from Music Montly Magazine review -
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it". These wise words surely must have been David Bach's mantra while writing and recording this, his second CD as a bandleader. Using the same core group of musicians from his previous release, Window on the West (augmented by a few key players), David has delivered an emotionally charged collection which blurs the lines between world and jazz.
Compositionally, songs like "Passion Play" and "Between the World" are strong example of effective theme development. The main melodic figure of "Passion Play" modulates near the 2-minute mark and provides just enough tension to command attention, even at low volume levels. "Between the World" teeters between minor and major tonalities without sounding fragmented or too "fusion-y".
Elsewhere, David displays his knack for tasteful arrangements in several ways: His elegant usage of different keyboard flavors, namely alternating grand piano and Fender Rhodes within a song, offers subtle organic contrasts that add spice while suggesting a breadth of fresh influence; and by maintaining a large palette of instrumental colors, he is able to underscore a melodic line, such as the main line in "Seventh Sun" which uses sax to double the piano's dominant melody. Rounding out the performances on the disk, fretless guru Jimmy Charlsen takes an understated solo on "Between the World" and contributes to the CD's overall cosmopolitan aura. Drummer Frank Young makes a guest appearance on "Seventh Sun" and his approach is a nice contrast from the equally fine playing of JuJu House, who handled the bulk of the drumming. Longtime Bach affiliates Andy Shriver and Stan Whitaker turned in nice, textural guitar parts. And we certainly can't forget about good 'ole Frank Marchand whose world-class knob-twiddling makes 5thousand Words feel right at home in the CD changer next to anything Windham Hill or GRP for that matter, have ever released. Congrats to David and cohorts on an exemplary glimpse into yet another of their many windows...
- Bob Frapples