一聽音樂網

John Tesh's name is often associated with the notion of bad music. This is an unfortunate and unfair perception since Tesh actually exhibits commendable skills in a little-explored musical niche--the pop-rock instrumental. Those talents are nicely displayed on this audio rendering of his 1995 performance (in the company of the Colorado Symphony) at suburban Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheater. Influenced by old-line progressive acts such as Rush and Yes, Tesh specializes in creating instrumental tempests in pop-music teacups, framing his favorite themes--optimism, romance, and triumph--with anticipation-building preludes and melodic, high-octane crescendos. Among many flavorful selections, his best include the engaging dual melodies that adorn "Garden City" and the chest-swelling progression of "A Thousand Summers." The music works here better than it does on the video shown on PBS, since you don't have to watch all the mugging and choreographed prancing shared by Tesh and his eight backup musicians. The Collector's Edition of this release includes a six-song, 23-minute bonus CD that includes "Roundball Rock" (heard on NBC's NBA telecasts) and a few other of Tesh's broadcast themes. --Terry Wood