November/December, 2002
Peter Mulvey, "Ten Thousand Mornings", Signature Sounds, 2002
A subway echoes eerily around a nearly empty station. The sound recedes, the space filling with Peter Mulvey's dexterous guitar. And so begins ten thousand mornings, a conceptual CD taking us underground for some extraordinary busking and a glimpse of the life. A new crowd of travelers arrives, hurrying to get somewhere else, 10,000 daily. For most, it's another day in thirty years of commuting. Some songs ("Running Up the Stairs," "Inner City Blues") are specifically for them. Many stop, drawn by Mulvey's intensity, chops, and musical ambition. His voice, roughened from projecting, adds rock to the roll of a fiercely attacked guitar that still manages to swing: catch Mulvey's handling of Marvin Gaye's bass line. Talented passers-by-like Erin McKeown on "Comes Love" and Jennifer Kimball on "Running"-spontaneously join in. Anita Suhanin
asks to do a number ("For No One") then steals the resulting duet , sweetly mimicking the French horns in Revolver. A buddy, David Goodrich, comes by to play some lead. The station PA reverberates distantly during Randy Newman's "In Germany Before the War," providing synchronistic ambience for a very creepy song, as Mulvey acknowledges in his respectful -- though sometimes precious -- notes. The performer drops into another open tuning and launches a propulsive version of Los Lobos' "Two Janes." The subterranean acoustics are not "improved." Mistakes remain. Not for purists, but fitting for the occasion and the idiosyncratic song selection. Lesser known tunes represent familiar writers (including Dylan and Paul Simon). Mulvey warns against calling ten thousand mornings a covers album; these are interpretations that transform. Listen to
"The Ocean;" compare it to Dar Williams' original. Spellbound by Peter Mulvey, you've missed another train. The subway is pulling out.
©
David Kleiner
Peter Mulvey's Website Buy it at Amazon.com
Norton Buffalo and Roy Rogers "Roots of Our Nature", Blind Pig 5077, 2002
Mamas, lock up your daughters when Norton Buffalo and Roy Rogers gig in your
town. Their slinky, smoldering blues, heartfelt R&B, wise lyrics and voodoo
backbeat on "Roots of Our Nature" will draw your darlings from their homes
like moths to a flame. This 13-track, all-original collection just keeps
smokin' like an all-night barbecue -- sometimes it billows, sometimes
there's just a wisp, but it always, always, always beckons. Norton Buffalo is
generally regarded as one of the most versatile and talented harmonica
players in the music business. Roy Rogers' slide guitar work is legendary --
it's drop dead, jaw-dropping, slap-your-thigh and shake-your-head joy and
wonderment. This collection, their third together, is their first together in
more than 10 years. Guys, it really has been too long! Their individual solo
careers are accomplished, but their duet work becomes something else
altogether. As Rogers explains, "We're always looking to take the music
someplace different." That's certainly true here, as they team with a virtuso
collection of gents who round out the sound with everything from congas to
cello to gypsy violin to acoustic bass to drums to, well, you get the idea --
and the production is top-notch. There is a balance of musical effort that
works toward the whole rather than on individual performances. Truly, the
biggest star on "Roots of Our Nature" is the songwriting. Buffalo and Rogers
team for one of the more interesting collections in quite some time. These
veteran pied pipers assemble such American art forms as blues, roots rock,
zydeco, R&B, and soul gospel into a seamless and delightful tour of the
American spirit.
Norton Buffalo's Website Roy Roger's Website Buy it at Amazon.com
Ken Hatfield, "Phoenix Rising", Arthur Circle Music ACM-9512, 2002
I recall, as a college student in the '70s, buying a cut-out 8-track of Stan Getz and Laurindo Almeida's Bossa Nova classic, a purchase which sent me down an epiphanous musical road that I might never have otherwise experienced. Like a Phoenix rising from those remote legacies of Almeida, Charlie Byrd and Baden Powell, Ken Hatfield has made something significant come to pass again in the modern world of nylon-string acoustic jazz. Hatfield's music can't really be dubbed Bossa Nova, though his contemporary sound on "Phoenix Rising" obviously draws on those earthy Brasilian influences, particularly on "Tableau du Souvenir" and "For Jeanette". The austere classical introduction to the opening title cut is a prophetic hint that the music which follows will be multifaceted, shaped from several genres. Hatfield, a Berklee graduate and faculty member, is joined by
Hans Glawischnig on bass, Dom Salvador on piano, Claudio Roditi on trumpet and flugelhorn, Billy Drewes on tenor sax and Duduka da Fonseca on percussion. Hatfield and sidemen luxuriate quite comfortably in bop and blues ("Yo Es", "Riff for Brother Jack"), mainstream cool ("The Aleph", "Combray") and contemporary chamber jazz ("Retroflexion", "Iberia"). "Iberia" especially is a festival for the senses, brandishing truncated meters with doubled guitar and trumpet phrasings, bringing to mind the early work of Kenny Wheeler with Ralph Towner. Hatfield wrote and arranged all ten tracks on this CD, a prolific composer as he is an able and passionate performer. Ken Hatfield's music may be classic jazz at its core, but even better... it's all sincerely gussied up with a fresh new face on it.
Gert de Meijer, "Acoustickled", Acoustic Music Records 319.1263.2, 2002
Since the age of 10, Gert de Meijer has been driven to
express his own musical vision. Apparently those early
lessons proved to be quite difficult, but the
difficulty turned to inspiration, and eventually the
young Dutch musician would come to embrace the harmonic
intricacies of the 6-and 12-string guitar, the latter
being the instrument of choice. Gert de Meijer's
masters include none other than John Fahey, Leo Kottke,
Michael Hedges and Alex de Grassi. And for good
reason, for while the fifteen all-instrumental
selections de Meijer offers his listener in
"Acoustickled" contain a wealth of technical precision,
there is still a very inspired "edgy" feel here, or
what I like to call the living-room effect. More akin
to the type of musical storytelling indicative of some
of Michael Hedges' later work, "Acoustickled" follows a
poetic narrative where one can easily imagine a set of
intimate dramas and fierce struggles. But whereas
Hedges' music sometimes tended to too easily escape
darkness, de Meijer passes right though it, and in
doing so unconsciously refracts an aesthetic indicative
of Nick Drake and Elliot Smith. The filters used in
the recording process produce a silky quality that is
ideal for the type of string-slaps and double harmonic
swipes that de Meijer accomplishes so effortlessly on
many of his songs. The first piece, appropriately
titled "The Run", begins as a fast-paced romp animated
by a percussive, low-end strumming technique. As the
work develops, the progression invisibly merges into a
set of rich arpeggios which circulate in the
mid-to-high range. Rather than a set of isolated songs
that have little to do with one another, de Meijer's
compositions artfully dissolve into one another while
maintaining their melodic integrity. Just as one tune
comes to crystallize, the musical line begins to
refocus itself and organically rebroadcast what was
just articulated anew. To put it succinctly, you can't
ignore this type of music. It materializes before you,
and either you accept it and let it move you or you
miss the point altogether.
Gert de Meijer's Website Buy it here
Steve Baughman, "The Angel's Portion", Solid Air SACD 2021, 2001
From the standpoint of technique, what sets Steve Baughman apart from other guitarists working the Celtic vein is the use of his favored "Orkney Tuning" and a middle-finger "thwack"---a sort of banjo frailing technique applied to the guitar. Combining these unique approaches with his inherent feel, sensitivity and use of dynamics, Baughman is once more left standing in the dock as one of the usual suspects charged with committing excellent
music to record. This time out, though, Baughman expands beyond the heavily-worked Celtic realm, as reflected in the collection's subtitle "Celtic, Appalachian and Swedish Guitar Instrumentals". Indeed, he goes still further and includes an original composition ("Bonnie Wahine") in what he calls the "burgeoning genre called Celto-Hawaiian music". The ethereal Scottish tune "Roslyn Castle" opens the album on a Celtic note with images of misty mountains. Baughman reinvigorates the oft-recorded "Carolan's Draft" as "One Draft Too Many", which he performs on a seven-string guitar. Appalachia is represented by the fiddle tune "Hickory Jack", dating from a 1937 field recording of a Kentucky fiddler. A nod to Sweden is given on "Skalarna" and "Polska Efter Pelle Fors". Baughman embellishes three selections with a second guitar, most beautifully on "Jer the Rigger",
a fiddle tune from Clare which he drastically slowed down from its usually frantic pace to allow the melody to be fully realized. With so much heavenly music here, it is difficult to guess which tracks the angels will claim as their rightful portion.
Steve Baughman's Website Buy it at Acoustic Music Resource
Paul Asbell, "Steel String Americana", Busy Hands 1001, 2002
The best teachers create settings that allow -- no, make that compel --
their students to learn. Singer/guitarist Paul Asbell's debut collection,
"Steel String Americana," plays like your favorite class in your favorite
subject. Perhaps it's the educator in him -- Asbell's been teaching guitar
for 30 years -- that instills this 13-track CD with an attraction beyond the
pleasure of mere listening. The songs unfold like a textbook of the roots of
classic American acoustic guitarists and stylists. Many songs, such as Hoagy
Carmichael's "Stardust," make an instant connection, but then Asbell's
amazing guitar work elevates them to a higher level. "Stardust," in
particular, is pure gossamer, while the groove of "You Can't Get That Stuff
No More" rolls and tumbles like summer thunder. His wistful, aching treatment
of Carol King's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" simply stuns. Asbell
kicks things off nicely with a dazzling arrangement of Dr. John's "Such a Night." He goes spiritual with "Down in the Valley to Pray/Jesus, Make Up
My Dying Bed" and shows he's just as at home in the swamp with Jerry Reed's
"Amos Moses." Liner notes for each track really highlight the lesson with
Asbell's gentle humor and a keen insight. Blues and traditional country are
also nicely represented. Asbell does misstep, however, as with the
questionable inclusion of a lead female vocalist on one track, and in perhaps
slightly overusing his own pipes -- which has the unfortunate result of
putting his guitar playing in the background. And do we really need another
version of "Stack-A-Lee" (as he chose to spell it)? Such indulgences -- and
we can also include the noodling on guitar with a young child on the unmarked
13th track -- only slightly mar a fine effort.
Brad Yoder, "Used", Reverie Records 103, 2002
Brad Yoder is smooth. His radio friendly arrangements reflect a pop sensibility ready for the emo side of your dial. His deadpan tenor embodies perfectly the sad-sack-with-a-ready-wisecrack persona narrating most of Used, a self-esteem in need of uplift. Yoder's bald spot features prominently on the back cover. His "good friends see right though" him, a musician aspiring to be a "One Hit Wonder."
The title track (and opener) reveals a man bruised "blue beneath the skin," held together by duct tape like his car, barely passing inspection year after year. But somehow -- he assures himself -- he will mend; we believe it, too, thanks to the light touch of Yoder's acoustic and the lovely harmonies. "When She Shines" exemplifies the emotional aesthetic: a peppy, sing-able chorus about unrequited love. Yoder's smoothness lends a comfort level to the proceedings, while threatening to confer a samey quality. He avoids that trap with more rhythm, smarts and adventure than your average singer/songwriter. The skillful rhymes work (house-trained / left-brained, mistaken for a king/ she wasn't listening); check out the chorus of "2nd Thoughts." The production fearlessly uses turntable, congas, horns, and wah-wah (Mike Gaydos' solo in "Stranger Selling Roses"). Yoder contributes jaunty guitar and organ (Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes). A clever lyricist, Yoder turns everything into a metaphor for losing. He's no "James Bond" but each "long(s) for just one day when nothing (blows) up in his face." Yoder tackles other subjects also, as in the political "Land of the Free." The packaging typifies the mindfulness behind the project. The ecological cardboard sleeve holds a facsimile of a Junior Walker forty-five and a beautiful insert with lyrics set among delightful photographs. Yoder wants us to believe he's a loser, but he's got me rooting for him, dancing, and singing along.
Brad Yoder's Website Buy it at Amazon.com
Steve Wildey, "Little Man" 809502-01, 2002
There's nothing quite like opening a letter from home. It reminds us of
what was best about those growing years,, and if we are far away, will
kindle a warmth like a winter's evening in front of the hearth. Steve
Wildey captures that warmth so well on the leading cut of his first CD,
the self-produced "Little Man". "Letter From Home" is a fingerstyle gem
with a beautiful flowing melody in the midst of a strong debut by Mr.
Wildey, a great way to begin a fine first offering. More than any other
song on the CD, "Letter From Home" reveals talent both in composition and
execution. He is able to effectively weave his melodies without losing
the listener, something which can't be said for a lot of "new acoustic
guitar" music on the scene. The recording at a few spots shows a
roughness not uncommon with early efforts, but I have to admit, I really
enjoy listening to it. Wildey shows off considerable chops in varied
form. "Yellow" reminds me of Alex DeGrassi's chordal changes, while
"Seasons of Life" shares some of Peppino D'Agostino's lyricism.
Multiple guitar parts work well together on the Latin-influenced "Girls
of Panama", and I thought for a minute I was on the beach with them.
"Love's A Twister", is a playful Travis-picking rollick, joined by the
hot, bluesy "Big Red Rolls", and the sweet title cut, "Little Man",
dedicated to his son, who at a tender age may not yet fully appreciate
his dad's fingers, but I'm sure he likes what he hears from these 11
songs. I know I did.
©
Fred Kraus
©Alan Fark
©
Bernard Richter
©Patrick Grant
©
Fred Kraus
Buy it here
©
David Kleiner
©
Kirk Albrecht
