Brothers David and
Steve Gordon were pioneers in composing relaxing music set to nature sounds, and with
Garden of Serenity II, they return to territory charted ten years earlier, music which mixes environmental recordings (their own) with silver flute, shakuhachi flute, harp, piano, temple bells, koto, and wind chimes. This recording alternates between two calming "Zen Garden" variations and a pair of romantic arrangements of
Claude Debussy's "Reverie," inspired by paintings of Monet. The Zen series, with its shakuhachi flute and refreshing brook, inspires images of the solitude of a formal Japanese garden. The "Reverie" variations on piano are even more relaxing, like floating down a gentle stream overhung with trees of songbirds. Thirty-minute cuts are included for full relaxation benefit, while those on a time budget can sample the five-minute versions. ~ Carol Wright