GORDON GILTRAP & RICK WAKEMAN: FROM BRUSH & STONE

Gordon Giltrap and Rick Wakeman are friends and have played together on several occasions. This is an album they made together (if I remember correctly they did it by recording their respective parts separately and sending each other tapes). I like the idea of these two men making an album together, but the result is not satisfying. These instrumental compositions were inspired by various famous painters and sculptors, hence the title of the album. Gordon plays acoustic guitar and Rick plays the grand piano (and occasionally some discrete string synths in the background). With only these two musical elements, the sound is very uniform throughout and it quickly tends to get monotonic. The compositions are not very inspired either and are rather forgettable.

Maybe this would work as background music while admiring the paintings and sculptures in question? But for listening in its own right it falls rather flat. It is by no means unpleasant, just unremarkable and even a bit dull.

I hope that the album that Gordon has recorded with Rick's son Oliver (which has just been released) is better than this!