Nigel Kennedy - The Four Elements
I shouldn't be surprised because the man is a genius, as eccentric as he may be/appear at times, and the track Air on this album is superb. There is a Vaughan Williams beauty in the violin soar as the track begins, and as this moves into the female folk vocal, that pastoral echo is consolidated. Then the violin explodes - as you're hoping knowing this is a concoction of styles - and the electric oriental/psychedelic solo is just how I love my rock violin. I was surprised the track didn't return to its folk start to perform the obvious cycle, but it ends instead on a smooth jazz note with violin and trumpet. There is a surprise element in that the album isn't consistent in terms of replicating the brilliance of this track, but that's not to say there aren't plenty of surprises - liked or unliked - throughout this whole lively and typically eclectic creation.
