improvisational tracks recorded using the Chinese zither.

David Sait has made a name for himself within the Toronto music scene as an excellent improvisational guitarist. But with the releases of his latest CD "Guzheng Music", Sait has moved away from the guitar and instead collected ten tracks employing the guzheng, a traditional Chinese string instrument whose history dates back over 2500 years. It's quite interesting then that by travelling backwards in time in his choice of instrumentation, Sait has been able to move forward in both style and sound, creating a fresh and exciting new work.

Sait's work with the guzheng is truly stunning, creating beautiful pieces that conjure a variety of images ranging from delicate flowing streams to powerful battles. Tones shift and notes bend, change forms, sliding from one point to another with a fluidity evocative of crystaline liquids. The guzheng's natural reverberence and echo add a haunting sense of space to the pieces, the feeling of a larger environment within the guzheng itself. Percussion appears intermittantly as well, but it's used in different ways than we've become accustomed to, more often than not as a means to travel from one location to another, rather than as a steady accompanyment. For the most part the guzheng stands alone, a dramatic and theatrical voice able to tell it's own stories without need for support.

Throughout the disc, one can't help but be drawn into the magic of the guzheng, masterfully led by Sait's skill and natural ability with the instrument. "Guzheng Music" is a wonderful album filled with discovery and wonder, a beautiful travelogue of music and sounds which, while they have a long and rich history, also remain very fresh and distinct in today's musical environment. Who would have thought that something so ancient could sound so vital and new? Highly recommended.

rik - ping things