Aerial Acoustics Tandem Flight
If Aerial Acoustics had to be reduced to one word, I would pick elegance. If I had to throw in a few more words, I would pick soulful, strong, skillful, and polished, but would still come back to elegance.
Aerial Acoustics is Dorothy Wagner on classical and Dennis Smith on steel guitars. The duo formed after a chance meeting at a kite flying festival is about as perfect a musical organization as you are going to find. Fusing their very different styles into a compound that has the fundamental elements of both, and yet resembles neither, they have finally released their long anticipated CD.
There are 11 cuts here. Each is a catalyst to dream, to dance and just to feel good. My favorite piece here is called "Café’ At Night". The song is a highly charged melody played over a lush chordal bed. A strong rhythmic pulse that never overwhelms the melody, and the arrangement that is pin point in its accuracy. A close runner up for favorite honors is "Tell Me More About My Eyes". In this tune the guitars take very distinctive roles in portraying both the flatterer as he pours on the compliments, and the delight of the receiver of the praise. The introspection of "Turning Away" is another contender, as is "Girls Who Drive Camaros". The last cut, Paul Desmond's "Take Five" the only song not composed by the duo, is a ferocious excursion. Dorothy's classical guitar serving as the rhythm section while Dennis takes the familiar melody line and runs with it. This is one of the finest recordings I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. It is second only to seeing Dorothy and Dennis in concert.
Joe Grandwilliams, "Good Times" magazine