more like a Paganini on the flute, a style of virtuosity I hadn't even heard James Galway produce. I bought Distant Mirrors at the end of the performance, and can't stop listening to it--for six months now! There is even more variety on the recording than she is able to produce live, thanks to the great luxury that the recording medium affords her. Haunting, stunning, mesmerizing music. Ten stars in my book."

Very good. But not quite as stellar as "Free as a Bird."

Bob Zeidler | Charlton, MA United States | 04/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I number myself among the more rabid fans of Rhonda Larson. So it is a pleasure to have a new album from her (only her second "feature" album since striking out on her own after an extended tour with the Paul Winter Consort more than a decade ago). That first feature album was "Free as a Bird," essentially her solo debut album. And, as that first album came out nearly ten years ago, it's simply been too long "between albums" for this fan. More than reason enough for me to acquire, and then comment on, "Distant Mirrors."



Try as I might, though, I simply am not able to rate "Distant Mirrors" as highly as I did "Free as a Bird" (when it first showed up on its Amazon page some years back). That album-at least in its initial-launch form and track count (about more which later)-was in a class by itself in terms of showcasing the performing capabilities of this remarkable flutist. And, while both albums are studio productions, "Free as a Bird" is truer to what one might expect when seeing Rhonda in concert. (And I have. And she's truly an outstanding performer.) "Distant Mirrors" suffers somewhat by comparison because it is too much of a studio job, with too many track overlays (all of which nonetheless speak to Rhonda's formidable abilities as a multi-instrument musician) to be representative of catching her in a live performance.



Taken as a whole, the Celtic-based tracks on "Distant Mirrors" fare best. "The Boatman" reminds me of Rhonda's earlier "Lament" composition on "Free as a Bird," and that is no small accomplishment, and no faint praise. And "O'Carolan's Concerto," "Lughnasa" and "Nova Scotia Farewell" clearly showcase her technical skills on flutes and whistles of all varieties (and other instruments as well), and her taste in adapting Celtic themes to fit her style and her band. "The Way of the River" is based on an earlier Paul Halley tune, and (probably) as a result of these roots, comes across as a very accomplished composition. "Anantarvio," based on a Bobby McFerrin tune, is interesting and well done (and performed).



The rest of the album, in my opinion, fares less well. "Montana" (a tune written for Rhonda by Halley quite a few years back) fares much better on "Spanish Angel" (a Paul Winter Consort album recorded live, when the Consort had been on tour in Spain). The remainder of the tracks have a sameness to them that simply doesn't hold my interest to the extent that "Free as a Bird," as a concept album, does. And, while Rhonda's "Ventus" band are all accomplished musicians, they don't rise to the level of the musicians who sessioned on that earlier album, most particularly Halley and Jordan Rudess on keyboards, the "triple threat" of Glen Velez, Jamey Haddad and Gordon Gottlieb on percussion, and David Darling on cello. That band simply provided a much more varied array of instruments and timbres as compared to Ventus.



"Free as a Bird" remains my first choice for those interested in Rhonda Larson. It isn't easy to find in CD form. The current Amazon-listed CD is slightly different than when it was initially released: Two tracks have been eliminated from the earlier release, and the remainder of the tracks have been rearranged in an order that is not nearly as appealing as the original had been. And one of the two eliminated tracks ("Hodie Christus," a Paul Halley arrangement of the famous Gregorian chant) had been one of my favorite tracks on that CD. Fortunately, though, the original 13-track CD is available at Rhonda's website, rhondalarson.com. Worth a side trip!



In the meantime, "Distant Mirrors" serves as a readily-accessible means for experiencing this multi-talented musician. I'm sure you'll be hankering for more, once you listen to it.



It is nice, by the way, to read the acknowledgements of thanks that Rhonda includes in the booklet notes, and to see that she never fails to attribute a major part of her new-found instrumental voice to Paul Winter, about whom she was quoted as saying, well over a decade ago, about his skill in bringing out this voice from a once-classical flutist, "For the first time, I played my flute from somewhere inside. I'll never forget it."



Bob Zeidler"

Wonderful!

Kristin Ohlson | Cleveland Heights, OH USA | 01/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rhonda Larson played in Cleveland, so I was able to see her in person. I was dazzled by both her playing and her persona. Now I play her two CDs constantly, probably several times a day-- I'm a writer, and I actually think that having Rhonda's music pulsing through the house makes me a better writer. Her music is all about hope, the bouyancy of the human spirit, the richness and mystery of life. I'm grateful that my friend dragged me along to the concert!"