Edito de A Whistle and a PrayerConrad Praetzel has long understood the boundless possibilities of sound, With an open ear for every kind of music--from Copland to the Cocteau Twins--and a fascination for other places and times, this Northern California instrumentalist has created a musical realm of his own where East, West, present, and past intermingle. His technique is never gratuitous or trendy, but reflects the inner wonder that drives this very down-to-earth musician. Myths and Memories is full of Praetzel personality--sometimes playful, sometimes pensive, always engaging. If you've already experienced the first Praetzel collection, Between Present and Past (Scarlet Records, 1989), then you know of his unique ability to fuse modern and traditional elements. "It has such strong composing," Robert Carlberg wrote of this debut album in Electronic Musician, "that I think it...would stand up under any presentation, whether played by a bagpipe orchestra, ten fiddlers fiddling, or the latest electronic technology." Myths and Memories, Praetzel's second album, is his first release on Paleo Music and was assembled during a period when Conrad returned to archaeological field work after a decade's absence. With the same painstaking care it takes to poke through the earth's strata for some rare artifact, Praetzel uses the tools of his recording studio to produce the characteristic layered texture of the album's 14 original compositions. On Myths and Memories Conrad Praetzel is accompanied by Robert Powell on pedal steel and acoustic guitars, with percussion supplied by Bill Shore on three tracks. Included in The Absolute Sound's SUPER CD LIST