Air & Ground

1	Lotus Eaters 3:31
2	Cumba-Quin 5:08
3	Along The Edge 7:16
4	Celtic Fare: Daya's Spin 2:10
5	Celtic Fare: Music for a Found Harmonium 1:48
6	The Celtic Fare: The Cat-Cow Reel 2:02
7	Dirait-on 4:16
8	Baiao de Gude 5:06
9	Air & Ground 5:57
10	Walk Dance 2:35
11	(Ask The) Sphinx 9:50
12	Ellis Island 6:02
13	Farewell 3:01

Barnes & Noble

The guitar sits happily astride various musical worlds -- a quality that's taken full advantage of by the members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet on AIR AND GROUND, their second Sony album. The opening track, "Lotus Eaters" by LAGQ member Andrew York, is a bouncy reggae tune that sounds remarkably elegant dressed up for four guitars. "Cumba-Quín" by Carlos Rafael Rivera has the intricate rhythmic energy of Afro-Cuban music, complete with percussive drumming and tapping. On "Celtic Fare," guitarist-composer Scott Tennant pays tribute to his Scottish heritage, as well as his interest in yoga. Tennant also arranged California composer Morten Lauridsen's delicately tender choral song "Dirait-on" for the ensemble. Paulo Bellinati's "Baião de Gude" evokes the brisk, breezy rhythms of Brazilian popular music, while Benjamin Verdery brings things closer to home in "Ellis Island," combining classical Western harmonies with a classical Indian rhythmic structure. Taken as a whole, AIR AND GROUND is a warm and flavorful musical melting pot. Andrew Farach-Colton

All Music Guide

When one thinks of groups comprised of four guitarists, it is of competitive situations where electric guitarists attempt to top each other with speed and volume. The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet is quite different for this band, comprised of four lesser-known but talented players, features acoustic guitarists who interact closely with each other and often seem to think as one. The music on their set is comprised of recent originals by group members and friends that is tightly arranged while leaving some room for improvisations. The results often hint strongly at bluegrass, Irish and Scottish music (cuts four through six are subtitled "Celtic Fare"), Latin folk songs, new age, classical, and even jazz while being quite original. This recording grows in interest with each listen. Scott Yanow