Disque compact What a great album this is! Not only is it held together by the theme of Canadian composer and guitarist Partick Roux’s writing but also includes some of the greatest guitarist of our day such as Fabio Zanon, Jerome Ducharme, and SoloDuo to name a few. The recording quality on the tracks are all pretty great and the packaging and design match the high quality playing. I imagine the recordings all come from different sessions as the quality, although high, appears to differ slightly across the tracks. I really enjoyed reading the liner notes as they give some history on Patrick Roux’s musical life. As Louis Trepanier states, “this CD could be a sort of scrapbook of Patrick’s concert career of the 1990′s…Here is the result: the first ten years of the compositions by Patrick Roux, performed by the composer himself and an array of friends…” Highlights: The recording kicks off with Comme un tango performed by the Canadian Guitar Quartet. This title track has all of the great moments you’d expect from Patrick Roux: beautiful melodies as well as energentic romps into tango and flamenco. Most importantly, Roux’s compositions are FUN. Superb performance by the Canadian Guitar Quartet (I’ve come to expect no less than perfection from this group and they delivered once again). There are some moments in their performance of Ponticello Tango that completely shocked me! Such intricate and energetic playing, BRAVO! The Le bourdon de l’âme performed by Patrick Kearney is another gem from the album. He’s in top form here playing with an excellent sense of space and time. I was very grateful to hear Après le bandonéon played by Ensemble Contretemps/Go. The instrumentation of saxophone, clarinet, guitar, and percussion adds a real nice boost to the listening experience. The other track with Duo Vice Versa featuring flute and guitar is similarly a nice touch. The composer plays a track himself D’un ciel à l’autre and showcases his very articulate playing. I thought the sound of his guitar was a bit woody and bright for my taste but after listening to the whole track I think it suits his clear style quite well and even missed it a bit afterward. Always nice to hear a composer play. SoloDuo are awesome in there performance of Hier, aujourd’hui, plus jamais. This was one of my favorite tracks on the album. They pull off the performance brilliantly with an amazing mix of virtuosity, good tone, and spectacular ensemble skills. Simplement choro played by Jérôme Ducharme is a treat as is the Valse vertigo played by Brazilian guitarist Fabio Zanon. Zanon’s is my favorite track on the album. He is able to take the phrases to all sorts of new levels. He is a master at keeping the energy moving forward and there is never a dull moment. As the notes state, “This virtuosic and lyrical waltz evokes a feeling of vertigo and imbalance through the sinuous motion of its melodies.” I couldn’t imagine a better rendition of this work. Conclusion: This is a wonderful album that all will enjoy. It has moments of beauty and some raunchy tango grooves. The line-up of artists on this album is first rate and shows not only the importance of Patrick Roux to the guitar world but also all the great friends, students, and colleagues he has attracted over the years. This recording has it all! Classical Guitar Canada
