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Dave Cipriani : America and other faraway places (US,2004)****
First of all, I must say I very much like the title of the album. Why shouldn't American styles be regarded as equally 'exotic' as others, and "exotic styles" as being as equally attractive for improvisation. In reality, there are no musical borders. While inspired by John Fahey's "America", Dave Cipriani's taught Hindustani styles which gave him a different musical and fundamental starting point, compared to that of the equally explorative curious mind like that of John Fahey, or compared to Davy Graham's first discoveries when trying Indian elements outside their experience with jazz, blues and folk. David seems to work now and then the other way around. Starting from some experience in Indian music, on the first few tracks ("Baba", "Ali & Ali",..), he seemed to evolve with them into more bluesy territories, in a semi-Appalachian way of improvisating with them. But that is not all he has to offer. Other excursions are partly more classical explorations of melodic spheres, mixed with various other compositional themes and styles, calmly inspired, or even more intense (like on "Otto's Dance"). "Dirt Man" is a blues fingerpicking. "Raga Vasant" is a classical Indian raga on Indian slide-guitar, while "Barunji's Waltz" style is in between blues and Indian style. Recommended.
