Benise	Website:	www.Benise.com
	Genre(s):	Flamenco, Spanish, Latin, Cuban, Brazilian, Gypsy, World Music, Salsa, Samba, Classical, World Fusion
	Instrument(s):	Acoustic Guitar
	Trademark(s):	Lyrical, Virtuoso guitarist, Spanish-flavored, multi-genre compositions, Latin, visionary, rhythmic, melodic, intensive instrumental
	Album(s):	Introduction Overview Benise Live PBS Special Nights Of Fire CD Nights Of F ire DVD
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In order to organize the reviews of Benise's media, I have found it necessary to approach the reviews from several different perspectives based upon the media provided, the many dimensions the Benise vision encompasses, and the manner in which my exposure to Benise unfolded. Benise's music, vision, and live performances have a number of dimensions that merit examination from different angles based upon the audience's perspective. Additionally, I thought that the manner in which I became familiarized with Benise is probably pretty indicative of the way that many would become exposed to his music and my journey of absorption might help others become enlightened to this phenomenon. Because of this, I have attempted to approach my reviews from several different angles, considering the prospective audiences that might read these reviews. Perhaps, it might be worthwhile to make the audiences of these reviews aware that my reviews typically cover virtuoso instrumental artists from a musician's technically-oriented perspective to bring awareness of the evaluated music to a (usually) technical, musically-educated audience. However, in the case of Benise's music, vision, and live entertainment, it seems to me that this rather pointed and narrow angle of approach is inadequate to convey to the prospective listening audience the full value that Benise's broad artistic vision poses. Therefore, I have organized my reviews into several sections that approach the dimensions of the Benise concept head on and offer various angles to the different prospective audiences that may be interested in Benise's music from different backgrounds and with differing expectations.

The reviews are organized as follows:

Overview: This section provides an overview of Benise's music and stage experience, as well as a historical context of music to help the reader better understand the significance of Benise's music relative to the continuum of musical evolution.

PBS Special: This is the original review that I posted based upon the PBS special broadcast of the Nights of Fire music and stage performance. This section was left separate from the detailed review of the DVD that I received later to keep the first impression of the video intact to offer the reader a viewpoint that will most likely be indicative of their first exposure to Benise.

Nights of Fire CD: This is the detailed review of the music CD that assesses the music of the Nights of Fire CD on its own merit without the accompanying stage performance.

Nights of Fire DVD: This is a detailed review of the music and stage performance of the Nights of Fire DVD that offers further detailing of this performance that I first viewed on PBS.

Benise's music possesses a universal appeal that makes it accessible to a wide ranging audience of listeners spanning mainstream music fans to advanced musicians that may be interested in the technical aspects of the music, as well as the soulfully gratifying aspects that Benise has imparted in the music. Whether you are a mainstream listener, progressive music fan, or musician, I would suggest that you part with your opinions and expectations, and instead sit back and enjoy the ride. Music like this simply is not abundantly available and does not emerge frequently, at least in my experience.

The reviews below reflect the order in which my exposure to Benise occurred, starting with the PBS special that introduced me to Benise. Flipping through channels, I happened upon the Benise special on PBS already in progress. Tentatively interested, I watched for several minutes and gradually became engrossed in what I was seeing unfold before me. Upon the completion of the special, I realized that I had been witness to an emerging talent that I could immediately see was going to be an international sensation. This is yet to be realized, though I have little doubt at this point that with the vibrant rhythms and gripping arrangements that the Benise experience is going to be wildly embraced worldwide, especially in Latin America and the USA. It is more than music. It is the human experience incarnate. It is alive; It is emotional; It is inspiring; It is enthralling; It is the feeling of what all people want in life at a most basic level and all that feels soulful and good in life.

In the course of reviewing hundreds of CDs from many talented musicians and artists over the past five years, I have found myself recently reflecting upon the course of music and the roots of modern music frequently. I sometimes have wondered why the rhythmic aspects and emotional content of so much of modern music seems to be flat, mechanical, and uninspired... in short lacking lyricism. This is not to say that there have been many exceptional artists that have produced incredible music. Some come to mind from the progressive rock and jazz derivatives that my reviews typically cover, such as Brett Garsed, Joel Hoekstra, Uli Jon Roth, Mike Stern, Greg Howe, Marty Friedman, Tony MacAlpine, etc. Thinking further back in time, Miles Davis, John Cotrane, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, et al broke new ground in musical expressionism rooted in the revolutionary stylisms of jazz pioneers such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Oftentimes I have wondered why the rhythmic and melodic lyrical genius of Django and his longtime musical partner, Stephane Grapelli, have seemingly been lost in the years gone by. The relatively poor recording technology of the age they recorded their works makes the music difficult to relate to in the present era, in light of the superb quality of production that currently exists, though the levels of musicianship that Django and company soared to have been marveled by all ensuing masters of derivative jazz and popular music that nearly all masters since have referenced Django as a towering influence. Though the Django school of musical style still has a strong following among fundamentalist musicians, notably by the Hot Club of San Francisco led by virtuoso guitarist Paul Mehling that perform a tribute to Django, I have continually wondered why no mainstream artists since the Beatles have tapped into the treasure trove of music and musical stylisms that Django and company immortalized in their recordings... surely, this immensely popular style of music that set the musical world on fire throughout the early half of the 20th century could be revisited with a modernization and revitalization to make it presentable to the modern masses??? (There is actually a well-developed revival of Django that has been gaining momentum over the past decade. The following links are good resources for anybody interested in learning more about Django and the current revival of the genius in his music: www.DjangoFest.com and www.HotClub.co.uk )

Keeping this idea in mind as an integral element but not the entire composite, the last two decades have seen the emergence of Latin music as a major factor in popular music, starting with Cuban jazz in the late 1940s and 1950s and undergoing much evolution through early jazz and ensuing genres such as Bossa Nova, Samba, Salsa, etc. More recently, the intensive rhythms of Flamenco, Afro-Cuban, and Brazilian music have been fused with rock stylisms forming the Latin-rock fusion that has been widely popular, such as the music produced by Carlos Santana, Van Van, Gypsy Kings, Buena Vista Social Club, Los Lobos, and entire genres of other Latin-rock fusionists that have dominated Latin American music with their modern spin on the syncopation-based, rhythm-centric stylings. Add to this equation the classical and Spanish foundations for Flamenco such as Albinoni, Bach, Sor, Segovia, Parkening, and the classical-Latin fusion stylings of Paquito D'Rivera and the foundations of Benise's musical style are rooted. The integration of the complex yet gripping Latin rhythms, exotic harmonization, and bewitching melodies is something that I am certain that Django would have approved had these stylings existed during his reign. In fact, with Django's natural inclination to integrate diverse stylings, I would guess that he would have integrated them himself into his own music had they existed at that point in time.

Though (I realize) many modern fans of music may not be completely familiar with Django Reinhardt because the age of his music is long past and few are alive that remember him that actually lived during that period, I think it is worthwhile nonetheless to further elaborate on some parallels between the Benise vision and Django Reinhardt's constantly evolving vision. Benise's style is a reincarnation of the rhythmic-centric and savory melodic stylings of Django packaged in quickly moving and deftly fluid arrangements. Benise's style further integrates intensive development and leadwork that offer depth and flavor to the development sections. This is again further reminiscent of Django especially in consideration of the tight coordination between the rhythmic arrangements and intense dueling of guitar and violin. Though not to say that Django did not play with great emotion, he certainly did, there is a shift in empathy in the partnership between Roni Benise (guitar) and Jim Sitterly (violin) where there is more of an equalized balance, whereas whenever Grapelli stepped in with a soulful violin melody the world stood still and there was never any question of where the balance of pathos lay in that partnership. (After so many years past, many people may not realize that when they mock a soft-hearted person with the expression "let me get my violin", they are mostly referring to Grapelli's impact on a generation of adoring listeners.) Roni equally embraces this passionate capacity with his capabilities for intensive development and Sitterly is equally capable of playing a heart-wrenching melody as he is a searingly aggressive passage. Being myself very familiar with Django and Grapelli, the similarities are striking to me and the differences are equally appreciable.

Every style of music has had its champion that stamped the general concept and vision of the music into the psyche of the mainstream music audience. Jazz really began with Louis Armstrong who's originality with the manner he played notes set to syncopated rhythms redefined what music was, profoundly impacting all that followed; In the swing era (1930's-1940's), Django Reinhardt brought an entirely new, highly rhythmic, gypsy-like sound that again redefined what was acceptable and mainstream in popular music and affected every musician that picked up a guitar thereafter; In the late 1940's Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie teamed up to break new ground integrating Afro-Cuban and other complex rhythms into bebop-era jazz laying the foundations for Latin jazz and the epochs in music that would follow; (Dizzy Gillespie notably later founded the United Nation Orchestra in the late 1980's that is the premiere vehicle for world fusion.); In the 1950's and early 1960's, Miles Davis (nearly) single-handedly defined the genre of cool jazz and what was possible with expressionism with his unworldly sound on and command over the trumpet (Arguably his most widely popular effort, Sketches of Spain, was an exposition in Spanish music stylisms that served this expressionism well as its medium.) In the late 1960's, Carlos Santana's creation of Latin-rock-jazz fusion again stretched musical boundaries and the appeal of this music amazingly crossed cultural boundaries (as it still does to this day); In the 1970's Al Di Meola fused Spanish guitar with jazz bringing Spanish guitar to the forefront of instrumental music in that period of jazz fusion, notably with Chick Corea et al RTF; In the early 1980's, Stevie Ray Vaughan's surprising revival, reinvention, and redefinition of the blues stormed the music scene, similarly crossing cultural boundaries with what many described as SRV being a channel into a stream of consciousness; Though they all emerged via varying genres of music, what all of these musicians had in common was a connection with sound and a lyrical stream of consiousness that transcended genre.

Firmly taking root in the 1990's, a style of music showcasing musical styles from different areas of the world and collectively referred to as "World Music" has been steadily evolving in parallel with other styles of music founded in rock, jazz, pop, and classical foundations. The music of Benise fits into this progression of musical evolution as the next logical step in this evolutionary process in what I refer to as "World Fusion" (as does www.CDBaby.com). In the advent of the age of high technology and cross-pollinization of cultures that is currently occurring, the 2000's will undoubtedly be remembered as the decade when "World Fusion" rocked the music world off of its axis into a new rotation. With his tapping into this new stream of consciousness, Benise may very well be remembered as the artist that first introduced this vision of "World Fusion" to the masses. At this point in his development, Benise bears striking resemblance to these towering legends in the launching of their stellar careers. He is poised on the brink of greatness. It is exciting to see the group at the point where they are about to embark on an impending rapid departure into international stardom. The balance of instrumental sophistication and accessibility facilitate an appeal that transcends cultural and stylistic boundaries and will surely be received emphatically far beyond the borders of the USA. (In my estimation, though he will be popular in the USA, Benise will most likely draw larger legions to his fan base in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and maybe Africa where instrumental music plays a more significant role in the mainstream.)

With the dimension that the Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and other Latin-based derivatives of music bring with their intensive, African-based, syncopated rhythms; the sophisticated tonality and compositional stylings that have evolved out of European-based music (classical, Spanish, gypsy); and the mass appeal that are offered by the stylisms of rock, pop and jazz; the forging of all of these elements into a comprehensive and cohesive style of music with a singular vision is surely the next phase in musical evolution. This is something that I (personally) have seen coming for the past decade. It seemed inevitable to me. What I didn't see coming was that it would happen with Flamenco guitar as the (initial) focal point. The listener should be aware that with this fusion of Flamenco, world music, and rock (a.k.a. Rock-menco), though the Flamenco guitar may be the focal point, it is not the singular point of the music; the style serves as the medium for the artistry of Benise's entourage. It is merely the brush with which the auditory canvass is painted and the colors that are applied are drawn from a broad palette of musical styles and influences. And, though Benise's style of Flamenco is both appealing and interesting, listeners should not come to the music with any preconceived notions about Flamenco music or what the music may or will be prior to listening. As the vision is transcendent of the advanced mechanics involved in this music, the artistry is also transcendent of the style of music in much the same way that the lyricism of the music of Louis, Django, Dizzy, Miles, Carlos, and Stevie Ray were in the genres they emerged. Benise is the analogy of these pioneers for the relatively fledgeling genre of Rock-menco, and I hesitate to apply that label of genre to Benise because, in actuality, his stylistic boundaries extend far beyond the Flamenco and rock foundations that are fundamental forces to the core of his music.

One of the major factors that made the music legends listed above great was their innate ability to pull in, integrate, and manage talent that augmented their own capabilities and added new dimensions to their sound. Similarly, Benise has incorporated a plethora of amazing musicians into his core ensemble. On fiddle (if you will), Jim Sitterly adds heart-wrenching melodies and blistering runs as required by the arrangement. Much like Django's classic ensemble, Yussi and Gilberto Gonzales team up to provide two-part, solid rhythm guitar section that forms the center of the overall sound. (Django orinally did this so that he and Stephane would have equal backing to solo over with two rhythm guitars.) Mychal Lomas defines the movement and direction in the arrangements with the lead and feel of his exacting bass lines. And, the real driving force that is the heart and pulse of the music is the percussion section led by the vision of CJ Ryche and Carlos Lopez. Additionally, Benise adds other talent to the lineup as the particular arrangement requires, though again notably, the percussion section is in the forefront including a total of seven other percussionists that each add their own talents to spice up the meters, rhythms, and percussionary sound envelope.

Whether intentional or incidental, the Benise experience is a culmination of the merging and integration of a number of seemingly disparate paths of musical evolution and genres that have taken a singular form in the ensemble's cohesive style. This well-conceived, multi-dimensional style of world music is obviously and easily very appealing, and its pertinence in the broader perspective of the evolutionary stream of musical style is highly significant, pertinent, and relevant at this point in time. This type of innovative fusion of styles and genres is the pinnacle of true world music and few have done it consistently well other than perhaps Paquito D'Rivera, Chick Corea, Michel Cusson, Carlos Santana, and several others. Beyond the fundamental musical elements that constitute quality music, this type of innovation is specifically what I look for in my reviews. Beyond these technical aspects of music and this innovation, the end goal of music is always artistry that projects emotion and vision... and, that is precisely what Benise's musical and stage experiences are.

As a musician-oriented general comment, what Roni has accomplished as a musician with only acoustic guitar as his instrument is in itself markedly significant. Modern guitarists generally rely on electric guitars, customized pick-ups, electronic effects and post-processing to produce tones and texturing that bring different dimensions to their playing. Roni has achieved an extraordinary depth via creativity of diverse rhythms, complex melodies, tasteful harmonization, gifted feeling, sensitive timing, guitar technique, and inspired composition alone. Furthermore, playing speedily and accurately on a nylon string acoustic guitar is a difficult undertaking to master as Roni has done so gallantly. Listeners that are not musicians or guitarists should know that this is a remarkable feat from a musician's perspective. As a guitarist myself, I am always amazed at the classical and Latin music (Flamenco, Spanish, etc.) guitarists that blaze across the fretboard on these nylon-stringed, classical guitars. But, don't let that perplex you in listening to the music... just listen and enjoy it!

Benise is undoubtedly the next big act on the stage of popular world music. Take one listen to his album Nights of Fire and you will understand why. Revolutionary innovation, crystalline vision, heart-wrenching emotional projection, and flawless execution that are woven with seamless continuity of lyricism; No boundaries; No rules; It is artistic expressionism using soundscaping at its finest. It's dichotomy of instrumental depth and listener accessibility is simply put... musical genius. All of these many words will not be necessary to explain after you have listened.

Now is the age of World Fusion music. Now is the time of Benise.

If you have not heard of or caught the PBS special of California-based Spanish-style guitar virtuoso, Roni Benise, keep an eye out on your local PBS programming schedule. Fans of world music and instrumental guitar should enjoy this lively and inspired show that features Benise's diverse, multi-genre instrumental showcase that fuses Flamenco acoustic guitar with many styles of music including Spanish, Gypsy, Cuban (Salsa), Brazilian (Mamba), classical, orchestral, jazz, rock, and other Latin derivatives, with other world influences such as African, Mediterranean, Mid-Eastern, Egyptian, and African. Benise orchestrates fantastic, seductively exotic, arrangements that are vividly vibrant, youthfully energized, electrically charged, mesmerizingly melodic, tastefully thematic, enigmatically structured, cleverly conceived, and highly accessible. Benise is a real life "El-Mariachi" (from the popular movie trilogy by Robert Rodriguez) that has mastered Latin-flavored Spanish acoustic guitar and has a superb talent for composition, arrangement. and soundscaping.

The Benise repertoire includes a solid arsenal of guitar technique that is built around Spanish motifs, heavily infused with endless variation and creativity with rhythmic chordal phrasings, pedal tones, harmonic interval sequences, Flamenco phrasings, and Spanish-flavored melodic lines. But, what sets Benise apart from other acoustic guitarists from the Spanish school of guitar is his absorption of many diverse styles of Latin and World music that incorporate positive, vibrant rhythms (Spanish, Latin, jazz, rock, etc.), complex yet catchy themes and development, and is fueled by insatiable passion and drive. The concept is sort of a fusion of Acoustic Alchemy (intensive multi-layered acoustic guitar, accessible composition), Paquito D'Rivera (rich themes, constant evolution, Latin rhythms), and the spectrum of Latin American music (rhythms, themes, melody, harmony, etc.) The orchestral texture is similar to Django's classic ensemble featuring the quintessential empathic violinist, Stephane Grapelli, comprised of multiple layered guitars, gypsy violin, and dual percussion that together provide a baseline for complementary leadwork between guitar and violin. Additionally, the ensemble is expanded on some tracks to include orchestral instrumentation for the compositions. Benise is further reminiscent of Django in his genuine passion for the music, charisma, gypsy-like, eclectic musical style, and unrelenting drive for musical excellence, technical precision, flawless execution of complex arrangements and advanced guitar technique.

The album (CD) is "Nights of Fire", though the music cannot be fully appreciated without the lush and sensual visual aspects of the live performance such as can be seen on the DVD video "Nights of Fire". Benise is far more than a virtuoso guitarist, composer, and musical visionary; he is a full-featured entertainer that knows how to deliver a world class stage performance and a complete show. Benise is also on tour in the USA, so keep an eye out for his concert date in your area.

Original yet familiar; Intricate and involved yet highly accessible; Intelligent, passionate, playful, and enjoyable; Sustained intensity, constant, world class caliber quality, and unending creativity; Check it out! This is what world music is all about!

In order to organize the broad extent of this review, the review is organized into two sections. The first section is a high-level description of the music, style, vision, and concept. The second section is a detailed description of each track to further illuminate the depth that each track brings to the many diverse styles that are integrated in this album.

General Description

"Nights of Fire" from Roni Benise and company, collectively known as "Benise", is a landmark album in world music. I do not say this lightly or frivolously, as the gravity of this remark is heavily weighed and carefully considered. In reviewing music, a reviewer can analyze and disect the details of an album and its constituent compositions, (and I will... I will...) and a reviewer can also stand back and look at the album from a broader perspective and gauge the artistry in the context of the continuum of musical progress and evolution. The latter serves as the basis for this assertion.

Before getting into the details of what makes this album significant, I want to tell prospective listeners that regardless of the styles, genres, or schools of music they subscribe, prefer, are familiar or acclimated, there is something for everyone on this album. Most listeners will like some of the tracks right away and I suspect the other tracks will grow on them over time, if they are not immediately absorbed. Fans of instrumental, Latin, and jazz music will almost certainly relate to this album quickly and will "get it" on a profound level due to the clear projection of emotion and vision. Benise's music is positive, soulful, emotional, uplifting, gratifying, absorbing, entertaining, and most importantly, genuine. The compositions are involved, complex, and intricate yet paradoxically highly accessible and easy to absorb. There are very few composers that have ever been able to strike this difficult balance (dichotomy is what it really is) between complexity and listener ease for accessibility. The benefit of the ease of accessibility is that the music is quickly and easily absorbed so that it can be enjoyed by a wide ranging audience of listeners. The benefit of the intricacy is that the music is involved enough that it does not become pop-ishly trite, overly clichéd, and tiresomely redundant. The engaging depth offered in Benise's music enables the music to be listened to repeatedly and often without the listener becoming bored or growing tired with it. The more you listen to it, the better it gets. This is the hallmark of great music.

Benise's diversity in the genres and styles integrated further adds depth to the listening experience in a manner that adds to this listen-ability. Educated listeners will appreciate the array of diverse influences and styles that Benise has integrated throughout this album. Some of these influences are more pronounced and apparent, such as the Flamenco guitar, Gypsy violin, Cuban horn, and rock beats, while others are more subtle, such as the African percussion, Haitian (Voodoo-like) violin, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. A musically-educated ear will be delighted to hear the vast array of stylisms that are fused. A mainstream listener will be pleasantly entertained with a continually changing spectrum of these diverse sounds that are woven with seamless continuity.

Description of Tracks

Opening with a familiar sounding, introspective, Flamenco-flavored intro, the opening track, "Prelude / Fuego", sets the stage with its declaration of Spanish-based stylings that form the rhythmic and harmonic foundations of the CD. The initial Flamenco bit gives way to a dramatic, tension-building passage with ominous, disjointed, and warlike percussionry that then yields to a dissonant, primal-feeling vocal chorus reminiscent of the romantic era, gypsy-styled classic composed by Carl Orff, "O Fortuna" from "Carmina Burana". This initial ominous passage introduces the context of the conflict between good and evil in the life's struggle and serves as a contrast to the epic heroism that is to be delivered by Benise, the stories benevolent savior. Appearing on queue, Benise declares his resolve and intent to combat evil with the second track, "Desperado", that portrays Benise as the lonesome, outcast type of hero that is both hunter and hunted much like the Robert Rodriguez El Mariachi character from his epic South-of-the-border trilogy, whose second episode coincidentally bears the same name... "Desperado" begins with a rolling riff (from F# chord at the 2nd fret with rolling to open E, for guitarists' reference), that interleaves a Mexi-Western-ish tension forming rhythm. Having established the gravity and direness of the situation, the tension breaks to an ascending progression with positive, galloping rhythms of the hero racing to the rescue that ushers Benise to the scene of the crime on his trusty steed. Upon arrival at the sight of the despotic villain's foul deeds caught red-handed and in progress, the arrangement transitions with a bridge of scalar phrasings (from minor and harmonic minor scales with gypsy-like phrasings) that reiterates the hero's resolve upon arrival at the scene to combat the villain's treachery. This bridge next leads into the main themes that constitute the hero's ballade and theme persona. (i.e. leitmotif) These themes are exquisitely balanced with rich harmonization, perfect contrapuntal phrasings, and an unmistakable projection of vision that clearly conveys the persona of the classic Mex / Western rogue hero pressed into the hero's role by circumstances beyond his control that demand action and justice on his part. Benise applies excellent counterpoint in these themes that follow a very digestible classical form with primary and secondary themes with variations on successive revisitations in this section and successive recapitulations. Additionally, Benise applies some very tasteful harmonization to these themes with the two note (harmonic interval) harmonizations that are used throughout that give the themes an added dimension of gourmet sophistication. Having now arrived and engaged the despot in a life-or-death combat, the arrangement next transitions to a developmental section expounding the ensuing epic struggle that affords Benise latitude to further explore the Flamenco style leadwork and development that he next undertakes. This developmental section notably integrates a number of different types of Flamenco and gypsy style riffs, scales, pedal tone patterns, and chordal phrasings that each maintains a perfection of balance and fluidity within the section they are part. More impressively, each of these sections within the arrangement are perfectly matched to the preceding and following sections with the same balance and fluidity as the content within the sections. The extraordinary flow of continuity that results offers the (any) listener effortless accessibility to the music, though the composition and guitar work is paradoxically intricate and complex. The composition races relentlessly on meeting finally with the triumphant recapitulation of the hero's theme following the enigmatic developmental sections that leads back into the galloping rhythms that earlier ushered the hero to the scene. As a point from a technical perspective, the structuring of the composition on this arrangement is superbly designed and the end product has a Mozart-like quality due to the naturally accessible melody lines, savory harmonization, catchy rhythms, and carefully-crafted balancing of contrapuntal phrasings that are packed seamlessly within this palpable structuring.

The pace slows and the feeling becomes more tender on the third track, "Monserrat", a romantic love ballade that features soulful melody lines traded by Benise on guitar and Sitterly on violin. This arrangement is like a running stream that echoes the bittersweet emotions of love found and lost. Roni crafts an inspired effort with his guitar work on "Monserrat" that delivers an unending torrent of woefully pensive melodies that are answered by fleeting runs; fleeting as woman's love, as Shakespeare might say, though in this case apparently circumstantial separation according to the narrative on the video.

The dark clouds of despair and forlorn, lost love clear giving way to brighter spirits on the next track, "Santa Barbara". "Santa Barbara" is an upbeat, rhythmic arrangement that integrates Caribbean-flavored rhythm guitar, playful and contemplative leadwork, and violin harmonies as a backdrop to add depth and feel to the overall soundscape. Though this may not be the most intricate composition on the album, the projection of positive feeling and sense of continual motion in this piece makes this one of my personal favorites from the album. The simplicity, honesty, and integrity in the feeling and direction of "Santa Barbara" make it very appealing and again easily accessible to any audience. The style of the guitar work on this track is resemblant of Acoustic Alchemy (a popular, guitar-based instrumental group) and bears a timeless appeal and lyricism remindant of Van Morrison's grass roots rock classic "Brown Eyed Girl".

An unaccompanied exotic, syncopated rhythm is sounded on a wooden percussion. African beats join in on a Congo drum that taps out Tropicana rhythms. A lone straining horn sounds. It's raspy character immediately conjures images of racy Cuban jazz from a notorious era past when Cuba was the center of an outlandish and exotic culture and the musical boundaries had been stretched to new extremes to give voice and character to the excesses that marked Havana's night life in the 1950s prior to the current political situation. "Salsa Salsa" unleashes the full arsenal of Benise's phenomenal rhythm section that is matched with punchy, scorching horns, rolling Salsa keyboards, and Benise's fierce assault of contrapuntal, Cuban style guitar leads. "Salsa Salsa" features a revolving arrangement of trading leadwork from Benise on guitar, the sizzling-hot horns in turn, and the intricately delectable percussion. The explosive percussion on this track serves up an onslaught of complex and riveting rhythms set to a very upbeat tempo that demonstrate why the percussion and rhythms are the backbone of the band with their syncopated Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms. The rhythms on this track make obvious the dimension that Benise's music delivers throughout this effort that is by comparison conspicuously absent from so many other acts. The uncontainable exuberance and electrifying energy on this track make it the undisputable climax of the album... Assai Fuoco! Mucho Caliente!!!

Whereas "Salsa Salsa" is the energetic climax, "Mi Amore" ensues with what may be best described as the emotionally expressive, dramatic climax of the album. The arrangement opens with a crescendo of a tension-building strings with increasing intensity of vibrato of a single note in unison among the string section that breaks abruptly to a pause whose silence is answered with a bittersweet theme voiced on violin that sets the profoundly reflective mood of this composition. Enter the contemplative guitar phrasings of Roni Benise set to the symphonic backings of the string section giving voice to purposeful emotion. A Flamenco-flavored strumming of dramatic chords evolves from the conflict sounding a tension building progression that gives way to the main theme, a romantic ballade voiced on guitar and accompanied with accentuated phrasings of the theme by violin. The interplay between violin and guitar in this section is reminiscent of the interplay between Django and Stephane in their more sentimental collaborations. The arrangement projects a clearly perceivable articulation of troubled love beset by conflict, though the enduring strength of love's passion is the prevailing force amidst this conflict. "Mi Amore" defines the depth of emotion for the album thereby serving as a barometer for Benise's capabilities for artistic expressionism in the dimension of emotional content and projection.

African rhythms accentuate the next track, "Tribal", that picks up the tempo on this groove-based arrangement that features bouncy, island warrior beats serving as a backdrop for Roni's tribal-sounding harmonic interval melody lines and aggressive lead work that mark the territory in the first sections. The happy surprise that is next introduced on this track is the spirited violin leadwork of Karen Briggs that brings a new dimension to the lead violin that is primal in feel yet refined in presentation of the agitated phrasings she delivers. Appropriate to convey the composition's namesake, the style of the violin leadwork is like a fusion of Paganini style double string techniques with a Voodoo-like Haitian feel that gives the arrangement its unique vibe. The integration of this unusual style adds yet another dimension to the fusionistic world music vision of this album.

At this point in the album, it becomes difficult for the listener to believe that this high quality of artistry that has preceded could be sustained this far into the album and that it could continue further. The dimensions of emotion, style, and composition have thus far taken the listener on a colorful journey through a kaleidoscope of musical territories. But, without giving away the remainder of the album in detail to leave some territory to be discovered by prospective listeners, the detailing of the remaining tracks will cease at this point with a few parting comments. To the pleasure of the listener, the album continues to sustain and even build momentum on the remaining tracks, each of which possesses qualities that bring new merits to the album as a whole. Roni Benise on guitar and Jim Sitterly on violin have it out in a knock-down and drag-'em out match in the dueling lead sections of "Galetto's Jam" in a classic headhunting competition of rival and collaborating lead musicians where the duo lets loose the full arsenal of the improvisational capabilities demonstrating the extents of their respective repertoires of speed-oriented techniques set to a brisk tempo ripe for the feud. Answering this fast-paced cavalcade, the graceful, serenading ballade, "Long Kiss Goodbye", follows suit with a contrastingly softer and slower tempo that provides the frame for the romantic themes voiced by both guitar and the string section. And so, the album further unfolds like a roller-coaster journey through exotic sonic territories with new twists and turns at each track, winding its way to the well-conceived finale, "Shambala", that gives the album a suitable ending that brings a feel of dignified accomplishment and positive resolution.

For the mainstream audience, Nights of Fire is the one instrumental album that your collection should not be without. This album is easy to relate to and it truly has something for everybody on it. For fans of instrumental music, Nights of Fire is a landmark effort in world music and holds enough diversity that any listener that has been exposed to instrumental music will surely be amazed with the broad territory that this album encompasses. The diverse array of meters, rhythms, tonality, musical styles, comprehensive composition, and texturing of sound with well-selected instrumentation and voicings will be of peaked interest to serious, practicing musicians. And, the dichotomy of this complexity with accessibility is something for all to consider. For the practicing guitarist, Roni Benise's Flamenco / World Music ("World Fusion") style defines a new way of looking at musical boundaries for guitarists... or should I rather say, "a new way of not looking at boundaries", because from Roni Benise's perspective there are none. The boldness and audacity that Benise undertakes in the territory covered and instrumentation deployed is surpassed only by the high quality of the flawless music that is contained on this album... and, as a self-proclaimed self-taught musician, without any formal education in music... Are you sure you've never heard of counterpoint before, Roni??? That's difficult to believe since you have mastered it so well!

Nights of Fire comes with my highest recommendations to all audiences. This album is essential listening for fans of instrumental music and no collection should be without it. This is the first album that I have listened that has made real World Music presentable to the masses. I anticipate this music of the pied piper of Santa Barbara is going to be wildly received worldwide with legions of pleased fans falling in behind him whereever he goes... Don't miss out on this emerging international phenomenon. Get into Benise's Nights of Fire now!!!

Fans of the Benise Nights of Fire CD and DVD will not be disappointed with the Benise live show. In fact, fans will have several surprises in store for them at the live performance. Featuring the original compositions of Benise, this elaborate show offers far more than simply an inspired evening of music, the flamboyant stage production, diverse percussion exhibition, and unending interplay among the participants makes this one of the most unique and impressive live productions on tour. .

Copyright 2006 Christopher Ruel. All Rights Reserved. www.ChrisRuel.com