Spring 2022 Short Takes Brief Reviews
Dagobert Böhm "Within a Dream" 2022
German fingerstyle guitarist/composer Dagobert Böhm presents a collection of gentle, contemplative (mostly) acoustic music. While the liner notes include details about the guitar tunings used on each song, the overall
sound is more about the compositions and the
ensemble: primarily the leader's guitars (and a bit of harmonica) accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Carsten Mentzel, who contributes keyboards, guitar, bass, percussion and drum programming. After the gentle opener
"The Sea" (which begins with acoustic guitar and piano before opening up a broader instrumental pallete) guest tenor saxophonist Carsten Mentzel makes his first appearance playing the plaintive melody of "Glyk." A
Fender Rhodes solo is first, followed by a mellow saxophone solo. "In A Meditative Mood" is played twice. The solo guitar version is first, presenting the basic material (and just the mood that is promised), while a
second version surrounds it with gentle percussion and electronic sounds. "Lone Station" is a surprising bit of tuneful Americana. It features Böhm's harmonica, along with Knut Hem's dobro, Ómar Guðjónsson's pedal
steel and drums, and saxophone. Lots of musical variety on this album, and some lovely guitar playing as well.
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Mark Sullivan
Luca Brunetti "Empty Pages" 2021
Italian guitarist, composer, and producer Luca Brunetti has enjoyed a long career producing acoustic, electronic, ambient, and lounge music for television programs and a variety of multimedia projects for
broadcasting companies around the globe. All sixteen tracks on Empty Pages are composed and produced by Brunetti. In addition to performing all guitar parts, he also plays bass, keyboards, and balalaika on several
tracks, aided by Carlo Bonazza, who provides the drum parts on both the opening and penultimate pieces. The album is bookended by two versions of "Down the Hill," with the first hinting at several grooves to come
complete with multi-tracked guitars, and the second version offering a remix that coordinately closes the program. The tracks in between present a wide variety of moods, styles, and textures that range from
atmospheric to world music to jazz-pop and, sustained by exquisitely beautiful playing throughout, benefit from multiple listens.
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David Pedrick
Rowland Jones "Live!" 2020
The "Live!" collection by blues-based singer/guitarist Rowland Jones feels more like a conversation than an actual concert. Oh, sure, the 11-track live collection sounds like a fairly typical performance by the
talented songwriter, who hails from Manchester in the United Kingdom. But Jones works in the space that minimizes the distance between performer and audience. His songs, and how he presents them, create a near-immediate
connection. As his lyrical stories of love, loneliness, longing, wry humor, and life observations unfold, we find ourselves responding in our collective minds as we would to a trusted pal. "Ah, yes, I've been through
something like that," or "oh, man, I feel that same ache," or "I have been thinking about that lately." Musically, Jones is a fine picker, and also shows an infectious and propulsive skill at strumming, giving his
economical and true lyrics a nice ride. His mellow voice reveals his wheelhouse with offerings such as "Blues Gonna Lose," "Am I Feeling' Blue," "Never Been to Memphis" and "True True Blues." Jones' tasty, jazzy
take on "Climbing Up Snakes" conjures a Mose Allison vibe, while his encore, "How It Is," leans more toward straight pop, as he philosophizes, "Don't know the future, can't change the past, that's how it is."
You'll find yourself wanting to order a few more rounds while spending a fine evening with Rowland Jones.
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Fred Kraus
James Basdanis "Cosmos n' Duniyas" 2022
The latest offering by guitarist James Basdanis is a melting of all kinds of Mediterranean influences from Greek to Arab. The title itself - Cosmos 'n' Duniyas - reveals this potpourri, since it is a mix of
English and Arabic words meaning "worlds." The 10 tracks show Basdanis has expressive ideas in the structured idiom of these musical forms, and his ensemble backs him with solid playing throughout. Basdanis
is no shredder, but gets inside the vibe of the music to the core and each song carries simple weight that reaches his listeners. A couple favorite tracks - "Blues Mediterrano" which slinks along in a well-seated
groove; and "Firtina", which is the longest cut on the record, drones in an almost hypnotic way with interplay between Basdanis' guitars and clarinet. Nice music for enjoying a sunny afternoon with no agenda and a
cool Ouzo.
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Kirk Albrecht
John Nelson "An Open Door" 2021
An Open Door, John Nelson's latest solo CD (and 5th album overall), is a sweet, meditative, soulful work. Its lullaby-like quality comes into sharper focus with the awareness that the album is dedicated to the
children at the Seattle's Children's Hospital and Medical Center, at whose bedsides he performs. Nelson is a composer and multi-instrumentalist with an array of musical lineages, from rock to jazz to folk; here
he includes the tamboura and harmonium to add texture and layers to the acoustic guitar - and even the occasional surprise of a flugelhorn ("Turquoise Sky"). Each of the eight pieces on offer has a unique voice
and range of colors, from the gentle ("Slumber"; "Winding River"); the moody "Indigo Moon," where his fleet fingerwork cascades like water rushing downriver over stones; and "Ambrosia," with playful experiments
in tempo. Perhaps loveliest are Latin-infused "Waltz of the Wind" and the deeply emotional "Invitation," in which Nelson displays gorgeous tone and resonance. On An Open Door Nelson creates a soothing atmosphere
that surely will bring joy and comfort to ailing children--as well as an immersive experience to any lover of acoustic guitar. (The album was made possible with an artist grant from 4 Culture in Seattle.)
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Céline Keating