Innamorare Summer Flamenco

This German-born new age stalwart with a gift for melody, a keen sense of arrangements, and virtuoso chops delivers an album that should further his reputation as a savvy purveyor of instrumental music that crosses many genre boundaries-new age, flamenco, jazz, funk. Slightly lighter than some of his more Spanish-influenced work-and more traditional than his recent studio-heavy material-"Innamorare" seems designed to evoke a breezy spring day in Tuscany. (Liebert claims to have been inspired by a seven-week stay in the Italian region.) Highlights include the repetitive, melodic opener "Verano De Alegria"; the funky, horn-spiked "Ballad 4 Santana"; "Spanish Steps," a lovely number that captures this album's fusion of Italian and Spanish elements; the party-like "2 The Night"; and the airy "Ode 2 Love," dedicated to Liebert's wife, Kelly. A worldly album from an artist with a refined, Mediterranean touch.