Reviewed by Nigel Harris

If ambient means disposable muzak to you, think again. Charles David Smart is a gifted classical guitarist but his albums are certainly not bland mush. With just keyboards and drums he has crafted 10 excellent tracks on this album, ranging from classics such as “Be Thou My Vision” and “Holy, Holy, Holy” to Martin Smith’s “I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever” and Matt Redman’s “Heart Of Worship”. I particularly enjoyed the way the trio really attack some of these songs where it’s appropriate, rather than hanging back in a sort of “ambient” fashion! Having worked with top artists such as Clark Terry and Pat Metheny as well as leading worship in a variety of settings, Charles clearly knows what he’s doing and yet his playing is mostly quite understated. There must be a story behind the title, but unfortunately there are no liner notes with the CD. However, I certainly saw the light when I listened to it! I recommend you listen to the track samples on Charles’ website (www.smartfrets.com).

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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