Born in Hungary but based in Vienna, the reputation of guitarist Zsofia Boros will only be further enhanced by the release of her second album on the ECM label. In my opinion this album is the logical path to take after her debut En Otra Parte (ECM2328) which drew primarily on music of the Americas. On Local Objects she casts her net much wider, performing pieces from Azerbaijan, Argentina, America, Austria, Brazil, France and Italy.

The opening track ‘Nocturne’ by Mathias Duplessy really sets the tone of the album. This is a very beautiful piece and Boros plays with great control. Next up is Brazilian Egberto Gismonti’s ‘Celebração de Núpcias’, which can be a very challenging piece to play, and also to listen to, but Boros really understands the subtle nuances in the music and makes it all seem so effortless which only demonstrates her skill as a guitarist and musician.

The high quality of performance and composition continues on the remaining pieces and especially noteworthy is Carlo Domeniconi’s Turkish-influenced suite ‘Koyunbaba’. Judging by this recording and the aforementioned ECM debut, I think Zsofia Boros will continue making quality recordings for years to come.

Phil Richards