Where Love Is

There's talent, and then there's TALENT. Jenny Oaks Baker is the latter in this third album featuring her incredible prowess on the violin. Her talent is aided by gifted arrangers who contributed to this album. All 14 tracks touch on the topic of love, whether through the unsung lyrics, the listener's knowledge of the piece's history, or just the mood created by the music. Tyler Castleton creates a beautiful violin solo from the popular children's song "Love Is Spoken Here," which was originally penned by Janice Kapp Perry. In "The Swan," one can hear the water, in piano voice, giving way to the swan, in violin voice; and there is a wonderful treatment of Saint Saëns' piece from "The Carnival of Animals." Crawford Gates' arrangement of Beethoven's "Romance in F Major" gives Baker a chance to maker her violin sing and gives the listener chills when realizing that the composer was deaf. Newell Dayley's fantasy on "Love One Another," a popular LDS children's song, is, in one word, fantastic. And Kurt Bestor creates a haunting arrangement of the traditional Irish tune "Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms" by adding Celtic touches from bagpipes. Charming! This is not an album for those seeking mood music. The fact is, the performances are so stellar that the most casual listener is compelled to give an honest listen. ~ Dacia A. Blodgett-Williams, Rovi