Artist: ADAM RUDOLPH/GO: ORGANIC ORCHESTRA With NED ROTHENBERG/J D PARRAN/AVRAM FEFER/GRAHAM HAYNES/PETER ZUMMO/KENNY WESSEL/RALPH M JONES/JASON KAO HWANG et al Title: Sonic Mandala: Music For 33 Musicians Label: Meta 017 Country: USA Format: CD Status: AVAILABLE $14.00 Description: Adam Rudolph's Go Organic Orchestra is an ever-evolving large ensemble that Mr. Rudolph has been leading for many years, whether living in L.A. or in New York. The Downtown version of this massive ensemble has had a number of weekly residencies at Roulette and Shapeshifter over the past few years and I have attended a number of their sets. Each of the previous discs from the Go Organic Orchestra have been live and the music is always inspired and well edited but the sound is not always as strong as the performance. This hour disc was recorded in Bill Laswell's Orange Music Studio with the help of James Dellatacoma who did the recording, mix and mastering. He has done a fabulous job and the sound of this vast 33-piece orchestra is consistently excellent! When one has an orchestra with five flutes, five reeds, two double reeds, three brass, nine strings, seven percussionists and a trio rhythm section, it is important that the balance is just right and everyone can be heard. Each of the fourteen pieces feature a different section or soloist and each one is magical in its own way. I have listened to this music on CD a couple of times already and it does sound very good. I am currently listening to the LP version and it sounds even better, warmer, more spacious, more detailed, rich and lush. Mr. Rudolph's conduction is what makes this so special as you can hear so many layers or subsections, going on simultaneously and/or evolving into something else. Considering how many musicians are involved, the sonic mandala or tapestry is splendid throughout. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG