Past Reviews

This new CD release "lessons lyrical" by husband and wife team, vocalist Petra van Nuis and guitarist Andy Brown has got to be the bravest project two young musicians could possibly put out in today's market. A quaintly brilliant "platter" amidst a world becoming increasingly less interested in subdued tender truly artistic music from the heart. Border line inane – deeply talented and endearing to the listener. No drums, no bass, no other instruments, no backing tracks, no pitch correcting electronics – a touch of pure class. Just Petra and Andy - just what this chaotic world needs right now.

So, if this CD is only Andy and Petra where she is singing melodies with her "whispery" voice and he is providing rhythm on his jazz guitar - what can Andy possibly play on the "breaks?" Most guitarists without a backing band would probably die on the solo breaks – however, Andy just happens to be the only protégé of the late finger style jazz guitar legend – Kenny Poole. (Hence, why this review shows up on the Ohio Fingerstyle Guitar Club web site.) Kenny spent his whole life playing solo guitar that included bass lines and chords along with his melodies. Andy must have been listening when Kenny was playing because his "breaks" suffer little from a drop in entertainment value. In fact, I would have loved to have been in the recording studio when they recorded this album because I swear that it sometimes sounds like Petra is teasingly throwing Andy "under the bus" with how she delivers a break to him implying, "Now, what are you going to do with this one?" And, folks, he plays himself out of it every time.

Pour yourselves a glass of wine – kick your shoes off – lay back and enjoy listening to two talented lovers "playin' their music to, for, and with each other."

Palmer Moore – Organizer, Ohio Fingerstyle Guitar Club (ofgc.net)