There are so many modern pieces with cute titles that turn out to be musically empty that I have to confess I was not looking forward to this release. As it turns out, Funky Little Crustaceans, a tone poem inspired by a large colony of crabs scuttling along a North Carolina beach, turns out to be as charming as its title suggests. William Hill is timpanist in the Colorado Symphony, so his colorful writing for percussion (and everyone else) comes as no surprise, but he also has some memorable musical ideas, as you can plainly hear.

What he lacks, on evidence of Aurora Borealis, is a feeling for large-scale structure. The music is atmospheric and often aptly luminous, and the sound of the Native American flutes is haunting. But it wears out its mellow welcome after about 10 minutes, never mind the near half-hour that it drones on. The Seven Abstract Miniatures on the other hand (which aren't so abstract, being based on drawings by the composer), are delightful and far more substantial than their title suggests. The composer himself is the superb percussion soloist. The orchestra sounds terrific throughout this program, and the sonics are excellent too. Hill's music is never less than pleasant, and more often than not it offers considerably more than that. In short, Hill is worth getting to know.

--David Hurwitz