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(More customer reviews)Playing Time - 73:50 -- Recorded live at Spivey Hall at Clayton College & State University in Morrow, Georgia, "Crossing Bridges" features violinist Mark O'Connor's Appalachia Waltz Trio, which also features violist Carol Cook and cellist Natalie Haas. The CD's booklet provides this quote from O'Connor - "I always think that music should elevate the spirit, stimulate the intellect and strengthen the heart." If those criteria define his goal, then the consummate pro and his two sidekicks easily succeed. This album of largely original material offers much in the realms of vitality, reasoning and emotion.
His rise to fame has been noteworthy. I remember when O'Connor, originally from Seattle, was just a young pup in the 70s drawing a large crowd in jam sessions with mentor Benny Thomasson at the National Old-Time Fiddlers Contest in Weiser, Idaho. In fact, he could identify specific classical composers at age three. He began playing guitar at six and violin at eleven. Before he had fiddled for a year, Mark had won second place at Weiser. At age 12, he was on the Grand Ole Opry. By 14, he'd won various fiddle and guitar championships, and the Winfield, Ks. guitar contest rules were changed to require that contestants wait at least five years before they could win again. He did. Touring with Dan Crary, The David Grisman Quintet, and The Dregs followed. In 1983, he embarked on a solo career and journey that has him "crossing bridges" into many musical genres.
In 1991, Mark & The New Nashville Cats (featuring Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and Steve Wariner) won the CMA "Vocal Event of the Year" Award. Mark O'Connor also won the CMA "Musician of the Year " Award consecutively from 1991-1996. He toured with Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt in 1993. In more recent times, he has focused primarily on classical music. He wrote his first violin concerto in 2000. His 2002 Nashville concert with Chris Thile, Bryan Sutton and Bryon House was captured on his excellent "Thirty Year Retrospective" album (OMAC Records 5). The "Bowtie" track from this album has been nominated for a Grammy in the Country Instrumental category.
Now, O'Connor, Cook and Haas unite to recreate, with expert technical proficiency, the original 1995 "Appalachia Waltz" repertoire and some fine new material in the same tradition. The original two "Appalachia Waltz" CDs and tours featured violinist O'Connor, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and bassist Edgar Meyer. Yo-Yo Ma made a solo version of the title track his signature piece perfect for an encore.
Compared to the original sound with violin, cello and bass, the new trio's sound is more airy, fluid and light. No one should question the credential of Cook and Haas. Cook was a a member of Scott Yoo's great ensemble, Metamorphosen. She's also a champion Scottish fiddler and made her debut with the Edinburgh Symphony at age 16. Haas studied at Julliard under cello legend Fred Sherry. She also loves Scottish folk music. The album's 15-minute closer "Olympic Reel" medley is textbook string pyrotechnics. Some other technically impressive tracks include "Chief Sitting in the Rain/College Hornpipe," "F.C.'s Jig" and "Limerock." All in all, the generous 74-minute album gives us a kaleidoscope of multi-hued sound that enchants us from the first measure to the last. The sheet music is available on Mark's website. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)
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Featuring the Appalachia Waltz Trio - Mark O'Connor's acclaimed style of American Classical music that he originally composed for cellist Yo-Yo Ma, now takes an exciting turn with some prodigious young virtuosos. Featuring brilliant newcomers Carol Cook and Natalie Haas in exciting new works, as well as a number of new arrangements of Mark's Appalachian series.
