Andrew McKnight “Beyond Borders”

The acoustic singer/songwriter stretches his wings on his fourth solo CD, blending global influences, spoken word, and traditional music together with his acclaimed songcraft, rich melodic vocals and deft guitar work. A creative collaboration with two old friends, Beyond Borders was recorded by original Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Les Thompson, who also recorded Where This River Runs, and mixed by Michael DeLalla, who recorded Andrew's 1995 debut Traveler. The result is a stunning collection of 13 original songs, plus the traditional "June Apple" and the spoken word "Do You Hear Them?" with its improvised accompaniment. Andrew's acoustic and electric guitars and vocals are captured in powerful and impassioned performances, with tasteful ornamentation throughout courtesy of keyboardist Jon Carroll (Mary Chapin Carpenter), string whiz Danny Knicely (Footworks, David Via and Corn Tornado) and the world beat percussion of N. Scott Robinson (Malcolm Dalglish and the Oolites, Oxymora). Organic tones and rich textures highlight stellar craftsmanship in a diversity of settings, including the haunting bounce of "The Poet's Great Romance", call-and-response gospel ("Rust on My Halo"), high lonesome bluegrassy vocals ("How High the Mountain"), and the feelgood vibe of "Good Things Matter", winner of the Great American Song Contest Acoustic/Folk category.