The Great Southwest

by Jonathan Widran From listening to the amazing native vibes, joyful flute musings, and sweeping soundscapes of this popular new age artist over the last decade, there's no way you'd suspect he was born in England and makes his home in Southern California; he sounds totally steeped in the canyons and red rocks of the Southwest. And he's enjoyed taking his listeners for winding joyrides through the rugged landscape since Afternoon in Sedona was released in 1993. This is a wondrous retrospective of his six recordings, featuring familiar songs, reworkings of a few classics, and two brand new tracks. Those two fit in seamlessly into the unwinding journey. "The Grand Circle" opens with Gunn's gentle flute floating atop hypnotic tribal rhythms, a sea of nature sounds (the birdcalls are most prominent), and what sounds like a gentle choir of angels. The tune becomes more percussive, almost sounding like a naturally created "house" record due to the intensity of the rhythmic pattern. "Riverside Walk" is a bit lighter and more whimsical, with his flute winding over a loping flamenco guitar swirl and swaying rhythmic pattern. Other songs include "Entering Twin Falls" (which features the sonic effects of thunder and falling water), "Earth Story" (a feisty flamenco gem), "New World," "Traveler," "Horseshoe Mesa," and "Flight of the Condor." "Condor" features the dramatic and passionate violin soloing of Karen Briggs, which creates an exciting contrast to Gunn's gentle flute amidst a booming percussive landscape. Because his albums have been on different labels (and this collection is on his own label, distributed by Paras Group International), there's no track-by-track listing pointing the listener to the original recordings where each piece can be found. Still, Gunn has created an impressive career by musically chronicling his favorite territory, and this collection is sort of the ultimate Greatest Hits of the Southwest.