by Erik CrawfordVanessa-Mae was just a teenager when her major-label debut, The Violin Player, was released. This may account for her ability to successfully fuse old-world classical styles with a contemporary new age sensibility. She comes out scorching on the Bach classic Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, showing off her world-class talent as a revolutionary violinist. The new arrangements by producer Mike Batt add a flavorful world music appeal that both compliments and showcases her masterful skill. While all ten tracks are performed as instrumentals, Vanessa-Mae manages to squeeze every ounce of passion out of a note, transcending the necessity for lyrics. Her ability to play off of other instruments is brought to the forefront on the final track Red Hot. She goes toe to toe with a forceful electric guitar and her four-string violin leaves the challenging six-string in the dust. This record will delight those who are bold enough to challenge themselves by listening to a collection of songs that defy standard genre classifications.