VARIOUS ARTISTS: Songs of Wood & Steel (Windham Hill)

For those people initially put off by Windham Hill releases, you may want to reconsider this one. Windham Hill and Taylor Guitars joined forces on a new acoustic CD called Sounds of Wood & Steel, featuring some of today's best guitarists. This is a great disc to put on after a stressful day at the office; when you want to come home and relax, but you don't necessarily want to hear something that's going to lull you to sleep.

Highlights include the tracks by the late Michael Hedges, ex-Mannheim Steamroller guitarist, Bill Cooley with Kathy Mattea, Will Ackerman, Skip Ewing with Billy Joe Walker Jr. There are several different styles of music included here, and the artists don't always play the type of music that you would expect. To make it even better, portions of the proceeds benefit music education in schools. All in all, a very enjoyable disc.

TRACK LIST:

Larry's World (Russ Freeman) * Nothing's Too Good For a Friend (Doyle Dykes) * The Claw (Clint Black) * Java Man (Michael Hedges) * How Great Thou Art (Vince Gill & Amy Grant) * Into the Night (Bill Cooley with Kathy Mattea) * Who Lives Up There (Snuffy Walden) * Processional (Will Ackerman) * Marina (Skip Ewing & Billy Joe Walker Jr.) * Sadhana (Steve Stevens) * Liquid Amber (Laurence Juber) * Surreal (T.J. Baden) * Alma D'Alma (Stuart Smith & Joe Lynn Turner) * Jesus Maria (Leo Kottke) * The Last Mile Home (Larry Stewart & Greg Jennings)