Michal Hromek

With Consort Music, the Michal Hromek Consort delivered a short (40 minutes) but beautiful album of instrumental music, bursting with strong musicianship and perfect taste in arrangements. This quartet led by Czech guitarist Hromek also includes Jakub Klár on flutes, René Vácha on violin, and Daniel Mikolásek on percussion (plus a few notes of harpsichord and piano on two tracks). The soft introductory "Intrada" presents the musicians, so to speak. "Two pieces from Merry England" then follow; they are actually two songs by Jethro Tull. "Wondering Aloud" gets the beautiful treatment this kind of instrumentation allows, but "Acres Wild," a more up-tempo number and a questionable choice, feels a little empty. "Arabesque" is tinted with Arabic inflections, while the next two pieces were inspired by South American music. Then comes the four-part suite "Consort Music," which is closer to classical music for guitar than to folk. Two traditional songs from Ireland conclude the program. The Michal Hromek Consort blends the folk roots of Fairport Convention and mid-'70s Jethro Tull with medieval phrasing and some exotic flavors to create delicate musical gems. No piece goes over five minutes; each one is a simple statement on its own -- pleasing, refreshing, and showing great playing. Consort Music is not a showcase for virtuosity, but for musicality perceived as a virtue. Strongly recommended to fans of Jethro Tull, traditional folk, and medieval-like music. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide