Susan McDonald: Hot Flashes

Susan McDonald: Hot Flashes (CD)

After spending several years dedicating herself to composing and playing music in hospitals, schools and hospitals, the self-admittedly eccentric McDonald has put together an album of hot little pieces that she has written and arranged for solo guitar. Susan has taken well-known Russian music (such as the original version of Those Were the Days, My Friend) and tangos (such as La Cumparsita - think Hernando's Hideaway) and put her unique, somewhat manic spin on things. Be warned - she's added a bunch more notes. Then she's gone the next step and written pieces inspired by her surroundings. Her travels to Mexico inspired Las Puertas de San Miguel (she's even given a nod to the famed Cafe Ten-Ten Pie with a hot little tango) and her delight in strange sea creatures is evident in The Pom Pom Crab and The Conch. The idea behind Hot Flashes is to make you feel as if you're spending the evening with good friends, good food and good wine. From the first piece, Home, Sweet Home, which begins with her tapping on the guitar to signify the arrival of guests to The Cleaning Crew and finally to The Birthday Tango, which is destined to become a classic, you will be made tipsy by this enchanting music! http://www.guitar9.com/hotflashes.html