Editorial Reviews

Whether the 1960s and '70s qualify as a bygone age is a matter for debate, but it's a lovely surprise to have the only record by Romania's Ion Petre Stoican in print. He'd recorded four tracks in 1966, leveraging the fact he'd been caught as a spy into a record release, and some years later managed to use that fame to go back into the studio with a crack band to record regional wedding music. The results are quite spectacular. Stoican himself is an excellent violinist (although his singing on "Ia-Ti Mireasa, Ziua Buna," with its mannered high style, isn't easy listening) with plenty of flair, and cimbalom player Toni Iordache flies all over the disc. Although it's very rooted in the country, at times, such as with "Mosule, Te-As Intreba," you could almost be listening to the Hot Club of France, as the band has the same loose sense of swing and exploration. This is wedding music at its best, and it helped Stoican's career; after its release, he became a major figure on the Bucharest wedding circuit. Listening to the horas here, it's easy to understand why. Chris Nickson, All Music Guide

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