Balkan & Beyond - Live At Costello's (2008)Debone Music

Although aforementioned album includes Near and Middle Eastern and Balkan music, it was recorded far from the Middle East and Europe. Its main characters are Kevin Ferguson (acoustic guitar) and Lara Triback (hand percussion) who played the stuff for the release at Costello's Travel Cafe in Portland in front of the partying listeners and dancers. It is the 6th album to Kevin's credit and the first one with entirely acoustic music.

There are traditional songs from Egypt, Iraq, Armenia, Macedonia and some other Balkan countries. There is only one original track ("Meshano Oro") and three recorded on Kevin's previous solo albums ("Dafino Vino Tsrveno" from "Subtle Hint", "Gazaira" and "Olimpijski Chochek" from "Exotic Extremes"). Even though there are no electric guitars, Kevin's music is still energetic, dance- and party-orientated, hypnotic, tempting, seductive and impetuous. This kind of music reflects the characters of these inhabitants who live in the Balkans and in the Near and the Middle East. Due to fast tempos, Kevin's playing can seem to be an instrumental mess, however it has much to do with Gypsy jazz whose principles can be incomprehensible to the people who are not deep in this style. Arrangements aren't complex, however guitar parts conceal a real virtuosity by Kevin Ferguson. If you like folklore-meets-acoustic guitar music releases, you can reach out for this live album.