DULCIMER PLAYER DELUXE

David Schnaufer

S.F.L. (Sounds From Lomax)

By Dallas Embry

David Schnaufer has a wonderful CD on the market.Dulcimer Player Deluxe, on the S.F.L. label, is 73 minutes of pure listening pleasure.

This completely instrumental outing features the talents of The Cactus Brothers, Mark O'Connor, Vince Farsetta, Gove Scrivener, Kenny Malone, Dave Pomeroy, Jack "Cowboy" Clements and Chet Atkins accompanying dulcimer player extraordinaire Schnaufer as he plays jew's-harp, harmonica, and bells, as well as dulcimer.

There are 26 songs on the disc and they're all worth listening to, but there are some standouts as well. "Steel Guitar Rag" on a four-string dulcimer?! You have to hear it to believe it.

One of my favorite Hank Williams songs, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," which was almost done to death a few years back, takes on a haunting freshness in David's solo dulcimer rendition, and "Fisher's Hornpipe" (which is also a video) with The Cactus Brothers is everything a hornpipe should be.

Floyd Kramer's "Last Date" joins country standards "Wings of a Dove," "Blue Moon of Kentucky," and "Wildwood Flower," as well as such varied tunes as "Here Comes the Sun," "Beautiful Dreamer," "Greensleeves" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," as this super talented group of musicians make all new again.

Get this CD, put it on, lay back and close your eyes, and enjoy some really fine instrumental music.