- Wildcat

Dazzling acoustic guitar work throughout...Muriel Anderson it truly one gifted musician!! Her music invokes beautiful sunny days and countryside tapestry!

Up until a bit ago I didn't know who Muriel Anderson was. I heard her interviewed on a local Chicago radio show and she played a couple of numbers on a harp guitar. She pretty much blew me away so I put this CD on my Christmas list and Santa was very kind in getting it to me. Well....I can't say I was overwhelmed.First, the good stuff. She is an accomplished guitarist in a couple of veins. Some of her stuff leans toward jazz while other works lean to classical or semi-classical. Others I cannot even categorize. Her playing ranges from very good to outstanding. The instrumentals are truly lovely. I liked them the most and she shows exquisite grace in her playing. Much of her work is on acoustic but she played some electric on a couple of tunes. I also liked the sounds of her guitars. I'm not a fan the muted acoustic sounds and it seems that neither is she. Her guitars ring out with with gorgeous overtones that make each note sound rich. Kudos to her engineer for getting it right.On the downside is her singing. She has a softer voice, which is fine for the material, but it lacks inflection. Her voice is on the boring side and it did bother me. Not every great musician is necessarily a great singer. In her case I think she needs to partner with someone on that end. Some of her writing could have been better as well. As I mentioned, I liked the instrumentals a lot, but the vocal centered songs I found somewhat lacking. The title song "Wildcat" had a nice vibe, nice feel to it, but, maybe due to the lackluster vocals, it didn't do much for me. I found similar reservations deeper into the CD.I don't want to discourage anyone from listening to this. Ms. Anderson is a remarkable talent. This level of musicianship should never go unheralded. She just needs a few tweeks to make it a mega-experience.

Playing Time - 42:47 -- With twelve bright and breezy original compositions, guitarist/vocalist Muriel Anderson demonstrates a particular fondness for natural settings, species, and events. There are jazzy songs inspired by a flower garden, beach, sparrow, owl, wildcat, and even an earthquake. Using nylon, steel-string, and harp guitar, she and her expert accompanists play with lyrical spirit. With a nicely crisp, clean sound, Muriel demonstrates great musicianship, ample energy, and plenty of personality. There are spare settings with just harp-guitar ("Velzoe's Garden") or just harp-guitar and voice with Julie Adams' cello ("Castles in the Sand"). In other arrangements, there are full ensembles ("Wildcat") and assistance of the five members of the Nashville Chamber Orchestra ("I'll Never Sing Another Song"). The featured guest artists include Duane Eddy, Stanley Jordan, Mark Kibble, Danny Gottlieb, Nicki Parrott, and Nashville Chamber Orchestra string section."Sparrow," "Owl's Psalm," and "Wildcat" are just three examples of her extraordinary contemporary compositions that epitomize the freedom of a bird in flight, an expressive melody in the woods, or the secretive nature of a feline in search of food. "Lady Pamela" invokes a Celtic flavoring akin to a planxty written in the seventeenth century. Copius liner notes relate Muriel's stories for each tune. Well done to Muriel Anderson for a thoroughly-engaging and tastefully-rendered project! (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)