Combine flutist Lea Kibler’s classical training with her Virginia and North Carolina roots, and you get “The Back of Beyond,” a splendid set of relaxing music inspired by the history, traditions and beauty of the Appalachian Mountains.  Lea’s flute is always front and center in the nicely woven arrangements, such as Robert Beaser’s 1984 “Mountain Songs” compositions that breathe innovative vision into such songs as the classic English ballad “Barbara Allen” and old-time fiddle tune “Cindy.” Steven Walter’s guitar is the perfect complement for Kibler’s flute. The other tracks are either presented solo (Wind-Song; A Cherokee Wondrous Love) or in masterful duets featuring flute with Irina Viritch’s piano or Valerie Von Pechy Whitcup’s harp.  Several of the selections are recorded here for their first time. Three pieces were written by Ernst Bacon (1898-1990), a Pulitzer Prize winner who taught at Converse College in South Carolina in the 1940s. “Ain’t it a Pretty Night?” was written by his student Carlisle Floyd for an opera called Susannah. “The Back of Beyond” is sheer heartfelt delight, and Kibler’s genius is in her ability to weave deep emotion into haunting music that conveys rural reflections and organic feelings. (Joe Ross, Joshua Tree, CA)
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Just lovely....there is nothing like a flute to put you back in the mountains no matter where you may be, and Lea accomplishes that very feeling.
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