JOURNEY TO THE NEW WORLD • Sharon Isbin (gtr); Joan Baez (voc);1 Mark O’Conner (vn)2 • SONY 745456 (61:35)

ANON Mr. Drewry’s accorde. Le rossignol. DOWLAND Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home. JOHNSON Greensleeves. TRAD The Drunken Sailor. Wild Mountain Thyme (arr. Flower). Wayfaring Stranger (arr. Barbosa-Lima).1 YORK Andecy. DUARTE Joan Baez Suite. NILES Go ’way from my window (trans. Isbin).1 O’CONNOR (arr. O’Connor) Strings and Threads Suite2

I’m not sure how Sharon Isbin persuades her guitar to imitate a lute—I suspect the skillful use of the nails has something to do with it—but however it’s accomplished, the four Renaissance lute works are a lovely way to open this delightful recital that aims to illustrate the interrelationship between the music of the Old and New Worlds, specifically by highlighting the English and Irish connection. I’m particularly fond of English Renaissance lute music, so for me, the inclusion of this elegantly contrapuntal repertoire is a treat. The selections—all duets, with Isbin playing both parts—are alternately lively (Mr. Drewry’s accorde); stately (Dowland’s Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home); melancholy (Le rossignol); and sprightly (Johnson’s variations on Greensleeves). Edward Flower’s Renaissance-like arrangement of The Drunken Sailor speaks the same language as the lute works: the tune’s salty tang brings to mind the early sea voyages linking England and America. Wild Mountain Thyme receives a more modern harmonization, but the melody’s enduring charms remain intact. York’s Andecy hints at South America; the steady tonic, dominant alternation underlies a melody that wouldn’t be out of place in the Andes, but the title actually refers to the small French village where the composer was staying when he improvised the piece. Joan Baez sings two folk songs, Wayfaring Stranger and Go ’way from my window, with her characteristic pure tone and poignant delivery. These frame John Duarte’s Joan Baez Suite, a series of vignettes celebrating the singer and her repertoire. Skillfully weaving contrapuntal passages, thematic juxtapositions, occasional dissonance, delicate harmonics, and quotation into a moving tapestry, Duarte creates varied settings that nonetheless respect each song’s integrity. At Isbin’s suggestion, virtuoso country fiddler John O’Connor adapted his work for violin and chamber orchestra, Strings and Threads Suite, for guitar and violin. O’Connor’s fluid grace and deep affection for the genre are evident in every bar and Isbin, who’s given prominent moments of her own, has a fine feel for the music. The Suite’s program recapitulates the CD’s premise in 13 well-crafted miniatures, demonstrating “how folk music styles hundreds of years apart are interconnected—possessing a common thread, from an Irish reel to jazz” (O’Connor). Strings and Threads concludes a beautifully played program of instantaneous appeal. Sound is immaculate and lifelike throughout.

FANFARE: Robert Schulslaper

"In her hands, the guitar takes on the precision of a diamond, each note a clear, shining facet that catches, prism-like, a glimpse of the spectrum."

- Anne Midgette, The New York Times

"Sharon's exquisite playing allowed me to revisit and fall in love with these songs all over again."

- Joan Baez

"The beauty and range of Sharon's guitar creates the perfect musical setting and imagery. America and the guitar have become inseparable in their musical manifestations, and Sharon's performance on this recording expresses these connections as richly as you will ever hear."

- Mark O'Connor

"Sharon's Journey to the New World is an exquisite listening experience that abounds with dynamics, rich tonal colors, mastery, and control—a warm place for the inner ear to dwell and swoon."

- Steve Vai

"Sharon Isbin's superbly lyrical playing endows these folksongs from the British Isles and North America with poetic beauty and enchanting intensity. The singing of Joan Baez is as sweetly evocative as ever."

- Graham Wade