Asian Fusion

Ancient Future: Matthew Montfort (guitars, mandolin, synthesizer), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (piano, synthesizers, keyboards, Tibetan bells), Ian Dogole (percussion).
Additional personnel: Eric Golub (viola, kokyu), Zhao Hui (gu zheng), Bui Huu Nhut (dan bau), Bill Douglass (bass, Chinese flutes), Jack Dorsey (drums), Emam (tabla).
Recorded at Banquet Sound Studios, Santa Rosa, California in November and December 1992.
All songs written or co-written by members of Ancient Future except "The Dusk Song Of The Fisherman" (traditional Chinese composition).
Instrumentation includes the gu zheng (a board zither that is the predecessor of the Japanese koto), the dan bau (a one-string Vietnamese instrument), dholak (North Indian barrel drum), madal (Nepali drums), maung zaing (Burmese gongs) and udu (Nigerian clay pot).
Personnel: Matthew Montfort (guitar, electric guitar, flamenco guitar, mandolin, guitar synthesizer, fretless bass); Jim Hurley, James Hurley (violin); Eric Golub (viola); Bill Douglas (flute, acoustic bass); Doug McKeehan (piano, synthesizer); Ian Dogole (drums, talking drum, cymbals, dumbek, caxixi, percussion); Jack Dorsey (drums); Warren Dennis (shaker, percussion); Emam (tabla).
Audio Mixer: Warren Dennis.
Recording information: Banquet Sound Studios, Santa Rosa, CA (11/1992/12/1992).
Editor: Paul White.
Photographers: Bob Giles; Irene Young.
Jim Hurley and Matthew Montfort's shared violin-and-guitar-line leads catch hold of a strong melody and bite down hard. But despite Zhao Hui's Chinese gu sheng board zither, Bui Hui Nhut's dan bao Vietnamese one-stringed lute, and assorted ethnic percussion, vernacular instruments don't share equal weight with the band's folk-classical thrust, and the cuts that are carved from indigenous music -- "The Dusk Song of the Fisherman" or the lovely Indonesian degung of "Sunda Strait" -- tilt somewhat toward the generic. Still, the disc's got plenty of fire, and its loveliness often surprises. ~ Bob Tarte