Paradise

Like the two albums (American Acoustic and Pastorale) that preceded it, Paradise by Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel offers listeners the audio equivalent of a comfortable sweater and a favorite pair of jeans. The two veteran musicians continue to blend folk's expressive spirit with the meticulous nature of chamber music in ways that yield serene, instantly appealing backdrops for reading, watching the sun rise, or warming a gathering of friends in front of a fireplace. Gone is the duo's midcareer experimentation with energized, ensemble-based settings; what remains is the pair's core sound--Tingstad's sonorous acoustic guitars gracefully intertwined with Rumbel's lyrical passages for oboe, English horn, and ocarinas, embellished here with light percussion. Gentle almost to a fault at times, Paradise is nevertheless amply supplied with pleasant melodies: the sweet breezes flowing through "Sailing," the Spanish-tinged romance of "As You Wish," and pair of engaging pop-classical hybrids, "The Lowcountry" and "Rokeby." Highlights: the inviting Middle Eastern flair that adorns a tribute to Ofra Haza ("Ofra") and Tingstad's animated "The Lawnmower Song." --Terry Wood