February 22, 2004

MARK BIALCZAK
MUSIC CRITIC

Stein Rimehaug is best known in the Central New York music community as the keyboardist and one of the composers for popular jazz group ESP.

Rimehaug's new solo disc, "Aqua," is a lot harder to label.

You know you're in for something different when the back cover of a disc contains a photograph of eight wind instruments, labeled with their names, as a road map to the exotic sounds contained within.

Rimehaug uses the berimbau, udu, kalimba, melodica, samba whistle, ocarina, hippie flute and pocket trumpet to set tranquil moods. His compositions neatly match the sounds of the instruments.

Soothing, yes. Dull, never.

"Berimbau" is the main instrument in, and title of, a Brazilian piece that also features instruments Rimehaug discovered on a trip to Rio de Janeiro last year.

"Ocarina" features the small clay flute of that name usually sold by Peruvian street vendors. It blows a gentle wind.

To mix things up, "Dream of the Gray Treefrog" neatly layers frog sounds taped in Skaneateles with synthesized clarinet, flute, viola and marimba.