Winter 2025
Sue Foley, "One Guitar Woman," 2024
Sue Foley is a highly regarded blues rock musician. On One Guitar Woman, her first solo acoustic album, she trades her electric for a nylon-string made by master flamenco guitar luthier Salvadore Castillo, earning her a
Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues album. Something of a guitar sampler, this collection of songs affords listeners a fascinating journey honoring the "female pioneers of guitar," with Foley reprising the
individual styles of eight female guitarists from the 1920s to 1960s. Foley is a master, at ease in any style, virtuosic without being show-offy, playing with verve, power, subtlety and assurance. Her vocals range
from bright to sultry, with the raw, unfiltered aspect of true blues; most impressive is her ability to sing even as she's ripping through tricky fretboard passages. The album of 12 songs includes two by Elizabeth
Cotton, famously the originator of Piedmont picking, a jaunty syncopated rhythmic style in which the thumb plays the bass while the other fingers pick the melody. Foley is faithful to the original sound but
gives "Oh Baby It Ain't No Lie" a more bluesy than ragtime feel. Cotton's most famous song, "Freight Train," also highlights Foley's flawless technical skill. On "In my girlish days" by Memphis Minnie, known for
her "down and dirty" Delta blues sound, Foley skews sultry and sophisticated. Minnie ran away from Louisiana to Tennessee at the age of 13 to become a performer; her music combines those country roots with Memphis
blues. Foley's plays her "Nothing In Rambling" with jaunty finesse. Foley also celebrates the "mother of country music" Mother Maybelle Carter, whose unique technique was called the "Carter Scratch." Foley captures
the spirit of her playing with speedy fluid fingerpicking on "Lonesome Homesick Blues" and "Maybelle's Guitar," an original with music and lyrics worthy of the great herself. Its chorus ends with "the sound of that
guitar brings us all back home," which could be the anthem for this album. Another early blues musician from the Mississippi Delta region, Gesshie Wiley, is slightly less well known. On "Last Kind Words Blues,"
Foley captures her thumping rhythmic strumming and single note picking with added finesse and intricate flourishes. She gives "Motherless Child Blues," adapted by Elvie Thomas, an African-American blues musician
from Texas, a peppy tempo and crisp bright sound, in contrast to Thomas's darker (and, from the early recordings, quite scratchy) sound. A gospel blues song, "My Journey to the Sky," written and performed by
Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight, was recorded with a backing group (although Tharpe herself played cutting-edge guitar); here Foley offers a sweeter, guitar-centered version. "Mal Hombre" segues into
different territory, honoring Tejano (Tex-Mex) singer Lydia Mendoza. Foley's vocals are beautifully matched with this soulful music and her arrangement brings out the Spanish influences. Ironically the most
beautiful pieces on the album range far from the blues-two instrumentals that honor the women known for playing them. On "Romance in A Minor" by Paganini, Foley echoes the limpid playing of great French guitarist,
Ida Presti. Here, and on the vibrant rendition of Mexican instrumental "La Malaguena" (honoring popular entertainer Charo, who grew up learning flamenco but also studied with Segovia), Foley demonstrates her own
6-string prowess with sensitivity, clarity, tonal warmth, and subtle dynamics. One Guitar Woman is not just a feast of an album but is also a marvelous education, leading the listener back to the sources Foley
celebrates even as it confirms her exceptional talent along the way.
©
Céline Keating
Eric Lugosch, "Migration," 2024
Eric Lugosch's early musical experience included vocal training and singing in choirs, followed by study with Ethel Ponce, a singer, pianist, and songwriter who emerged in the 1920s, and to whom he credits his skill at
composing away from the guitar and part writing. He first gained wide attention after winning the National Fingerpicking Championship in Winfield, Kansas in 1983. Since then he's released half a dozen albums, including
REVision, a tribute to the Reverend Gary Davis. Migration presents his own compositions for steel string guitar and two jazz covers. He begins with "Watch Pot", a bouncy number with a strong rag feel that has him traversing
the fingerboard while maintaining tone and swing. This piece, like some others on the album, recalls Woody Mann's best playing, and that's quite something. "Sundays Best" has a cakewalk feel and can be heard as a modernized
"Georgia Camp Meeting". One of my favorites is the rumba flavored "Sombra". Horace Silver's harmonically adventurous "Summer In Central Park" bears some resemblance to Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke."
The swinging "Duck Bread" shows off Lugosch's improvisational skill, as does his very personal take on "Georgia (On My Mind)". "Gentleman Farmer" could have come from a 1930s stage musical. "Progress Within" presents more
modern harmonic melodic lines within a beautiful, lyrical structure. The waltz "On Wry" has strong classical roots. The swinging "H.S.A." is also in 3/4 time, leaning strongly toward jazz, but recalling John Renbourn's
"Old Mac Bladgitt" and The Zombies "She's Not There". "Migration" is one of the set's strongest pieces, in which Lugosch takes his time developing the theme with a rolling rhythm, pleasing chords, and harmonics. A bouncy
blues, "Cat Noir", follows, highlighting the guitarist's contrapuntal skills.
"Harry's Waltz" further displays Lugosch's skill at composing and playing multiple voices.
The beautiful, meditative "Appaloosa" closes the album, and true to its title, could easily evoke the spotted equine or other pastoral images. Migration is another milestone in Eric Lugosch's long musical career and
well worth close listening.
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "In My Girlish Days"
Listen to Sue Foley at our podcast 
©
Patrick Ragains
Steve Gibb, "Circles of Light," 2024
If I were a musical alchemist, looking for the perfect recipe or blend of Celtic instrumental acoustic guitar music, I would start with a big dollop of Tony McManus, add a pinch of Robin Bullock, a dash of Al Petteway,
a Smidgen of El Mcmeen, and a heaping tablespoon or two of John Doyle, then mix and bake. When the oven door was finally opened, the end result would surely sound much like Steve Gibb's third album of acoustic
instrumentals, Circles of Light. A native of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, it seems only natural that Gibb would feel a desire to express the modal harmonies and tonic notes that create the sweet melodic
droning
inherent in traditional Scottish and Irish tunes, and like the artists mentioned, Gibb presents each tune in a distinct style that emphasizes both traditional and modern sonic sensibilities with a balance of tonality,
rubato and articulation. Although half of the 14 tracks on the album are original compositions, a fine Celtic essence permeates every graceful note that emanates from his fine fretwork, which has an effortless and
pristine quality. The album opens with the notes of Liz Carroll's "Never Far Away" as Gibb articulates each note with innocence and sincerity. What follows is the sumptuous and haunting Galelic love song "I Horo 'S
Na Hug Oro Eile" played in DAEAAE tuning. It slowly blossoms, note by tantalizing note. Gibb seems to be holding back a tidal wave of emotion with his masterfully slow, precise pace, evoking the modesty, reticence,
and purity of young love. These two tracks set the stage for the lovely mix of originals and interpretations of contemporary compositions that make up the rest of the album. Gibb possesses an extraordinary talent
for interpretation and arrangement evidenced in his renditions of Fidler Adam Sutherland's "Squall," Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds "Samans," Phil Cunningham's "The Pearl," and the delightful Shadows tune
"Blue Sky, Blue Sea, Blue Me." His original compositions are just as exemplary. My favorite is "Tune for Al Petteway," an enchanting ode to the renowned acoustic fingerstylist. Like the late Petteway, Gibb
leans heavily on DADGAD tuning in his own compositions. "Wib's Sting" is a rousing ramble, and along with the lively "April Storms," stands out for its acoustic vigor. The album closes with the seven minute
"What The Folk!." Gibb begins with a delicate and infectious melody that is reminiscent of "The Water is Wide." The melody builds and evolves through some rousing and sonorous Tommy Emmanuel like fretwork into
a full-blown acoustic journey. It is a fitting culmination to Circles of Light. There is an organic continuity and unity present throughout this album. It might have something to do with the recording, which
was completed over three nights. Gibbs' technique and overall musical acumen are impressive, but there is no need to understand what he is doing to enjoy the gifts of artistry and performance. Quite simply,
sonic splendor abounds in Circles of Light.
Pure Prairie League, "Back on Track," 2024
There was an extended period of time in the 1970s when Pure Prairie League's "Amie" permeated airwaves, reverberated from stereo speakers in college dorm rooms, provided accompaniment on countless road trips, beamed out from
an array of broadcast TV offerings, and was covered by a ton of bands and singer/songwriters. "Amie" became an integral addition to the soundtrack of a generation - musical magic -- and the song, unsurprisingly, holds up today.
Pure Prairie League, with its southwest Ohio roots, helped usher the country rock movement into the mainstream throughout its various personnel permutations.
Riding a revival wave, Back on Track, Pure Prairie League's first studio album in two decades, recalls the magic of "Amie" with a grace that looks back while moving forward. Founding PPL member John David Call lends
his familiar pedal steel, and is ably joined by Scott Thompson on drums, Randy Harper on keys, Jeffrey Zona on guitar, and Jared Camic on bass. Vocal harmonies unsurprisingly take a front seat, and Michael Reilly's
arrangements retain the band's signature sound while keeping it fresh. Zona's uptempo "The Beginning" opens the 12-track collection with a vibe that's warm and familiar. "I Believe I Could Fall in Love with Loving You"
gently eases the pace, while "Skippin' Stones" punches it up with some tasty licks and interplay from Zona and Harper. One of the strongest tracks may be "Crazy World," with its timeless sentiment and Call's pedal steel
in the forefront. "I'm the Lucky One" is a twangy love song, "Picture Perfect Life" romps agreeably along, "Price on Love" is irresistibly infectious with its steel drums and calypso vibe, and the title track dives a
little deeper into the Southern rock arena. A wonderful surprise inclusion is a sweet and fiddly cover of Little Feats' "Six Feet of Snow," penned by Keith Godchaux and the late great - and supremely missed -- Lowell
George. While Back on Track may not quite capture the lightning in a bottle of "Amie," it's a darn-tootin' fine blend of pop and country rock. Sustenance for the soul and fare for the heart.
Michelle Qureshi, "Lineage," 2024
An award-winning artist with a vast listenership, Michelle Qureshi is a classically- trained guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer whose dizzyingly prodigious discography includes 16 albums and over 30 singles
and EPs released since 2012. Although the overall style of the output primarily leans towards Ambient and New Age, each release remains distinct, influenced by various elements that allow her to transcend a genre often
mistakenly regarded as clichéd. Dedicated to her daughter and late mother and honoring a powerful love flow between them, both in this world and beyond, the triple goddess energy of Maiden-Mother-Crone is the
inspiration for Lineage. Selling the listener on this triunity of three distinct aspects united as one throughout a program running just north of the twenty-minute mark is no easy task, but Qureshi convincingly
gets the job done. The music goes straight for the heart with a poise and simplicity that can be expressed on a single guitar; however, the pieces benefit from tactful multi-tracking that includes subtle synths.
The recording features a steel-string, nylon-string tuned one octave lower than standard, a ukulele on the final track, and a superbly miked hybrid nylon- string guitar. Ninety seconds into the opening track
"Days So Long," the listener is rewarded with a recurring motif throughout the program, a composer's most effective device when used intuitively-silence. Qureshi is fearless in this department as a composer and
performer and is delightfully consistent. This is crucial in creating accessible and inclusive music-knowing when to hold back. With its sophisticated use of campanella, graceful harmonics, and agile timbral
shifts, newcomers to Qureshi's music quickly understand why it has attracted a large audience. Added ninths and suspended chords serve the narrative with appropriate restraint, and, as in "This Shade of Love,"
they sometimes remain convincingly unresolved. Just past the midpoint, "So We Walked" is the program's shortest and most tender piece, gently leading to the story arc's fitting conclusion, "Rest Now." Qureshi's
reflective, thoughtful, and intensely personal journey is a comforting balm for casual listeners, offering numerous layers to explore for those who wish to delve deeper.
Buy it here
Listen to "Watch Pot"
Listen to Eric Lugosch at our podcast
©
James Filkins
Buy it at Bandcamp
Listen to "April Storms"
©
Fred Kraus
Buy it here
Listen to "Crazy World"
©
David Pedrick
Buy it at Bandcamp
Listen to "Days So Long"
