Spring 2022
Gwenifer Raymond, "Strange Lights over Garth Mountain," 2020
Gwenifer Raymond is a ferociously talented guitarist and composer. Hailing originally from Wales, with a background as a drummer in punk bands and a PhD in astrophysics, her music has been described as Welsh
Primitive (after John Fahey's American Primitive acoustic guitar tradition). A child prodigy, Raymond began playing at age 8 after becoming obsessed with Nirvana's Nevermind and moved from there into delta and
country blues and Appalachian music. All these influences are apparent in Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain, her second solo guitar album. Complex and multidimensional, the all-original compositions meld both
the traditional and the avant-garde laced with punk-rock attitude. Open tunings in C, D, and G and minor keys give her pieces a deep bass sound and melancholy aspect. Then there's her technique. Her fingerpicking,
done with three fingers claw hammer style, is astonishing in its speed and clarity. With a left hand playing melody in single lines or chords up and down the neck, and a rhythmic counterpoint of strums and arpeggios
on her right, she sounds like at least two guitarists. The album was recorded in her basement flat in Brighton, England, during the pandemic lock-down, on a Waterloo WL-14L guitar. It opens with the evocative,
spooky "Incantation," with splinters and rumbles of notes, followed by "Hell for Certain," in which Raymond's bluegrass chops and aggressive playing are on ample display. "Worn Out Blues," with a wailing plaintive
melody line and bleak twang, conjures the harsh economic realities of life of Welsh life in the valleys around Cardiff where Raymond grew up. A sense of place is also evoked by "Marseilles Bunkhouse, 3 AM," and
"Gwaed Am Gwaed" ("Blood for Blood"), which Raymond describes as "darkly Welsh folkloric." With a whiff of the Celtic-Appalachian sound mixed in with rumbling, manic arpeggios, it was written while Raymond was
touring in Wales and influenced by its harsh beauty. Lovingly sentimental is the bittersweet yet jaunty "Ruben's Song," a requiem written in response to the death of a friend's dog. "Eulogy for a Dead French
Composer" (the composer being Erik Satie), austere yet bluesy, builds to a set of intense arpeggios. This melding of melodic and discordant reaches a peak on the final tour-de-force piece, "Strange Lights Over
Garth Mountain," which was inspired by the dark looming mountains of her hometown, perhaps the most ambitious and complex of these very ambitious complex pieces. Virtuostic, intense, transporting, and utterly
original, Raymond's music goes deep in the bones. Up and comer Raymond is a major talent to watch.
Marbin, "Fernweh," 2021
Marbin is a Chicago based jazz-rock ensemble creating a unique and distinctive brand of progressive instrumental music. Their current release Fernweh is an ambitious departure from their
cacophonous adventures. The album features intricately arranged and brilliantly executed standards taken from the gypsy jazz canon. Marbin tours extensively throughout the United States and
graces the stages of jazz and jam-rock festivals around the world. They have a huge, devoted fan base and impressive album sales. On Fernweh the group forgoes the electricity in order to produce
an alluring tribute to the swing music of the thirties. The album features Danny Markovitch on saxophone, Jon Nadel on bass, and Dani Rabin on acoustic guitar. Fernweh is a German term for intense
wanderlust and could not be a more appropriate name for a recording that transports the listener to the music of a bygone era. The release begins with the jaunty "All of Me," showcasing masterfully
executed unison lines by Markovitch and Rabin followed by their incendiary saxophone and fretboard soloing. Throughout the recording Jon Nadel's bass playing holds everything together, keeping
impeccable time and laying down the harmonic foundation for these great performances. Their reading of Hoagy Carmichaels "Stardust" eloquently swings, while their interpretation of the Russian folk song
"Dark Eyes" intensely burns. Rabin gives a reverential nod to Django Reinhardt on his readings of "Minor Swing" and "Nuages." However, the success of this release lies in the fact that both soloists do
not try to mimic the masters of the era, but instead infuse their own unique voices within the parameters of the musical framework. The result is a recording that is firmly rooted in the past but at the same
time boldly redefines the future of this timeless music. The album concludes with a blazing version of the gypsy jazz anthem "Swing Gitane," marking an appropriate ending to this singular recording.
Fernweh is an extraordinary release with exceptional musicianship and outstanding arrangements and is highly recommended for all fans of improvised music.
Scott Metzger, "Too Close to Reason," 2021
Exploring genres is a given with Scott Metzger. He has dabbled heavily in psychedelic rock and similarly jam oriented music, from surf rock to country and jazz and beyond. Metzger has become a sort of electric
six-string Sherpa developing a virtuosity that seems to be an amalgamation of style, mood and technique honed from experience playing in bands and trios such as Joe Russo's Almost Dead, Circles Around the Sun,
LaMP, the Stanton Moore trio, Amfibian, WOLF!, and The Showdown Kids. Not surprisingly, Metzger possesses the chops, technique and scary good artistic acumen that have no doubt contributed to his efforts on the road
and in the studio with a heady list of musicians that includes Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, John Scofield, Shooter Jennings, Joe Russo and John Mayer among others. It is, perhaps, fortuitous that when faced with the
isolation and full-stop to playing out that resulted from the outbreak of COVID-19, Metzger turned to the acoustic guitar for solace, specifically a beat-up 1955 Martin 000-18 acquired shortly after the onset of the
pandemic from Carter Vintage Instruments in Nashville. All the compositions for his debut solo album, Too Close to Reason, with the exception of "Cafe Hidalgo" were written on that well-seasoned guitar. Metzger felt
the tone of the instrument really dictated a lot of the melodies that ended up on the recording. The impact of influences ranging from Bill Frisell, Django Reinhardt, Chet Atkins, Julian Lage, Ry Cooder, Richard
Thompson to Jerry Garcia, cannot be ignored when considering how Metzger has developed such unique and memorable melodies.
Too Close to Reason opens with the atmospheric "Appropriate Wattage," and Metzger makes it clear this will be a varied and explorative adventure. Track two, "Don't Be A Stranger," bursts from the atmospheric dregs of
track one with an Atkin-like country effervescence, followed by the gentle rollicking of "Asking For a Friend," a resplendent tune with an equally pretty and memorable melody that gives way to a driving rhythm before
sliding back into melodic beauty and a bit of Steve Howe-esque magic. This technique/style is also present on the gorgeous "When Katie Smiles," "Dream Room," and the exotic and sonically quixotic "Damage," on which
Metzger allows his psychedelic urges full control. "Waltz for Beverly," with eloquent fretboard flourishes interspersed around the melody introduces a softer, playful aspect to the album. The "Only Child" is a duet
with violinist Katie Jacoby, the only other musician appearing on the CD. The intermingling of Jacoby's sonorous intensity and the lithe whimsicality of Metzger's fretwork create a calm respite before the undulating
and hypnotic melody of the closing track, "At Your Service," builds with power and grace to a dramatic end.
Metzger's prowess and confidence are obvious throughout Too Close to Reason. He has the uncanny ability to weave these divergent techniques into a cohesive whole in a way that makes the listener aware of the
artistry on display rather than the modulation of style. The heart of the album is the two-part "Dream Room." The improvisational essence and underlying drone in "Part I" evolves into a surprisingly understated,
yet fully formed and enchanting melody, intermingled with space and depth that may be a larger metaphor for the album as a whole. The first five tracks and the last five tracks balance on either side of this
musical fulcrum. Metzger's performance and recording resume both indicate there is little he cannot do with an electric guitar. Perhaps, it is only fitting that his first acoustic outing establishes a similar
path. Too Close to Reason delights on every level.
Steve Baughman, "Once Upon a Harp," 2021
The blind itinerant harpist Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) was born in Ireland's County Meath and is thought to have composed hundreds of tunes, about 214 of which have survived and whose melodies are available
in online sources like The Session and The Traditional Tune Archive and printed in Donal O'Sullivan's book, Carolan: The Life and Times of an Irish Harper (Cork, Ossian, 2001). While many soloists and ensembles
have played O'Carolan's music, guitarists' interest dates back at least to the 1970s, when John Renbourn, Davy Graham, Dave Evans, and Duck Baker arranged and recorded several of his pieces. More recently,
classical guitarist John Williams has also recorded O'Carolan's works. Steve Baughman's arrangements on Once Upon a Harp place him in the lineage of Renbourn and Graham, although Baughman has developed Carolan's
work further, since he often includes two or more moving voices in his treatments, for example, with bass lines answering the melody. He begins the album with "Bridget Cruise," providing a harp-like statement of
the melody, then continuing with an arrangement combining slack key elements and his own characteristic counterpoint (hence the tongue-in-cheek retitling, "Bridget's Hawaiian Cruise"). It's a great opener. "Mrs.
Maxwell's Second Air" is a beautiful minor piece, which Baughman plays at a medium fast tempo, heightening the tune's drama. Baughman recently recorded a video lesson of "Squire Wood's Lamentation on the Refusal
of His Halfpence" for Acoustic Guitar magazine. His full performance here includes responsive lines in the bass register, artificial harmonics, and parallel fourths harmonizing the melody. It's wistful and beautiful.
For guitarists, the piece is an approachable introduction to Baughman's vision of Celtic guitar. John Renbourn recorded "Lament for Owen Roe O'Neill" and "Carolan's Concerto" for his 1976 album, The Hermit,
and here, Baughman plays them as a set. He plays the "Lament" freely, one time through, before launching into "Carolan's Concerto," which bears some similarity to Renbourn's version as well as featuring Baughman's
novel harmonic choices. "Lord Inchiquin" follows, a challenging arrangement which Baughman teaches in his Stringletter ebook, Celtic Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar. Listening to "Lady Athenry" and "Lady Gethin,"
I imagined stately dancers in the dark interior of an Irish castle. Other performances in this collection are similarly evocative and, though there are no weak pieces here, both "Planxty Hewlett" and "Mrs. Judge"
are perhaps the set's tours de force, due to the emotional depth Baughman brings to each of them. "Fanny Power" is another slower piece, which, like "Squire Wood," gives listeners a prime opportunity to appreciate
the nuances of Baughman's approach. The melody of "Carolan's Draft" resembles "Carolan's Concerto," though Baughman plays it at a slower pace than the "Concerto." The moving "Blind Mary" closes the album. Several
years ago, Baughman recorded this piece as a guitar duet with Robin Bullock. Baughman's solo performance is more intimate, in contrast to the duet, which is itself a fine example of effective and uncluttered
arranging. He teaches the solo version his recent Stringletter ebook. Summing up, Once Upon a Harp is a creative success for Steve Baughman and milestone in acoustic fingerstyle guitar that's likely to be
treasured for many years.
Buffalo Nichols, 2021
Buffalo Nichols self-titled debut album has a warmth and presence that soothes and pulls the listener close, like a confidant. Below the surface there is far more taking place betwixt the deft fretboard work and
the confident, resonant vocals. Our first inkling is mournful pleading of Skip James' "Sick Bed Blues," the only cover on the disc, and the stark country blues of "Living Hell," complete with brimstone-tinged
lyrics wrapped in the immediacy of Nichol's raw raspy delivery. It is not until the last three tracks: "Another Man" - a haunting and sorrowful lament, "Back On Top" - desperate lyrics intertwined with sweltering
slide work, and "Sorry It Was You"- tasty clean, dirty and acoustic leads wrapped in a sweaty rhythm that moves the toes and the soul, that the undercurrent of social commentary, alternating between cautionary and
indictment, rises to the surface. That is not say that the message is primary here, but it is powerful and epitomized in "Another Man," an obvious extension of the 1940's Alan Lomax's recording of Vera Hall singing
"Another Man Done Gone," a Black spiritual further defined by Odetta Holmes in the late 1950's. Nichols' "Another Man" contemporizes the spiritual to chilling effect with lyrics like: "Some folks believe the lies/They're
fooled by the disguise/No need to hide behind a white hood/When a badge works just as good/Another man is dead." It is no wonder that Rolling Stone Magazine included it in their feature Song You Need to Know. Nichols
vocals are reminiscent at times of Eric Bib and Keb Mo, and every so often I swear I hear a bit of the musical shape-shifter Taj Mahal in Nichol's delivery, yet, Nichols' singing often takes the listener deeper and
further into his poignant conscious-raising lyrics. I am reminded of the kind of charisma heard in the likes of Tracy Chapman, Kris Kristofferson ore Bill Withers. Nichols' compelling vocals, along with his skill with
a slide and a resonator guitar, are the glue holding these tracks together and without them, the album might lack cohesiveness. Tracks like "These Things," with its melancholy melody and interplay between string
accompaniment and sweet slide work, a definite highlight, as well as the compassionate "How to Love," and the aching tenderness of the opening track "Lost And Lonesome," expose a side of Nichols that stands in contrast
to the aforementioned performances. Then again this might simply be the way Nichols' compositional skill works, although first albums generally show a consistency by virtue of the fact that are often the result of
several years of effort. The Milwaukee-raised Nichols does cite the varied musical tastes of his older siblings as well as his mother as a major part of his music education and evolution. Embedded in these
influences are a keen sense of observation and wisdom both evidenced in the lyrics of the seven original compositions on this debut. In reading various interviews that Nichol's has given in the past year, it
is easy to see that he is a complex and articulate artist capable and intent on exploring his musical talents beyond genres and classifications. All of which indicates we are likely to see many facets of
Buffalo Nichols' musical and lyrical prowess, not to mention his abundant artistry and expression in the years to come.
Eos Guitar Quartet, "El alma de Paco," 2021
Marcel Ege, Martin Pirktl, David Sautter and Michael Winkler studied together at the Music Academy in Zurich and founded the Eos Guitar Quartet in 1988, taking their name from the Greek goddess of dawn. In
2013, Martin Pirktl left the ensemble and was replaced by the Argentinian guitarist Julio Azcano. The quartet's ninth full-length recording El alma de Paco is a tribute to the legendary Paco de Lucia, and it
includes contributions from vocalist Carmen Linares and percussionist Ricardo Espinosa. Over their 30-year recording career, the quartet has performed numerous dedicated works by world-renowned composers spanning
the globe, and this album continues that tradition by including pieces from Leo Brouwer, John McLaughlin, and José Antonio Rodriguez. Two ensemble members, Sautter and Ege, also contribute works based on songs by
Granada's celebrated poet Federico Garcia Lorca, and arrangements of three danzas by Manuel de Falla complete the program. Although the overall sound of the ensemble, awash in stylistically decorous apoyando on
both classic and flamenco guitars throughout, is indeed the heart (and soul) of this recording, the contributions of the album's guest performers genuinely bring these tracks to life. Linares' uniquely distinctive
vocal style informs and adorns both Sautter and Ege's contributions, while Espinoza's percussion work serves as an amalgamating force throughout the program. The opening title track by Rodriguez is akin to an
11-minute overture that intricately lures the listener in with its sensitivity, interplay, and authentically flamenco soul. The centerpiece of the recording is Brouwer's three-part suite "El Quejio del Poeta Duende
- In memoriam Paco de Lucia" which expertly employs both the fandango and the distinctive rondeñas with which de Lucia often began his concerts. The program concludes with British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin's
Andalusian-inspired "Soñando con el sonido,"composed specifically for this recording. The bulk of the recording itself was done over four days in the acoustically pristine hall of the SFR (Swiss Radio and Television).
Moritz Wetter, who engineered additional sessions at Hardstudios, a much drier sounding room, deserves credit for his work consistently and convincingly recreating the larger hall, as does the quartet itself for
adapting to the new environs while masked and distanced in that room. El alma de Paco is the perfect release to commemorate the 30th recording anniversary of, and to celebrate the flawless, invigorating, and
emotive brilliance that is, the Eos Guitar Quartet.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit, "I'll Come Back," 2021
AJ Lee's phenomenal, jaw-dropping, glorious voice rings out on "Lemons and Tangerines," the opening track of I'll Come Back like the crest of a wave. She and her bandmates, collectively known as Blue Summit,
never look back as they forge a newgrass/bluegrass/Americana path with nods to traditional country, folk and gospel. But those Appalachian ties serve more like springboards than tethers as this tighter-than-a-drum
acoustic quintet flies through its repertoire like lightning over the plains. The studio-recorded tracks convey a live feel, with the musicians getting plenty of opportunities to work in a solo or two, or three. But
other than the lone instrumental track, "Rodney Dangerfield," it is AJ Lee's vocals that will rivet your attention. A still-young veteran performer who began her career at an early age, Lee is as an adept musician as
her band members on mandolin. She's picked up a number of awards along the way, and is a nine-time recipient of the Northern California Bluegrass Society (NCBS) Best Female Vocalist, as well as the NCBS Best Mandolin
Player in 2020. Blue Summit also picked up the NCBS Best Bluegrass Band in 2020. Rounding out the band are Jesse Fichman on guitar, Sullivan Tuttle on guitar, Chad Bowen on upright bass, and Jan Purat on fiddle.
They make their home in the California Bay Area, and this 11 track collection, clocking in at 39 minutes, is their second full-length project, the first being their 2019 debut album, Like I Used To. Their sound
is somewhat reminiscent of Alison Krause and Union Station, though AJ Lee's gang is definitely higher octane. "Put Your Head Down" (and pray) is a gospel romp, "Faithful" turns country at a feverish pace, and "Not
Gonna Cray Over You" leans toward the classic country. "When You Change Your Mind" and "I'll Come Back" and "Something Special" are as loaded with nuance as they are with tasty licks. This is heartfelt music to
celebrate, an optimistic offering that we can all one day look forward to sharing some summertime air and the joy of life.
©
Céline Keating
Buy it at Bandcamp
Listen to "Ruben's Song"
Listen to Gwenifer Raymond at our podcast 
©
James Scott
Buy it at Bandcamp
Listen to "Georgia on My Mind"
©
James Filkins
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Asking For A Friend"
Listen to Scott Metzger at our podcast
©
Patrick Ragains
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Lord Inchiquin"
©
James Filkins
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Lost And Lonesome"
©
David Pedrick
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Soñando Con el Sonido"
©
Fred Kraus
Buy it at Bandcamp
Listen to "I'll Come Back"
