Budi Siebert Light Dance CD

Büdi Siebert, a veteran German flutist and multi-instrumentalist with a penchant for all points musically East, seems to be running a commercial on The Light Dance for a fascinating t'ai chi item called the IDOGO pole. A whole page of the liner notes is devoted to explaining how this short stick, developed by a t'ai chi master in Germany, increases the energy flow through the body's meridians. The lush, dreamy music on the 14 tracks seems to have been written as accompaniment to the exercise of putting this all into practice. While the bamboo flutes dominate, Siebert also plays the guzheng (large Chinese zither), keyboards, and percussion and is helped out by the guitars of longtime compatriot Ralf Illenberger and the "soundpaintings" of Gibbs Horizon-Platen. The hour begins with the pluck of the guzheng before entering a realm of Eastern ambient hypnosis on "Awakening Chi." With a tune called "Celebrating Silence," the vibe seems geared toward peace and relaxation. The mood never much changes from here, as even "Dancing With the Water" seems to take place in slow, seductive motion. There's a bit more whimsy as Siebert's flute dances ever so slightly on "A Breath of Joy." Even if you're not into the whole IDOGO spirit, The Light Dance would make nice background music for massages or acupuncture. ~ Jonathan Widran

Personnel: Büdi Siebert (bamboo flute, keyboards, percussion); Ralf Illenberger (guitar); Zhen Fan Zhang (erhu); Matthias Frey (piano).