First released in 2002 on Capstone Records, Phillip Schroeder's Turning to the Center is a subdued, atmospheric tour de force of songs written primarily for an ensemble of baritone voice, clarinet and keyboards. Featuring texts by Walt Whitman, Mark Twain and Rumi, the the song cycles on this release offer atmospheric and varied writing...

Phillip Schroeder's Turning to the Center is an album you're going to really enjoy or really not get at all. If recordings that are baritone heavy turn you off, then this is not an album that you're going to get much listening pleasure out of.

Personally, this wasn't a release I particularly warmed to. This, in the main, is due to the fact there's nothing here for the soul. It felt like an unconnected collection of micro pieces that had been loosely strung together in order to pad out an album. It's also an album that neither builds nor grows as it moves forward. The end result is that you could play this in any order and still get pretty much the same listening experience.

The album contains 24 tracks (50 min, 44 sec) and unless you're a fan of modern, arty classical music, I wouldn't recommend it.

4

Darren Rea