Struggle From the Subway to the Charts by Nuttin' But Stringz (CD, Oct-2006, Koch Records USA)

I bought this CD after hearing it on National Public Radio, along with an interview of the musicians. I thought it sounded very original and interesting. On NPR, they played parts of Egyptian Nights--which turned out to be one of those songs that you end up repeating over and over and can't get the beat out of your head. It was the best one on the album, unfortunately. When I tell people that I listen to a wide variety of music from classical to rap, I had never assumed that those two genres from what I considered both ends of the music spectrum could be combined to create something fresh entirely. That is what I was hoping for in this CD, and what I heard played on NPR. I also enjoyed the musicians' story--they were friends who were talented enough to go to the Juliard School, yet they played illegally in the subways of New York for tips. Ironically, they were even arrested for playing music . . . the interview was funny and witty. They sounded creative, smart and ambitious. I had to have more . . . Though some tracks were "mostly good", I was disappointed to find that much like many hip hop or rap songs that I don't like, or what I would consider "bad rap," they frequently laud themselves and repeat their "Nuttin' but Stringz" group name a ridiculous number of times throughout the songs to the point that it becomes distracting. It is a real shame, because several of the songs are almost really good. I think even their name goes a tad bit over the top--why not Nothin' but Stringz. Nuttin' just pushes it--it tries too hard. It gives the impression that they are trying to shape themselves into what they thing they need to be, rather than just letting themselves be. These guys have serious talent. I hope that after getting this "baby" album out of the way, they can just be themselves and focus on the music that I can sense they can produce at a whole new level. Give it a try if you've got some extra cash, but be prepared to hit fast forward sometimes.