Since his 1993 debut Acoustic Highway, Craig Chaquico's creative blending of snappy guitar melodies and subtle Native American textures has contributed something of a spiritual nature to smooth jazz. It's interesting to note, however, that as his fame as an instrumental star increased, he became a little more conscious of commercial considerations. The twelve "greatest hits" tracks of Panorama: The Best of Craig Chaquico bear out this evolution. Earlier material like the soundscape-heavy {&"Gather...   [ read more ]

CD $17.08

Craig Armstrong's long history of string arrangements and composing (for U2, Massive Attack, the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack) helps him out on his solo debut album. The Space Between Us is impeccably produced, from the redos of Massive Attack's "Weather Storm" and the music from the balcony scene of {#Romeo + Juliet} to the new ballad "This Love," with vocals by Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser. If there is a problem with the album, it's that some other tracks have that vag...   [ read more ]

CD $15.18

Craig Padilla is one of the premier Berlin school sequencers in the U.S.A. His discography is loaded with outstanding deep-space music. In 2000, he stepped out of his paradigm and recorded Vostok, a long-form composition built on one continuous sequence. He shopped it around and landed a deal with Spotted Peccary Music. Howard Givens, one of the label's founders and co-owners, co-produced. This piece is pure minimalism. It has all of the characteristics of desert ambience but the textures ar...   [ read more ]

CD $11.38