Wu Man
, one of the foremost masters of the four-stringed Chinese lute, is equally comfortable playing traditional
Chinese music
, more contemporary forms, or even unprecedented stylistic fusions like her work with
Bill Laswell
and
Liu Sola
. A brilliant overview of
, her Western recording debut is a virtuosic solo performance of seven compositions that highlight her extraordinarily emotive playing. From lively
folk
suites and plaintive
ballads
to modern works by composers like
Chen Yi
,
handles each song with equal aplomb, creating a beautiful showcase for the myriad sounds a virtuoso can create with just ten fingers and four strings. ~ Bret Love