While the title Europa may have you expecting some sort of connection to the Santana masterpiece, what guitarist Chris Spheeris and keyboardist Paul Voudouris achieve is stirring in its own right.
Often when artist credit is billed to two equals, one winds up playing all the melodies while the other provides some supportive harmonic structure.
Here, there is an even trade off.
Spheeris takes command acoustically before his partner slinks in for an extended solo, and vice versa on the next track.
As is typical of artists associated with the gray area between jazz and new age, the two aim for a soothing vibe rather than a chops explosion.
The effect of the exotic if understated percussion is gorgeously hypnotic, like a hang glider soaring into a fertile terrain of clear sky and wind.
Despite the soft veneer, Spheeris stands out as a surprisingly plucky guitar master.
In time, some of the pieces run calmly together.
But for all intents and purposes, it's a conceptual project, so it must be part of the grand design.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OrlandoChris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Chris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Play | 04:55 | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| 2 | SevenessChris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Chris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Play | 05:28 | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| 3 | LagunaChris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Chris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Play | 06:35 | 15 MB | 37 MB |
| 4 | PavaneChris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Chris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Play | 03:01 | 6 MB | 12 MB |
| 5 | BellaireChris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Chris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Play | 05:39 | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| 6 | AqualunaChris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Chris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Play | 05:16 | 12 MB | 30 MB |
| 7 | LanotteChris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Chris Spheeris, Paul Voudouris | Play | 06:00 | 13 MB | 31 MB |
| 36 mins | 84 MB | |||||
| 36 mins | 210 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Bellman | Mastering |
| 2 | Russell Bond | Engineer |
| 3 | Tim Gehrt | Drums, Percussion |
| 4 | Fitzhugh Jenkins | Bass (Electric) |
| 5 | Seward McCain | Bass (Acoustic) |
| 6 | Steve Shepherd | Mixing |
| 7 | Ed Smith | Cymbals |
| 8 | Chris Spheeris | Arranger, Composer, Cover Design, Guitar, Mixing, Photography, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 9 | Michael Spiro | Percussion |
| 10 | Paul Voudouris | Arranger, Composer, Keyboards, Mixing, Performer, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 11 | Daryll Wright | Bass (Electric) |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |