Ready for a thrilling voyage through Earth’s most eclectic and experimental sounds? Ron Korb’s latest full-length album “Global Canvas” is the album you’re craving – an exotic and serene instrumental wonderpiece inviting listeners on an around-the-world-in-18-songs journey through the strangest and most stunning corners of world music. From lullaby-like flute pieces doused in serene East Asian ambiences to imaginative high-energy percussive tunes with a thrilling Latin edge, Ron weaves this instrumental album with countless moments of heart-stopping interest; melodies which wrap around the soul and enliven the wandering spirit deep within.
With this Grammy-nominated Canadian flutist being crowned one of the “Ten best flute players in the world,” Ron’s dynamic flute work steals the show as it leads the album; rich, woodsy tones resounding like the secret murmurings of the ancient woodlands.
Calm and meditative atmospheres are plushed out by odd and intriguing instrumental combinations, each as fascinating to sink into as the last. Drum kits are swapped out by traditional drums tones and rhythms, matched with a vivid, ever-changing rainbow of percussion, from festival whistles to what sounds like milk-bottles tinging along to the beat.
This album proves you don’t need lyrics to create an outstanding emotional impact. “Dream of the King” carries majestic power within its wandering melody, its soundscape laced with the inspirations of the Korean myth of “Manpasikjeok” – a bamboo flute said to be able to calm one thousand waves.
Jazz-infused bossa nova, Brazilian samba and Afro-Cuban rhythms invite upbeat, sauna-hot grooves to this record; never a dull moment as Ron and his band flick through classical world genres like a fashion catalogue, mix-and-matching moods and instruments with informed and practically ingenious experimentalism. Just as Ron says, “A blank canvas represents limitless possiiblities. Just as a visual artist uses colours and brush techniques, a musician can use a wide range of musical styles and influences to express emotions.”
Yet, Ron doesn’t simply lace these sounds into intricate accoustic arrangments. He leads a star-studded ensemble of 19 internationally acclaimed artists, plucked from different corners of the Earth, each empowering “Global Canvas” with their rare breed of pure authenticity. Bear with us a minute while we give a much-deserved shout out to the album’s instrumentalists: Ron Korb on flutes; Bill Evans on grand piano and rhodes; Bill Bridges on ukulele; Hilario Durán on grand piano; Muthu Kumar on tabla; Steve Lucas on acoustic bass; Rick Shadrach Lazar playing Latin percussion, Ray Hickey Jr. on koto, shamisen and guitar; Xiaoqiu Lin on erhu; Margaret Maria on cello; Sharlene Wallace on Celtic harp; George Koller on acoustic bass; John Taewook Lee on janggu and buk; and, finally, Larry Crowe on drums.
But is it any good?
Absolutely. If you’ve already sold your soul to the rich complexities of classical music, Ron’s record is destined to blow you away. And if the thought of ‘instrumental music’ leaves a sour taste behind, “Global Canvas” could well become the record which flips your perspective for good; so natural and imaginative are its many turns and phases, each track capturing a brand new vibe ready to stir an electric mood within. Our verdict: Recommended.
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