Artist: The Zucker & Caliendo Duo
Title: Caliente!-Laurel Zucker & Christopher Caliendo-World Music for Flute and Guitar
Genre: World-Jazz-Classical-Instrumental
Label: Cantilena Records
Laurel Zucker Website
Christopher Caliendo Website

Caliente!-Laurel Zucker & Christopher Caliendo-World Music for Flute and Guitar is everything it advertises to be. Laurel Zucker is an amazing flutist that has made a beautiful transition to an entirely unknown realm. Known as classical musician (26 CDs on Cantilena Records), she has successfully added another feather to her cap with this successful outing of world-jazz-classical-instrumental recordings. Christopher Caliendo is one fantastic guitar player as well; he is simply masterful and as fluid as humanly possible on this recording. You can tell Caliendo has worked hard at his craft and taken the example of greats like Segovia, Reinhardt and Pass and put it to work through his style and approach. The man is also a great composer; he is the proud author of over 500 classical world music compositions! A marvelous accomplishment by anyone's standards surely.

The CD sleeve offers biographical information on each artist and a rundown of each track explaining the rich history behind each composition. It all provides for the complete entertainment experience-listening, relaxation and literary, indeed three factors that can be most gratifying when you are trying to wind down and forget the stresses of everyday life.

I listened to this CD several times and I would highly recommend the same process if you decide to add this to your collection. The use of the flute is most fascinating when combined with the classical and flamenco guitar. These are colorful and rich musical tapestries woven by two of the best musicians in the world. The cover artwork is interesting as well; the mountains behind the flamenco dancer are on fire, validating the title Caliente! Which means to warm up and the animated woman looks as though she is dancing on the stars and stripes. Whatever your interpretation is, I am sure it will fit the musical landscape found inside the CD case. Viva! Zucker and Caliendo, you should hold your heads high for this marvelous musical accomplishment.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
June 20, 2004

Rating-10/10

01. Sincerita For Flute and Guitar (4:15)
02. Caliente! (3:37)
03. Allegria (5:22)
04. Amor Perdido (3:55)
05. Impulso (4:00)
06. Amanecer (5:32)
07. Risorgimento (3:58)
08. Coraggio (5:26)
09. Lamento (4:36)
10. Rinascimento (6:53)
11. Remembranza (4:28)
12. Contigo (4:39)
13. Meditazione (5:27)