Cellist/vocalist Marika Hughes puts together an intriguing album that mixes sounds from classical, jazz and indie to create a flavorful gumbo of sounds. Her core team of Kyle Sanna/g, Charlie Burnham/vio, Fred Cash/b and Tony Mason/dr are joined by various guests on guitar, keyboards, horns and voice, making each song almost a separate production unto itself. The indie and folk troubadour moods come out on pieces such as when she sings on “Chapter 4” and the larger productions with horns as on “Dream It Away” and “Click Three Times” where strings and horns meet for a full bodied support of her heartfelt lyrics.
There are some intriguing instrumental moments as well. Don Pullen’s “Sophisticated Alice” is a swinging sensation of a journey and Marc Cary’s piano on his own “So Gracefully” weaves through the strings and rhythm with joyful aplomb. The album is almost theatrical in nature, taking you on a surfeit of journeys well worth having trekked.