Marcus Corbett
Album: Strung Deep
Label: Marco
Tracks: 13
Website: http://www.marcuscorbett.com

Having long been a keen investigator of esoteric, unusual and enterprising musics and the exploratory fusion of existing musical forms and genres, I was most intrigued at the prospect of previewing this album, which promised an interesting hybrid of intricate acoustic guitar work and Indian-influenced vocal delivery.

It's easy to admire Marcus's craft from a distance, and to applaud his skill in combining the above influences into a cohesive blend that at its best both relaxes and satisfies. But in small doses… and yet strangely, the opening track, at just 4½ minutes, feels foreshortened, whereas two of the ensuing tracks stretch out to mini-raga length at 10 and 11 minutes respectively and seem mildly over-stretched for their musical ideas, which simply don't seem distinctive enough for repeated listening (this is notwithstanding the conventions of Indian classical music where time can appear to stand still - and I've been an aficionado of that music for many years now).

The instrumental palette of Strung Deep, Marcus's debut release, centres around the interplay between acoustic guitar and tabla, but the first pair of tracks also feature bansuri (Indian flute) and the track (somewhat illogically?) entitled Castanets (With Tabla) also includes a violin part within its scoring.

The two-part So Lonely is a vocal number, the delivery of which on part 1 ranges from cautiously animated to quite dreary. While not doubting the sincerity and spiritually encouraging of Marcus's lyrics, the overall impact may well not achieve its intended concentration for the listener whose attention span is more used to music that gives a more instant impression. The faster-paced virtuosity of part 2, however, seems to have re-energised proceedings; indeed, this is more what I'd expected from Marcus, given his unquestioned deep affinity with Indian classical music and his expertise in soulfully conveying its essence on the humble acoustic guitar.

He's treading where other guitar maestros have trodden before - or at least experimented or dipped their toes in the water to some extent; but he's taken the integration a stage further and his collaboration with tabla virtuoso Nitin Gaikwad on this disc is both fiery and rewarding. After just half an hour of music on this disc, though, I'm left with a feeling of disappointment that Marcus's ideas, his professionalism and expertise, haven't produced a more extensive, and coherent, demonstration of his fusion of musics. Perhaps the most exciting fruit of his project is yet to come, then.

David Kidman