The elegant and evocative piano of David Lanz has been described as creating a musical landscape. Going deeper in Spirit Romance than in his classic Songs from an English Garden and Cristofori's Dream (despite the awesome soulfulness of the latter's "Whiter Shade of Pale"), the ambiance here is more spiritual, meditative and, at times, almost liturgical, while maintaining Lanz's characteristic world music sound through the use of global instrumentation.

Gary Stroutsos joins him on a variety of flutes, primarily a haunting Chinese xiao flute, to blend with Lanz's piano on 11 tracks.

The result is fervently transcendent and soul-sating in much the same way the chants of Hildegarde of Bingen and the Gyuto Monks, the poetry of St. John the Divine and Rumi, and the sacred architecture of Chartres and Bangkok are. This is an entirely relaxing, mind-quieting, spirit-awakening experience.

by Stephen Richmond
Rambles.NET
22 July 2006