Ian Blake - Spirit of Place

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Ian Blake's Spirit of Place CD, released in 1996 by ABC music, has just become available again through indie-cds.com. Following our policy of bringing you interesting, diverse and unusual music from around the world and in many musical spheres, this album fits neatly into our "no convenient genre or category" pigeon-hole. For it's a highly eclectic melange of various styles, from the solo whistle tune that opens, through drifting soundscapes and samples, passing jazz moods, a little bit of funk even, a touch of the mediaeval about it, a touch of the symphonic (in feel at least, there is no orchestra.) That said, Blake plays so many instruments himself, it could as well be a small orchestra. Clarinet, saxes, whistles, melodica, fujara, flute, tenor guitar, dulcimer, lyre and keyboards, bass and percussion are all used by Ian on the album. As Nick Beale said in a 1996 review of this album in fRoots this is 'multi-faceted and highly inventive music...' . It's hard to pin down with labels, but the consistent threads that run through it are the variety of musical ideas on offer, and the creativity with which those are manipulated. It's also a tribute to this CD that it's not really like anyone else that I can think of musically. The moment you think "ah that's a bit like Terry Riley ...." it's off into new territory again. The title is descriptive of the inspiration behind the tracks, each being given their musical identity by Ian's interpretation of the genius loci. The places visited are many and different, and their musics follow suit. If your tastes run to musical journeys through a variety of different spaces, (mostly of the melodic and instrumental type, in moderately laid back mood), I recommend you try this CD, I doubt if you'll be disappointed (and when you listen to the sample here, see if you can identify the hot fountain pen solo). - Malcolm Fielding, indie-cds.com 2005