MOLOM - A LEGEND OF MONGOLIA (OST)

This McLaughlin album is a rare limited edition French release - soundtrack to a limited edition film "Molom - A Legend Of Mongolia" . All this combination sounds a bit strange, so I almost missed that album. It could be a big mistake!

Album contains 22 compositions, only around half of them is McLaughlin pieces, all others are original Mongolian folk songs played and recorded very tastefully, with all acoustic mysticism possible!

McLaughlin plays acoustic guitar , mostly in short jazz-world fusion compositions, with scent of Eurasian atmosphere.

Usually I hate soundtracks, but this one is rare exception. Don't think about it as about soundtrack at all - it sounds much more as concept album heavily based on Mongolian folk music, but transformed and melted in organic mixture of old Eurasian deserts shamanism and tasteful influence of best modern acoustic fusion.

If you noticed, I can only name this folk ( or world) elements of this music as Eurasian. The reason is there is no Central Asian music, and there is not pure SE Asian folk, but unique mix of Russian and Chinese music components. And to be fully correct, The Mongol Folk Orchestra participated in recording was not from Mongolia, but from Russian town of Ulan-Ude. All this both together presents a very unusual and interesting world fusion.

I believe that this album will be a gem for any world fusion music fan, but can attract much wider listener circles as well. Not for jazz purists for sure!!!