Wind and Fire

On his latest release, East of the Full Moon, pioneering new age artist Deuter paints on a broader canvas than on some previous recordings. While he allows his nuanced and warm piano to perform most of the musical magic,his instrumental versatility and virtuosity is in abundance throughout the CD’s nine tracks. The music flows effortlessly from the warmth of the opening track ‘Daemmerschein,’ to the haunting flute and strings of the title tune, easing into East Indian fusion textures on ‘Vibrant Dusk,’courtesy of gentle tamboura drones draped over minimal echoed piano and featuring mellow tabla rhythms. The piano and strings on ‘Marfa Lights I’ stroll alongside a plaintive recorder while the shimmering synths of ‘Moon-Silvered Clouds’ paint a soundscape befitting the song’s title.Whether majestic and haunting (‘Black Velvet Flirts’ with its soprano saxand hushed chorales) or lilting and full of the vibrancy of life itself(the uptempo album closer ‘Dawn Shimmer’), East of the Full Moon once again clearly illustrates why Deuter has few, if any, peers when it comes to crafting elegant beautiful music which speaks to the human soul with simplicity, charm, and grace.