In a word . . . outstanding!! - I m a big fan of Michael Nicolella, and this latest CD further confirms his incredible musicianship and broad vision. Like his CD Push, Shard offers excellent recordings of myriad works that taken together create a dramatic sweep. The CD begins with three of Nicolella s own compositions, all of which highlight his brilliant technique as a player and his lyrical gifts as a composer. His Toccata and Fugue is a terrific piece (formally tight and inventive throughout), and in particular, I loved the gorgeous Passacaglia movement from the Guitar Concerto as well as his solo guitar piece that follows,Surfacing Through the Mire. After that, Nicolella offers a revelatory and brand new multi-tracked version of Steve Reich s classic Electric Counterpoint. There are other commercial recordings of the work available, but in my opinion, none of them best this recording. This piece and GRAB IT! by Jacob Ter Velhuis totally rock! I can t think of many guitarists today (or for that matter, many players on ANY instrument) who can handle rocking out on electric guitar on a piece like Ter Velhuis s, and then can switch to classical guitar and nail Elliott Carter s dissonant and virtuosic little masterpiece, Shard. That Nicolella can traverse these musical landscapes without even breaking a sweat gives you an idea of his immense range as a musician. The CD concludes with its darkest composition, Christopher DeLaurenti s grey angel, before giving way to David Paul Mesler s lovely and restive Lullaby. All the individual tracks are great, but like Nicolella s previous CD Transit, I think the drama he builds up in Shard might best appreciated by listening to the CD all the way through. It s a heck of a ride. If you re looking for the umpteenth recording of standard classical guitar repertoire, then this CD may not be for you. But if you have curious ears and a range of musical tastes, I think you will totally love Shard. Like Matt Haimovitz on cello, Nicolella is breaking ground on guitar and engaging new audiences, these are truly musicians of the new century. As for Shard . . . GRAB IT!