Between the Branches - Legends of the Wild

Ted St. Pierre and his wife, Conni St. Pierre, owned the Electro Acoustic recording facility in the heart of Boston during the 1970s. Perhaps the sight of drag queens battling it out in front of their work place as the night creatures spilled out of the notorious club Jacques sent a message to the couple, so they set up shop in Bethel, ME, with their Outlook facility. Between the Branches, Legends of the Wild by Conni St. Pierre is as peaceful as a mountain stream and captures the soulful quiet of nature on all 16 of the very studied tracks. A lovely poem inside the CD jacket notes that "the flute was once a green living thing/Drinking in the rainwater," but transformed, the "wand" now receives its wind and water from the one working the instrument. The playing is superb, and the imagery of the titles helps give shape for the listener's mind to grasp the wordless poetry and cascading sound. "Loon Songs" is stark and solitary with the musings of the artist and less instrumentation. The husband-and-wife team has worked for many years with Willie "Loco" Alexander on his spoken-word projects as well as his highly experimental Solo Loco on New Rose/R.C.A.. The creative atmosphere they sought miles away from the bustle of a major city lends itself well to these sound impressions of their home in the wilds of Maine. Between the Branches, Legends of the Wild is very peaceful music generated by people who understand the balance of life, and it is an exhilarating listening experience.