Mike Marshall & The Turtle Island Quartet

With this latest entry in his Adventure Music catalogue, mandolin maestro Mike Marshall and the renowned Turtle Island Quartet have produced one of the most beautifully compelling chamber music recordings in recent memory. Part of the appeal arises from the sheer brilliance of the performances, but it’s also due to the refined development of this entire category of music over the last few decades. Rhythmically familiar and harmonically accessible, all of the compositions sound wholly, seamlessly integrated, eschewing any notion of being some sort of contrived crossover experiment, which so often taints these collaborations. Among the 11 tracks is a new work by founding member of the quartet David Balakrishnan entitled ‘Interplay’. It’s a four-movement suite written as a vehicle for exploring the composer’s eclectic musical DNA and showcasing Marshall’s virtuosic mandolin playing. Other highlights include Carlos Oliveira’s ‘Brazilian Choro Medley’, which gives expression to one of the mandolinist’s pet interests, the popular improvisational music of South America’s largest country; and Marshall’s ‘Gator Strut’, a funky vamp that swings with the ease of a second- line march in New Orleans. A raucous, thumping rendition of the Robert Johnson blues classic ‘Crossroads’ serves as a fitting finale.