According to his biography Raimundo Rodulfo is a Venezuelan-born American multi-instrumentalist who lives in sunny Florida. This is decidedly apt as his music – and this is his fourth studio collection, is decidedly sunny and designed (I assume) to make the listener feel upbeat and uplifted. This is certainly how Open Mind made me feel. Rodulfo does much of the work himself featuring on vocals, guitars, slide, bass, mandolin, sitar, lute, keyboards, synthesizers, percussion, and electronics but he gets help from Gerardo Ubieda: drums, Pablo Gil: saxophones (alto and tenor), Mariana Carreras: acoustic and electric violins, Elis Regina Ramos: cello, Ismael Vergara: clarinet, flute and Channing Dodson: Uilleann bagpipes. Together they have made a genuinely pleasant (in the best, not damning with faint praise type of way)album here.
It works particulary well listening from start to finish and not many albums work like that in 2013 and mixes jazz, folk, prog and world music in a heady concoction of excellent musicianship (especially the guitars) and lovely songs. There isn't a poor song on the album – again a rarity. Perhaps it helps that as I type the UK is going through a bit of a heatwave but I imagine Open Mind will work well at any time of year, it's that good.
Track Listing:
- Open Mind
- Never Say Goodbye
- Bring the Rain
- White Rose
- A House in Your Heart
- Time to Go
- Sweet Like an Angel
- At the Corner of Your Life
- Autumn Time
- No Remorse
- Words of Wisdom
- Always Our Fault
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
