Moods and Visions (Selva, 2014)
Strunz & Farah is one of the most successful guitar duos I the past decades. Jorge Strunz (Costa Rica) and Ardeshir Farah (Iran) have been performing together for 35 years and now they present their 20th album, which is their 1th studio recording.
Latin guitar fans will not be disappointed. The duo conceived an effective formula years ago by combining Latin American melodies and rhythms, Middle Eastern influences, improvisations and a bit of flamenco.
Moods and Visions provides an enjoyable balance between the fast paced compositions and the romantic laid back pieces. Favorites include ‘Phrygian Contours’ where the group adds flute that interplays with the two guitars; the delicate guitar piece ‘Below The Moon’; the dreamy vignette ‘Green Mists’; the lovely slow tempo Museo Romantico (Romantic Museum) that pours out the passion of a bolero; and ‘Halls of Time’, a beautiful contemporary piece that introduces classical elements into the mix.
The lineup includes Jorge Strunz on guitars; Ardeshir Farah on guitars; Rob Hardt on flute; Rick Keller on flute; Jorge Sawa Perez on bass; Elisio Borrero on bass; Luis Conte on Latin percussion; and Majeed Ghorbani on Middle Eastern percussion.
Moods and Visions is a delightful guitar ride across Latin America, the Middle East, American jazz, and the Mediterranean.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
