Penguin Cafe Orchestra - When in Rome ... (1987)

Penguin Cafe Orchestra is truly difficult music to define. It is as if Django Reinhardt, Brian Eno, JS Bach, and Flatt & Scruggs all got together to make a truly unique piece of music. The music is upbeat, humourous, melodic, and beautiful and I usually feel lifted up by what I hear. This album is especially interesting because the Penguin music, to me at least, was hard to imagine played live, and this concert, performed in what I believe is a usually very conservative concert hall (I saw St Matthew's Passion there 30 years ago) is really a joy. Somehow, the sober, polite response of the audience is even part of the fun because they respond like they are listening to a nice string quartet, and the Penguin Orchestra is a little like classical music, but not quite. The audience just makes it even more fun. Finally, these selections for the most part are my favourites, so this is nice introduction the this music. - by Michael James Knight, amazon.com

Tracks:
1. Air A Danser (Simon Jeffes) 5:17
2. Yodel 1 (Simon Jeffes) 4:46
3. Cutting Branches For A Temporary Shelter (Traditional) 2:27
4. From The Colonies (Simon Jeffes) 3:28
5. Southern Jukebox Music (Simon Jeffes) 4:55
6. Numbers 1 To 4 (Simon Jeffes) 7:45
7. Telephone And Rubber Band (Simon Jeffes) 4:07
8. Air (Simon Jeffes) 3:59
9. Beanfields (Simon Jeffes) 4:32
10. Paul's Dance (Simon Jeffes/Steve Nye) 2:19
11. Oscar Tango (Simon Jeffes) 3:17
12. Music For A Found Harmonium (Simon Jeffes) 3:16
13. Isle Of View (Music For Helicopter Pilots) (Simon Jeffes) 4:38
14. Prelude And Yodel (Simon Jeffes) 3:56
15. Dirt (Simon Jeffes) 5:28
16. Giles Farnaby's Dream (Giles Farnaby) 4:14

Personnel:
Simon Jeffes (Guitar, Pianica, Bass, Cuatro and Ukulele)
Steve Nye (Piano, Electric Piano, Harmonium and Cuatro)
Helen Liebmann (Cello)
Geoffrey Richardson (Viola, Bass, Mandolin, Ukulele, Cuatro, Guitar and Penny Whistle) - 2,9,10,14,15
Bob Loveday (Violin)
Ian Maidman (Percussion, Bass and Cuatro)
Julio Segovia (Percussion)
Paul Street (Cuatro, Ukulele and Guitar)
Neil Rennie (Ukulele and Cuatro)

flac linklist (rs)
mp3

(http://intotherhythm.blogspot.com)