Little Wing  (Audio CD) 
by Ottmar Liebert + Luna Negra

Flamenco revisionist Ottmar Liebert views Little Wing as a transitional project as he steers himself toward a three-for-one stylistic split. Future recordings, his liner notes tell us, will feature a new accuracy-in-labeling effort. Discs involving his Luna Negra band will feature his familiar flamenco/bossa nova kitchen-sink mix; "Euphoria" projects will be open to groove/world/ambient textures (think Opium); solo discs will be subdued affairs. Where might he file Little Wing? It easily lands on the quieter side of Liebert's wide-ranging spectrum, offering a pleasant though ultimately modest display of his skills as a player and composer. Four of the tracks, including the appealing title choice written by Jimi Hendrix, are covers, all nods to favorite tunes from his formative years. Liebert's acoustic spin on the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," a tune seemingly inappropriate for his style, is oddly interesting, with the use of a Turkish saz (a long-necked lute) pumping up the original's Middle Eastern accents. His jazzy take on Led Zeppelin's epic "Kashmir," with muted horns lightly handling the song's thunderous, cascading transitions, is ineffectively delicate. Casual fans will probably yearn for more of the blue-sky melodies that adorn "Daylight Melody," the radio-ready smoothness of "The Pearl" and "Angel," or the more intricate playing that eventually surfaces on "Like Water 4 the Desert." Nice, but not a knockout. --Terry Wood