Wingin' It
Album: For The Many
Label: San Remo
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.winginitduo.com

Wingin' It is a highly-rated guitar duo comprising Adam Bulley and Chas Mackenzie (half of the Halton Quartet, in other words). Their music, however, concentrates less on showcasing instrumental virtuosity than creative expression, with the focus firmly on a depictive, impressionistic, animated portrayal of their chosen soundscape.

Here, the duo provide a succession of classy, almost cinematic, programmatic pieces that convey a mood through the process of creative juxtaposition of elements within both the playing of the protagonists and the various studio effects and instrumental contributions from production engineer (Angus Lyon) and a support crew drawn from the cream of contemporary Scottish roots musicians (Ross Ainslie, Ruaridh Campbell, Fraser Fifield, Carrie Thomas, Toby Shippey, Calum McIntyre et al).

Tracks like the bustling St. Lawrence, the sanguine, even relaxed treatment of Lament For Gordon (which in conjunction with the ensuing newgrassy Among Us and the energetically funky Raising The Bar forms a suite that reflects on the enormously influential piper Gordon Duncan), the moody Sidhean Mor and the extended disc finale Glen Avon (which ostensibly chronicles a cycle trip through the Cairngorms) are miniature masterpieces in sound, but some other items can seem altogether too cluttered with what might be termed mildly extraneous studio traffic (Mariner 9, for instance, and even sections of the opening evocation of New York City's psyche, State Of Mind).

All in all though, For The Many is an enjoyable and well-produced instrumental disc that may best appeal to those who value accomplishment and inventiveness equally to virtuosity in talented musicians.

David Kidman