In Brief

*** 1/2 Alex de Grassi and Quique Cruz, “Tatamonk,” Tropo. This unusual album finds New Age guitarist De Grassi collaborating with Quique Cruz, an exiled Chilean multi-instrumentalist inspired by a lifelong commitment to the preservation of Andean music. The duo’s compositions are airy, nostalgic, and heavy on the quena, the charango, the ronroco and other traditional instruments. De Grassi’s wide-eyed infatuation with the mystical sounds of the Andes can be felt on every track of this soulful session.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.