Technical acoustic proficiency at its finest! There are few superlatives available to describe this two-CD celebration of Mark O'Connor's first 30 years in the music business. The words "bardacious" and "splendiculous" come to mind. This album's music is almost too sweet for words. The Grammy Award winner and master of many styles and moods assembled three other instrumental wizards, Chris Thile, Bryan Sutton and Bryon House, for a series of three phenomenal unamplified concerts on July 3-5, 2002 at Ingram Hall at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. They were history in the making and provided a great overview of O'Connor's fiddling interests in swing, Texas style, jazz, classical, bluegrass and newgrass. With the exception of O'Connor's concertos for violin and orchestra, nearly every genre that O'Connor has recorded is nicely represented. On a 2.5-hour project like this, we must also recognize the excellent recording engineers (Gary Paczosa, Marshall Morgan, Thomas Johnson, and Adam Beard) for their important contributions. The outcome is phenomenally clean and balanced, although one can't help but wonder and speculate how the project might have turned out differently in a recording studio. Would the sound been even better? Would the energy from live performance been sorely missed? Would some tracks have introduced guest banjo, dobro or other virtuoso players?

There are times that one might think that O'Connor or his fiddle are bewitched, especially as the program moves from such diverse offerings as "Jesse Polka" to "Swingin' on the 'Ville" to "Send Rainbows." The hot picking definitely calls an occasional whoop or shout in glee, but the audience does practice considerable restraint and respect to the live recording process. I am always cautious and a bit apprehensive about tracks that span more than seven minutes. O'Connor offers six cuts that fit this criteria, with the 12-minute "Soft Gyrations" greatly exceeding the others. The violinist and composer demonstrates his mastery of arranging and incorporating dynamics to take us on musical journeys wrought with imagery and fantasy. It should also be emphasized that all songs, with the exception of four from the public domain, one from Bill Monroe, and one apiece in collaboration with Edgar Meyer and Sam Bush, were composed and arranged by O'Connor. This is another indication that Mark is irrefutably one of the very best all-around musicians' musician who garners the highest respect from his peers and colleagues.

The musical genius of Mark O'Connor is so ably supplemented by equally impressive playing of Thile, Sutton and House. Thile's lyrical, fluid picking really shines on "Caprice No. 4 in D Major" and "Macedonia," while Sutton's most technically impressive number might well be their concert's first half closer "Stone From Which the Arch was Made," although it's difficult to single out any particular piece. Tune into House's solid foundation on the bass, and also take note of his bowing technique on the reflective "Song of the Liberty Bell."

Mark O'Connor, Chris Thile, Bryan Sutton and Byron House come as close to perfection as four musicians can humanly accomplish in live performance. The acoustic all-star quartet not only celebrate Mark O'Connor's music, but they are individually in a class of their own. Their instrumental music is simply out of this world, and it is clearly right up to the high-water mark! (Joe Ross)

MARK O'CONNOR - Thirty-Year Retrospective (2-CD Set)
OMAC Records - 5
P.O. Box 398, Bonsall, CA. 92003
 
www.markoconnor.com

Playing Time - 76:17 (disc one), 76:27 (disc two)