Product Description New York's soundscape is as varied and distinctive as its skyline. But the cultural diversity and musical virtuosity featured here will surprise listeners who think they know the "real" New York. Featuring outstanding grassroots ensembles from more than a dozen of New York's most vibrant ethnic communities, this release pairs the traditional with innovative cross-cultural fusions. From Irish ceili groups to Caribbean steelbands, Gypsy ensembles to Chinese orchestras, African-American gospel choirs to Latin jazz, this audio portrait of the five boroughs will delight lifelong New Yorkers and first-time visitors alike. Over 2 hours, 31 tracks, 40-page booklet, extensive notes, and photos. .com This collection makes a strong case that New York has a more ethnically diverse population of musicians than any other city in the world. In what other place can you hear Albanian shepherds' ballads, Cantonese wedding marches, Irish fiddle tunes, and Haitian gospel music, all within a few blocks of each other? This two-CD set includes examples of all of these, as well as music from recent Indo-Caribbean immigrants, a Trinidadian-style steel-drum band, and selections from two separate tribes of Gypsies. The musicians range from traditionalists like Gee Sook Baek, a Korean musician who is preserving the ancient classical music of her homeland, to players like Luis Dias, a guitarist and singer who blends rock attitude with the rhythms and melodies of the Dominican Republic. Even though Global Beat of the Boroughs includes 31 tracks, it only hints at the phenomenal variety of music played in New York City, but because the tracks are so well chosen, the musical depth of the individual selections more than makes up for the (relative) lack of breadth. --Michael Simmons
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