Acoustic Alchemy - The Beautiful Game (2000)
Label: Higher Octave | FLAC (image) / MP3 | Lossless / CBR 320 kBit/s | 01:02:53 | 402 MB / 142 MB
Genre: Jazz / Smooth Jazz

Artist: Acoustic Alchemy
Title Of Album: The Beautiful Game
Year Of Release: 2000
Label: Higher Octave
Genre: Jazz / Smooth Jazz
Format: FLAC (image) / MP3
Bitrate: Lossless / CBR 320 kBit/s
Total Time: 01:02:53
Total Size: 402 MB / 142 MB

Tracklist:

01. Angel Of The South [06:41]
02. The Panama Cat [05:04]
03. Trail Blazer [05:00]
04. The Beautiful Game [05:16]
05. Hats Of Magic [05:03]
06. Tete A Tete [04:43]
07. The Last Flamenco [04:19]
08. Kidstuff [04:19]
09. Big Sky Country [04:34]
10. Hold On To Your Heart [04:11]
11. Jubilation [04:39]
12. Big Sky Country (Nashville version) [04:17]
13. Trail Blazer (Nashville version) [04:41]

Without question, this is the finest Acoustic Alchemy outing since their 1987 smooth-jazz classic, Red Dust and Spanish Lace. Back then, the current leader, Greg Carmicheal, co-led the group as a duet with his partner, Nick Webb, who died from cancer in early 1998. With a new, expanded version of Acoustic Alchemy, Carmichael has significantly retooled the sound of the group, with the help of San Francisco keyboardist Terry Disley and Incognito member Richard Bull. The stamp of Bull's acid-jazz leanings is evident on "The Panama Cat" and "Trailblazer," while "Hats of Magic" and "Hold on to Your Heart" are two of Carmichael's prettiest guitar ballads ever. Loyal fans shouldn't fear Alchemy's change of direction; while the band seems headed more toward London, Carmichael still remembers that his first American records came from MCA's Nashville office. He does enough serious pickin' on "Kidstuff," "Tete à Tete," and the Dobro-enhanced "Big Sky Country" to help bolster the claim that jazz and bluegrass are cousins. ~ Mark Ruffin