Album Review | 'Free' 

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The concept behind a collection of instrumentals called “Free,” released on July 6, is simple: eight improvised compositions performed in a meditative state. Violinist Daisy Castro, cellist Isabel Castellvi and Rochester double bassist and sound engineer Eric Heveron-Smith left all of the creative decisions up to the moment, although the thoughtfulness of the musical construction and the beauty of the melodies give the proceedings a polished glint.


Heveron-Smith’s liner notes indicate that prior to the session that yielded “Free” in Asheville, North Carolina, Castro and Castellvi hadn’t even met one another, let alone made music together. The newness of the collaboration is impossible to determine based on the recording, in part due to a deliberate choice made by the musicians to leave ample sonic space for one another’s ideas.

Without that consideration, the collective sound could have easily devolved into a dense frenzy or a series of inarticulate noises — neither of which would have fit music made for meditation.

The music has a quiet and contemplative nature, but it’s far from an ambient record. The individual melodic lines and interplay between instruments are designed to stimulate the listener, even while producing an overall calming effect.


“Free” comes into its own toward the end. The avant-garde wispiness of “Waltz for Wild Beasts” evolves into rich, evocative playing that revels in the expressive capabilities of the three stringed instruments. “Edward Watches Fireflies” features expert articulation and a cinematic sensibility. “Moon Over the Valley” effectively evokes the hypnotic qualities of the sitar without the presence of the instrument itself.


If there is any criticism to be had, it’s that there isn’t much to separate the individual selections stylistically. Then again, the music of “Free” seems designed to be heard in one sitting without interruption. Music lovers who enjoy everything from folk and western classical music to drones and Indian classical music will find plenty to like here.

Daniel J. Kushner is an arts writer at CITY. He can be reached at [email protected].