November/December 1999
Sandy Prager, "Seattle Joe's," 1999
The comparisons to Ralph Towner's music are inevitable
and obvious... I consider that a good thing. On "Seattle
Joe's", Sandy Prager does not merely imitate Towner,
he asserts his own voice and compositional skill
in a manner that honors the influence of the famed writer
and guitarist for Oregon. In his choice of
the nylon and 12-string guitars, his penchant for the
solo format, but also in his phrasing and chord resolutions
he has successfully crafted a Towneresque style that not only stands alone
but breathes an infectious passion. Although on cuts such as
"The Eggman" and "Dinner at Eight" he exhibits virtuosity
in playing jazz, his more simple solo compositions such as
"Shine Every Day", "Moroccan Sundance", "Cat and Mouse"
and "Six More" reveal a restrained intensity which lingers
with the listener. Percussionist Jerry Leake and bassist
John Lockwood complement Prager on the five trio tracks,
including some very nice tabla by Leake on "The Chase".
Very highly recommended.
Gilbert Isbin and Geert Verbeke, "Twins," 1999
Sparse and meditative, "Twins" features Belgian artists Gilbert Isbin on classical guitar and Geert Verbeeke on a variety of percussion instruments, some novel and ethnic. The
liner notes describe the collaborative style as "expressive ambient, meditative lines and world music." As promised, some of the tracks are forays into not only ambient, but
experimental territory. "Saskia Maya", "Secrets", "Threat" and "Loop" are formless and sometimes dysphoric ventures into soundscapes that have neither meter nor melody. Though
some listeners are bound to dismiss these cuts as noodling around, it is an innovative and bold concept to experiment with ambient music in such a sparse instrumental context, sans
electronics. Other songs are simplistic but contemplative such as "Royal Tune", "Open Day", "Apple" and "Child". These songs succeed not by any flourish of songwriting or technique
but by simply evoking a mood.
Fareed Haque, "Sacred Addiction," 1994
Even though Fareed Haque's "Sacred Addiction" was released in 1994 and not his most recent CD release, I only recently had the good fortune to stumble upon it. The Northern Illinois
University music professor feels equally at home with classical and jazz guitar, but his playing often also has a modal feel to it which gives it a Middle Eastern flavor. On this
recording, Fareed is joined by Patrice Rushen and Buzzy Feiten, Feiten's electric guitar deftly but subliminally present behind Fareed's lightning-fast nylon string explosions. The
high point on "Sacred Addiction" is Fareed's rendition of the Chick Corea piece "No Mystery". I never before imagined this as a guitar piece because of its complexity. Fareed plays it
not only flawlessly from a technical standpoint, but has arranged and performed it with the same sensitivity as Chick Corea and Gary Burton have done. Doug Webb's soprano saxophone
doubling Fareed's melodies and dancing around hanging chords give "Raga" a feel of latter-day Oregon. Spanish and Flamenco influences are apparent in "Too Much to Tell", a beautiful hybrid
of styles all of Fareed's own. Indeed, Fareed Haque's strength lies in his considerable ability to hybridize classical, flamenco, jazz and ethnic musics into his own unique voice, and to
do it with incredible virtuosity and sensitivilty.
Richard Leo Johnson, "Fingertip Ship," 1999
I was priveleged to see one of Michael Hedges last performances in Fish Creek Wisconsin in 1998, and was convinced that no one would ever fill the empty musical niche left by
his death. Richard Leo Johnson comes close on "Fingertip Ship". Though Hedges has permanently laid claim in musical history to this percussive, harmonic and open-string genre, Johnson has
refined it and injected it with a newness reminiscent of "Breakfast in the Field". Even more remarkable is the fact that Johnson is first a graphic artist, and second a musician. But if the
13 solo guitar tracks on "Fingertip Ship" represent a mere hobbyist's pastime, I've got to see his visual art. "Glidepath" opens this CD with a soaring, percussive celebration of sound
which morphs and meanders through fields of pure joy. Other tracks have a more pensive feel, such as "Mother's Day", "Tony Bennett" and "Jaco Morocco" though always remaining percussive. In
fact, some of the cuts could be etudes for percussive guitar technique: "Get Funked", "Cicada" and "The Filing Song" are complex rhythmic tone poems without any appreciable melody. Somehow,
even melody might be superfluous in Johnson's hands.
Miroslav Tadic, "Window Mirror," 1995
The first time I heard Miroslav Tadic was with Bracha, a trio of talented European musicians who play an incredible ethnic brand of instrumental and modal music which include bansuri
flute and percussion. I was an immediate fan, though Tadic's playing is subdued on the Bracha recording. On "Window Mirror" he adopts a solo guitar format and so is able to showcase his talents more
openly. The 17 total tracks were recorded with one pair of microphones in the idyllic setting of Matsumoto in the Japan Alps, the tracks divided into two general sections. "Laments, Dances and Lullabyes"
are seven tracks written by Tadic and are based on folk music of Eastern Europe. Seven other tracks comprise Bach's Suite in A Minor. Tadic's classical influences pervade the ""Laments", many of which
carry an air of bittersweet melancholy ("Doina", "The Traveler", "Makedonsko Devojce", "Andya's Blues"). Other tracks are lively but hypnotic dances which evoke a scene of swirling skirts
and kicking heels ("Rustemul", "Kriva Reka", "Walk Dance"). Hopefully, his somewhat disappointing excursions into electric guitar, as on "The Snake Music", won't detract listeners from someday
granting him a renown which is commensurate with his talent. Few guitarists have the ability to speak emotion in depth with a solo instrument; Tadic is one of those.
©
A.F.
Buy it at Amazon.com
©
A.F.
Buy it at Parsifal
©
A.F.
Buy it at Amazon.com
©
A.F.
Buy it at Amazon.com
©
A.F.
Buy it at Amazon.com