Jan Garbarek: In Praise of Dreams

Also featuring Kim Kashkashian on viola and Manu Katché on drums, the music holds an aesthetic quality that soothes yet holds the listener's attention with hypnotic syncopations and memorable compositions. The use of electronic instrumentation is evident but never overshadows as the trio add the essential human touch with skillful playing balanced with technique and spirit.

The music takes the listener on an assortment of soundscapes, ranging from the Celtic-influenced title song and the exotic drums of "Knot of Place and Time" to the surreal setting of "Scene from Afar." The addition of classical viola gives the music breadth that plays out well against Garbarek's musical ideas on pieces like "Iceburn" and the spellbinding "Cloud of Unknowing," where the viola and drums perform a circuitous dance with a Middle Eastern aura which proves that this is not your typical New Age recording.