Credits: photo *on* the postcard by Paul Webster, photo *of* the postcard by Siret Roots, the Howlin' Wolf painting on the T by Katja Juhola

Kristo Käo “The Dance Album” (Kitarrikool Records 2008)

by Andres Roots (Bullfrog Brown)

Long-time President of the Estonian Guitar Association, a sought-after educator and the author of several instructional books, classical guitarist Kristo Käo remains an internationally acclaimed performing artist in his own right. “The Dance Album”, recorded in 2007 and released in 2008, leaves no doubt as to why.

Fear not: it is not one of those very 80’s “classical meets techno” releases. Recorded in a church in Keila with crystalline production and the occasional percussion or cello accompaniment, “The Dance Album” is a unique collection of European and American dance pieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, some of folk origins, others by composers as diverse as Galileo Galilei’s father Vincenzo, Bach, and Heitor Villa-Lobos.

For fans of all things ethnic, the CD also includes a minor-key version of the oldest known Estonian folk dance ‘labajalg’, and the extensive liner notes provide intriguing background info on all 13 tracks not only in English but also in Estonian. Let’s dance!

(Written by the songwriter and guitarist Andres Roots from the Estonian most successful blues band Bullfrog Brown, published in 2008, author’s own translation)