Here is as exciting a series of discs devoted to contemporary, American chamber music, as has appeared on any label in quite some time. Beautifully performed and recorded, this bargain priced set puts the lie to those who claim there is nothing much happening in the world of recorded music today. Think of it! A whole disc devoted to the music of Mel Powell! Southwest Chamber Music was founded in 1987 and is one of the most active chamber music ensembles in the United States. It presents series at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Herbert Zipper Concert Hall at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, and a celebrated summer festival at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. The ensemble also provides weekly music education in the Los Angeles and Pasadena Unified School Districts. All the works heard on these twelve CDs have been performed by the ensemble prior to their recording; some a number of times. This accounts for the high artistic quality of this set which is indeed a remarkable achievement.