If you visited Russia for two weeks and used professional equipment to record some gifted but unknown musicians you encountered in Moscow or St. Petersburg, the recording might sound something like
Air Mail Music: Russia. Recorded somewhere in Russia, this CD turns its attention to traditional Russian folk music. The CD's liner notes don't tell you where in Russia these recordings were made; nor are any recording dates or personnel given. Like many other CDs in this series,
Air Mail Music: Russia won't win any awards for comprehensive liner notes. But whoever the performers are, they're talented. Some of the material is instrumental, while some of it features various singers, both male and female. Among the main instruments heard are the balalaika, the bayan (a chromatic accordion) and the dombra (a three-string lute). The material is consistently pleasing, but it would be nice to know who some of these performers are or what parts of Russia they were performing in. ~ Alex Henderson