It takes just one pleasurable listen to discover that the musicians of Contratopia are masters of many instruments and many musical styles. The opening medley of “Booth Shot Lincoln” and “It Ain’t the Heat, It’s the Humidity” moves quickly from a finely balanced blend of old-timey banjo and mandolin to the pulsing sound of Sessions’ fiddle, with its shuffling syncopation and precise and lightning-fast execution of ornamental runs. Then in the following set of reels the group not only melds dance tunes old and new, but appears to set its sights on redefining the genre. Sprightly renditions of “Reel St. Joseph” and “Star of Munster”, with their shifting combinations of instruments and inventive harmony lines, soon give way to a jazzier interpretation, which in turn paves the way for a rockin’ and reelin’ version of an original Goodin composition called “Two-Legged Stool”. But a spirited set of jigs, five of them, in fact, are testimony of this band’s ability to play it straight and accomplish the task to great effect. The instruments double, even triple up on the lively melodies, which are firmly anchored in Pakiz’ lilting Irish piano rhythms. Listen carefully midway as fiddle and mandolin are joined by the graceful sound of the oboe, also played by Pakiz, in a stream of cascading notes and delayed harmony lines -- and contemplate the last time you heard a jig on the oboe. They play it straight too on “Sandy River Belles” and “Little Liza Jane”, hard-driving hoedowns on old-time fiddle and banjo, then stretch out again on renditions of original material, jazzing up jigs and reels such as “Maggie in the Rain”, “Palisades”, and “Fairbanks”, the CD’s concluding number. Erik Sessions and John Goodin are not only fine instrumentalists, but successful composers as well. Sessions’ “It Ain’t the Heat, It’s the Humidity” was selected for the popular contra dance tune book, The Portland Collection. Another of his compositions heard on this recording, “Ms P’s Waltz”, is both an invitation to the dance and pure listening pleasure. Opening with violin and piano, it evolves into a gently flowing tonal tapestry with sweeping reach. “Oak Woods Song”, an equally sublime Sessions composition, is closer to an air than a dance tune. Here solo violin, concertina, and octave mandolin fuse with an intricate piano accompaniment to evoke a quiet walk at the end of the day. Ken Burns, pay heed! This delicately wrought piece is worthy of inclusion on a future sound track. Hands Four also showcases works – an even dozen to be exact -- by John Goodin, whose compositions for mandolin orchestra have been performed around the world, and recorded in Germany, Greece, and the United States. The tranquil tempo of “The National Road” is reminiscent of an age when movement on the great thoroughfares of our land proceeded at a more leisurely pace. The beautiful meandering melody is introduced by O’Loughlin on the concertina and elaborated by Pakiz in the only extended piano solo that she offers on this recording. In Goodin’s “South of France”, a miniature tone poem in three parts, the plaintive lyricism of the melody flows seamlessly from violin to concertina to oboe, with violin and oboe weaving in harmony and counterpoint, and Goodin himself providing the crisp guitar accompaniment. The arrangement is exquisite, the performance stunning, and listeners everywhere are pardoned for remarking in raised voices: “It doesn’t get any better than this!” And indeed it doesn’t. That Contratopia has emerged from the studio with a truly exciting debut recording lies as much in the group’s willingness to experiment and explore as in its technical ability and musical savvy. Treat yourself today to a copy of this CD, and send one to a friend. And don’t forget to check the dance schedule at the website, and take hands four the next time Contratopia is in town. Website: http://www.contratopia.com