Bob Zeidler
| 05/27/2000 (5 out of 5 stars) Seldom does a sequel live up to the advance billing suggested by its predecessor. All too often, sequels (most particularly in publishing and in the cinema) represent little more than a form of pernicious milking of what worked the first time around.
On the other hand, sequels occasionally do exceed the expectations set out by their forbears. Such is the case with Appalachian Journey, where Messsrs. Ma, Meyer and O Connor do manage to top themselves, in significant ways, regarding what they did in the earlier Appalachia Waltz. The reason is not particularly hard to find: familiarity breeds ease and comfort. At risk of implying that practice makes perfect, it is nonetheless a fact that Meyer and O Connor, in this sequel, have found better ways to incorporate Ma s remarkable talents - non-improvisational though they may be - into the fabric of the music.