Eric Tingstad - Acoustic Garden (2002)

Leave it to the environmentally conscious marketing geniuses at new age/worldbeat mecca Narada to come up with the first ever plantable CD cover, made from 100 percent tree-free cotton infused with wildflower seeds. One hopes that the credits on this fine outing by the veteran guitar-woodwind duo won't be buried beneath the earth as well, because they work with a handful of Puget Sound's best pianists and keyboardists, from former labelmate David Lanz (the lush, mystical ballad "Deep in My Soul") to Tom Kellock, Nick Moore, and Jovino Santos Neto. Stylistically, Tingstad and Rumbel vary the rhythms from laid-back, lyrical folk (the title track) to more exotic twists like "Shamrock" (a vibrant yet restrained jig) and the peppy, flamenco-tinged "Havana." Most of the other tracks are good, strolling numbers, with catchy, strumming acoustic guitar, whimsical horns, and down-home beats. Suggestion for the next album: Run photos of the wildflowers grown with the album cover and write songs inspired by those photos.~Review by Jonathan Widran