Summer 2023 Short Takes Brief Reviews
Michael Jerome Browne "Gettin' Together" 2023
The magical quality of the blues celebrates the triumph of the human spirit in the face of oppressive adversity. In a heartfelt homage, singer/songwriter and remarkable fingerstyle guitarist Michael Jerome
Browne revives a dozen classic blues numbers and adds a couple of originals in his Gettin' Together. Browne conveys the joy and passion of these indomitable tunes with his scratchy vocals and sure-handed
playing. He's an avowed student and performer of the genre, garnering numerous awards along the way, including being the three-time Canadian Folk Music Award recipient. He covers two tracks each by Mississippi
John Hurt and by Booker White as well as songs from J.B. Hutto and Brownie McGhee, plus golden nuggets mined from the vintage blues catalog. He enlists a treasure trove of guitars and banjos, including a
Muse custom-made six-string banjo once owned by the Rev. Gary Davis. Browne includes liner notes for each song, and, if you want to play along, he provides guitar tunings, keys and capo placements. Other
performers who share his passion join in from time to time, including John Sebastian on harmonica, Mary Flowers on lap slide guitar, Eric Bibb on nine-string guitar, Happy Traum on guitar and Teilhard Frost
on Fiddle. Browne thoughtfully gives a sincere nod to the original composers: "This music was originally created by African-Americans in the United States. It was born out of tremendous hardship. I do not
own it; I am merely borrowing it, and I try to stay true to its origins … If you like what you hear here, please seek out the original artists." Amen, brother
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Fred Kraus
André Klenes & Adrien Brogna "Twilight" 2023
Twilight is the second release by Luz Da Luna, a duo featuring Belgium musicians Andre Klenes and Adrien Brogna. This short but alluring collection contains inspired compositions and virtuosic performances.
The album begins with the introspective title track, showcasing Klenes commanding upright bass flanked by Brogna's subtle and delicate nylon string acoustic. Throughout the recording the two are joined Stephen
Pougin on percussion and Antoine Dawans on trumpet and flugelhorn, providing noteworthy performances. "Riffing on Spring" and "Tarantella" are joyous musical sojourns featuring lively chord changes and
intricate musical excursions. The album culminates with a latin inspired reading of Keith Jarrett's "Lucky Southerner." Adrien Brogna is a consummate guitarist echoing the late Charlie Byrd and Baden Powell
in his masterful playing. "Twilight" is an impressive sophomore release by a talented duo and is highly recommended for fans of world music and acoustic jazz.
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James Scott
Keith Calmes "Lullaby With Stars" 2023
Keith Calmes earns the listener's attention in a wide variety of styles. His enviable performance credits include a Carnegie Hall recital debut, and his educational credentials are thoroughly impressive: degrees in
Classical Guitar Performance from California State University Northridge, The Juilliard School, and the University of Southern California. He also studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and Musica en
Compostela in Spain, studying additionally with Leo Brouwer, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Eliot Fisk, and Oscar Ghiglia. On his latest release, the seven-track EP Lullaby with Stars, we hear the fruits of the aforementioned
studies, labors, and lessons in both admirable technique and musicianship. What shines the brightest on this recording, though, are the melodies. Each track is delightfully singable and, as the journey through the
program progresses, the seeming simplicity of Calmes' skillful use of melody slowly but surely reveals the fact that this material was crafted by an understated virtuoso.
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David Pedrick
Bill Perry "Guitar Lockdown" 2023
Solid Air Records has long been producing top-notch guitar music. They have done it again in the new release from Bill Perry, Guitar Lockdown. Perry plays steel string, nylon, slide, and electric guitars, as
well as piano on several tunes. He is joined by the band Area 51 "Men in Black" on many tunes. "Slip n' Slide" showcases some wailing slide guitar. "Area 51" begins with a latin-based steel string riff, then
morphs with some heavy electric (reminds me of some Al DiMeola) while the steel string continues with its own melodic form. "Guitar Journeys" gives several layers for guitar without other accompaniment. On
"Storm" the song begins with the sound of rain, but drives along with increasing intensity, with a howling electric imaging the dark, ominous clouds. The longest tune is "The Climb," where Perry uses twining
steel string acoustics and some slide to paint a lovely melody. His rhythm style is percussive under the main melody line on most of the songs. There's a lot of interesting - and good - guitar work on Perry's
Guitar Lockdown. Check it out!
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Kirk Albrecht
Ben Cornel "Big Blue" 2023
On the cover of Canadian guitarist Ben Cornel's solo debut EP a person is shown from the back surrounded by water, and that sensation flows through all the pieces on Big Blue. Together the six compositions form
an immersive journey, one that Cornel writes "represents a swim through the collective subconscious." There are hints of Cornel's background with "heavy psychedelic" group MOOCH, but here his style draws mostly
from the pantheon of fingerpicked acoustic guitarists he references as influences, most noticeably Toumani Diabate and John Fahey. His compositions are both precise and yet ambient, the music evocative and arresting.
"Primordial," a standout and the longest piece at just over 6 minutes, opens with an ominous series of chords that shift into a fingerpicked melody layered with overwashes of showering notes. Jagged, hard-edged sounds
build urgency before slowing into a shimmer like overlapping waves of water. "Adrift" evokes the feeling of floating on a gentle swell, with tinkling notes like drops of sunlight, while "The Crossover" conveys
a sense of danger with a rumbling arpeggio punctuated with a repeating jangly chord. Exquisite "Put to Sleep by the Smoke" opens with a flamenco-like flourish and perhaps best showcases Cornel's sensitive touch
and tone, the piece and playing reminiscent of Paco de Lucia. The final piece, "Ripples" opens with repeating reverberating distorted notes that echo the way ripples in the water move out from the center. It
shifts in tone to end on a very ambiguous note. With such arresting compositions, gleaming playing, and impressive technique, Cornel is clearly an up-and-coming guitarist to watch.
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Céline Keating