booklet
digipack
REVIEW PAGE 11  FOR  CREATIVE GUITARISTS/ FINGERPICKERS :

Matt Baldwin, John Fairhurst, Robbie Basho, Jack Rose (2x), Clarck/Hutchinson, Ben Reynolds
James Green, David A Jaycock, Jeremy Kelly, Jeff Eden, V.A. : Wayfairing Strangers : Guitar Soli
American Dust   Matt Baldwin : Paths Of Ignition (US,2008)**°'

Matt Baldwin was introduced last year on the Berkeley Guitar compilation (Tompkins Square rec.) with two other guitarists, Sean Smith and Adam Snider (an album I haven’t checked yet). This is his solo debut. At least two of the five tracks are based upon composition from 70s “progressive” items. “Weissensee” is based upon a track from Krautrock experimental group Neu! and “Winter” comes from the early work of Judas Priest, from the time they were still a great, and until today still too unnoticed, and therefore underrated, hippie-progressive hard rock band with calmer tracks and instruments like piano (which was mixed out on certain reissues), with also thoughtful conceptual ideas.

Different to most guitarists, the compositions are not so much learned picking tunes, or linear explorations, but are more based upon slowly played mood waves with improvisations on top, eventually with some other sections added in a random number, as if some ideas of variations are added as collages, perhaps even as having come up with them on different times or occasions, and then afterwards having compiled them together. Especially “Rainbow” builds up this way, a bit like a suite (one source said it has hints to Yes). Everywhere the music is played in a really relaxed way, like calm walks. On “Winter” it is as if the picking is like walking a few steps, then halting a while, repeatedly until another, electric guitar, and singing comes in (I wish it was without singing, because it is an interesting different version to Priest, instrumentally, but not vocally). Somehow the compositional ideas, as structures of each track, are comparable to one another. “Weissensee” only slowly comes to a composition, as if he’s droning its strings to a meditative chord exploration before any pickings make more of the composition, until other layers and patterns are added or followed (using the harmonic and emotionally lingering capacities of electric and acoustic guitar ideas). More of the compositions have repetition, slowly walking moods, just a few parts with more melodic pickings, and new layers of electric guitar on top. “Rainbow” features also a small part with tambura.

Audio : "Winter",  "Weissensee", "Jealous Woman" ;
Download : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=89338
Other reviews : http://www.dotshop.se/ds/release.php?code=DAD105CD
& http://naturalismo.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/matt-baldwin/
Label info : http://www.americandust.net/mattbaldwin.html
Description of distributor on http://www.roughtrade.com/...
























go back to review page 1
or go back to review page 2
or to review page 3 or to review page 4 or to review page 5
or to review page 6 or to review page 7 or to review page 8
or review page 9 or to review page 10
or to review page 11

or go to other Raga guitarists
(like Robbie Basho & Steffen Basho Junghans)
or go back to general index
or to the Acid Folk related index

a few fine Persian guitarists are reviewed at the Persian review page
a few folk guitarists are reviewed at the singer-songwriter pages
(PS. another fine Slovenian guitar duo is Tandruj)

Anyone know other interesting & inspired guitar related releases ?
Please E-mail me
Humble Soul  John Fairhurst : Joys Of Spring (UK,2008)***°

While a fair part of John Fairhurst compositions and improvisations are more deeply rooted in American blues and slide guitar blues, for a large part of the album this dominates other ideas. Besides he can also not hide his British nature which makes a few compositions more melodically delicate. Another early influence was the appearance of sarod master K.Sridhar who stayed at his parent’s home, making his interests open to Indian classical music. When he himself went to South East Asia however, he played slide guitar in a Bankok blues bar.

A blues dominating track is the opener, “Obnox Stomp”, a picking blues track, with a wilder stomping slide part with hand percussion, washboard and mouth harmonica moving forwards like a train. “Yew Tree Blues” is a blues steel string improvisation, with a not too loudly recorded noisy outdoor public in the background, capturing an older simple blues spirit with it, not as something special, but as fine honest playing on a podium, or in the shade, a practice in this spirit, that in the long-term could turn into more ideas, but now keeps its place as a context on this album, as if the whole album wants to show a more complete picture as a collection of John Fairhurst backgrounds, ideas and evolutions. Also “Blues For Bill”’s guitar piece is referring to the real, raw and simple old blues, means nothing new, keeps it simple but still is effective.
Than we have two compositions with a more British melodic approach. “Passing Time” for instance clearly shows this post-Renaissance British tradition, while still flickering with a blues touch in the back of the mind, has an extra layer of harp with a Celtic flavour by Nancy Elisabeth. Also “At the River” is a more descriptive and thoughtful melodic composition. Also “Friends” is a more melodic tune, played by 2 acoustic guitars.
Different again is “Shivver”, a more experimental track exaggerating with slides, droning and vibrating heavily, with some loose stoned djembe in the background. For this approach I could refer to this remark of his on the label’s website : “only more recently I also like to plug my guitar into big loud amplifiers and make as much noise as I can.” This droning tuning seemed to have been the sonic drone introduction for the next track, “On The Run” which is an improvisation that is also based upon blues but with a more improvised stoned vibe to it, and some mouth harmonica too. This might have hints of the approach of Captain Beefheart’s “Mirror Man” which went weird with blues in a comparable way but it might also have been the interest in eastern approaches that got him into this more…
What really shows the interest in eastern music and a sarod influence, for the first time more clearly on the album, is “How Far How Fast”. Even when this is pretty raga-styled, bluegrass/slide blues will have had its share of influence. It is well played and has an original approach. The last two tracks are mood excursions holding a blend between earlier approaches. On “Dawn” we hear a cracking fire in the background ; the instrumental is like a mood serenade. “Joys of Spring” features birds in the background,  is a raga-esque improvisation, with a heavier percussive part.

Audio : "Obnox Stomp", "Passing Time", "Shivver", "Joys Of Spring"
& on http://www.humblesoul.net/... & on http://www.juno.co.uk/...
Audio and info : http://www.myspace.com/johnfairhurst
Homepage : http://www.johnfairhurst.co.uk/
Review with audio : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=86621
Label info on http://www.humblesoul.net/...
& http://www.humblesoul.net/catalogue.html#john
Article : http://www.metro.co.uk/blogs/...
Other reviews : http://www.music-dash.co.uk/releases/release.asp?item=5202
http://subba-cultcha.spyre-media.com/article_album.php?id=7072 &
http://beardedmagazine.co.uk/wp/?p=109
& http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2008/03/27/270308_joys_of_spring_feature.shtml
Bo'Weavil Rec.   Robbie Basho : Bonn Ist Supreme (US,rec.1980,pub.2008)****°

When people think of solo guitar Fahey and Kottke are always the first which comes to mind, but when you want to go much deeper into the essence and deep waters of guitar playing you need to come across Robbie Basho. If you listen to his first 1965 recording it is already clear how he was ahead its time, because it simply sounds too far away from the usual pop and style-bound standards to be comprehensible or immediately reachable to most. In the midst of cowboys, also the appearance of Buddha would be so far out, they would prefer him to be wiped out of their vision, when personally not somewhat matured and spiritually aware that makes them ready to change and adapt something of a different level. I also noticed that people also still hardly understand his later works, and can barely understand his way of singing. Glenn Jones was one of the few who had met, recognised and shared ideas with Robbie, and made a few copies of his private recordings. It is a sad thing to read in the liner notes is that most of his unreleased recordings were given to the Meher Baba centre (Robbie was devoted to Meher Baba in his life), where they made no attempt to do anything with this or even communicate about it with the “outside world”. Glenn Jones luckily still had these second run copies otherwise we would have been left with nothing else. This particular live recording was chosen to present Robbie in full grace. I think it will make his person and full-range approach within reach of the audience. Glenn’s copy is the only remaining copy known within reach. Also the cultural centre in Bonn seems to have thrown the original tapes away, so this is the best we could get. The album was mastered by Matthew Azevedo, and he still managed to make it sound worth hearing.

The CD release features liner introductions by Steffen Basho-Junghans, the German guitarist who stepped into the footsteps of Robbie Basho and recognised him as his master teacher and inspiration, to take his own next steps, with personal interpretations of his muse, and new explorations. Other notes are by Richard Osborn, and lastly there’s a 7 page introduction by producer Glenn Jones.

What the notes also say is that in his later life Robbie separated his set in what he called an ‘Americana’ and a ‘new classical’ set. Also on this recording we hear how he starts with recognisable standards, taken immediately to quick and skilful short tracks of interpretations, like the short and quickly played bluesfolk picking tune, “Redwood Ramble”, with its own grace, followed by “Fandango”, referring to Mexico as he says, also played with rambling fastness, and a short section of singing. “Variations on ‘Easter’” he says is one out of 35 different tunings of it. Then he plays his first raga, that should provoke the feelings of ‘mountain’. When he sings here in a deep lunged way, for me it is as if he’s singing like a native Indian spirit. Through this he makes connections with the land and the spirit of the land, a new wider and deeper scope on what he personally perhaps associates with being ‘Americana’. Very charming is that Robbie attempts to speak and introduce the titles into German, at times I could not understand. Often he gives the feeling he does not come from the US, but is some Indian master. The raga contains not just fast playing, but also surprisingly, slow resonating odd chords, which stretch the balance towards a slight disharmony and then comes back to a different harmony. After a few personal creative miniatures, by the last few raga’s he has already completely changed the orientation of the listener, and prepared thel for a different level of experience. (calling the last track “California Raga” might have confused some of these listeners in that way). These tracks are majestetically played and with grandeur, losing the idea that someone actually is playing, reaching other worlds with its chords, and that’s what his intention might be, picking out consciously certain chords which he personally associates with certain spiritual effects. From “Cathedrals and Fleur de Lis” I still have to add he used here unusual, resonating and almost hammering chords before another section with quick pickings, with a raga-like effect. On the last, already mentioned bis-track, “California Raga”, he sings once in a full breasted fashion. Here on this live recording I must say I cannot understand that people still don’t feel the intentions behind this voice. For me, this proves him surely right, making this new album a perfect starter to understand Robbie Basho well/better.

Audio : "Redwood Ramble","(Variations on) ‘Easter’","The Grail and the Lotus" & 3 tracks on boomkat
Label entry : http://www.boweavilrecordings.com/weavil_29.html
Description : http://www.cargorecords.co.uk/release/5231
Other review : http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4206
Early page I made for Robbie Basho & Steffen Basho-Junghans on http://www.psychefolk.com/basho.html
3 Lobed Rec. Jack Rose : I Do Play Rock and Roll (US,rec.2004-2006,pub.2008)**°°
Tequilla Sunrise Rec. Jack Rose : Dr.Ragtime and his palls + Self-titled (US,2008)***
-featuring Glenn Jones, Micah Blue Smaldone, Mike Gangloff, Sean Bowles & Harmonica Dan -

Jack Rose has published his first live only album, which contained just three tracks : one transparent raga improvisation, a comparable composition, and one very different, droning "experiment". Also published around the same time is this more ragtime inspirational album. Because of this timing of publication of these concepts, it gives the idea that Jack Rose keeps all these areas relatively separate as almost traditions of entities, and this while most guitarists tend to blend as much as possible all their different ideas into one artistic and personal vision. This gives the idea that compared to all the great new fronting guitarists, Jack Rose as a guitarist who was first known for his group project with an interest in droning sounds, but outside this experimental blurring approach, as a solo guitarist he shows himself more as a clear minded improvisational and creative style respecter. Whether he performs ragas or ragtime-blues, he plays them with ease without constructing new collages of ideas, direct, effective and with enjoyable energy.

The last few months Jack Rose hardly had time for contemplating constructions, so that’s how his performance drives to directness and the pleasure of playing. In such dedicated time what could give better results than to exploit this enjoyment to a full spin, as a sharing of this energy with some other likeminded artists ? The front cover of “Dr.Ragtime and his pals” refers to old times, a space, time and great outdoor village place shared friends, a distinction place and choice that it will be like a good old ragtime time…

The first album of this double album is just Jack Rose solo on guitar, on ragtime bluesy slide guitar. How his picking and slide guitar technique is combined into one technique I can’t decipher well, but it surely sounds attractive. It goes from slow blues to fast ragtime and back in style. The 6th track is an Indian raga. (here I hear a strange resonating sound to the resonating chamber wood during the playing working as an extra special effect at some point). The slide techniques come like sudden additions to the pickings.

The second album refers best to the front cover photograph gathering. Second guitar is provided by Glen Jones (1,9) and Micah Blue Smaldone (4,8), banjo by Mike Gangloff (2,5,10,12), washboard by Sean Bowles (2,5,10,12), harmonica by Harmonica Dan (11). It revives a spontaneous essence of that old time feeling, which inhabits a happy enjoyment, plus it’s spontaneous choice of playing which gives a new energy to this field.

Video on http://www.youtube.com/...
Homepage : http://www.vhfrecords.com/jackrose/ & http://www.myspace.com/jackrosekensington
Label info on "I do play.." : http://www.threelobed.com/tlr/tlr049.html
Label info on "Dr.Ragtime..." : http://tequilasunriserecords.com/_wsn/page5.html
& http://tequilasunriserecordshop.blogspot.com/2008/04/out-now-jack-rose-dr-ragtime-and-his.html
& http://www.myspace.com/tequilasunriserecords
Review of "Dr.Ragtime.." with audio : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=80263
with other reviews : http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4244
& http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/2xjw/
& http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2008/04/03/jack-rose-dr-ragtime-pals-self-titled/
& http://heavenlyhouseboatblues.blogspot.com/...
Disccography : http://www.mille-feuille.fr/Modules/Artistes/Fiche/?a_id=145

Previous reviews of other Jack Rose releases on http://psychedelicfolk.com/guitar3.html & http://psychedelicfolk.com/guitar4.html & http://psychedelicfolk.com/guitar6.html
Sunbeam Rec. Clark-Hutchinson : A=MH² ...expanded (US,1969,re.2008)***°°+*°

electric guitar driven concept with one Indian Scale improvisation
is reviewed on http://progressive.homestead.com/psych3.html
Strange Attractors    Ben Reynolds : Two Wings (UK,rec.2007,pub.2008)***°'

After a cdr release on digitalis some years ago, I thought Ben Reynolds was going to head for a similar future compared to James Blackshaw, but it seemed he focused a few years on his drone interests, less on his guitar talent, but this release is a new start that must show his talent as a guitarist better, in a semi-improvised fashion of fingerpicking, that must prove his own right in the ranks of all the great guitarists that write a second chapter of post-Takoma inspirations, with Robbie Basho as the main hero of that second generation. The first track, “holy spirit” starts as an improvisation that as an inspiration sounds between an open key blues guitar and something comparable to an Indian santur/sitar way of playing, with much bass tones, with a slightly pushed resonating effect of the bass strings, before the higher toned strings take care of the picked/strummed pickings with raga-esque flavour, and a beautiful melody unfolds. It does not lead to a real conclusion, but leads into “gravity never wins” which first seemed to continue the Indian raga flavour, but is in fact a more Middle Eastern inspiration, as if played on saz or oud, but then improvised on acoustic guitar. The third track is different because of an intro on distorting bowed string before a fingering picked improvisation melody is explored. “Ewige Weisheit” is a moody picking track, with a sparse use of reverb further on, becoming fluently very fast with its pickings. And also the last track is another perfectly played picking excursion, with a few different moody sections.

Audio on http://www.juno.co.uk/ & http://digital.othermusic.com/
Homepage : http://www.benreynolds.net/
Label info : http://www.strange-attractors.com/catalog/saah054.html
Live review : http://rottenmeats.blogspot.com/2007/11/ben-reynolds-ice-bird-spiral-and.html
Description on http://www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/...
Other reviews : -

Previous release (2005) is reviewed on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview8.html
Early Winter Rec. James Green : Tempers (UK,2004)***'

The first silk hand printed limited edition release (edition of 200) of this label I assume is done by the label owner/guitarist himself. It is a collection of 14 acoustic guitar pieces overdubbed with a second guitar. Most pieces are ultra short, or less than 2 minutes, and hardly give time to grab the arrangement and mood well so that they seem to disappear as quickly as they came, while turning and dissolving its left over attention with it into the next track. Most pieces are rather classical (guitar) in nature, which is once in a while even a bit baroque, sometimes with a small Spanish flavour, or a few times are more contemporary with use of a few dis-tonal harmonies. Almost every piece builds up moodily, with melodic pickings, with equal attention to certain space intervals. The second guitar most often picks around the first guitar with some improvisation, or picks together with some harmonic layer, most often with a slightly different timing, while still respecting the same space intervals. The album is very enjoyable, but because of the shortness of the compositions, without concluding ever, it attracts as much as it distracts the mind, losing the grip over a compositional structure into time and space, making the experience more fluid as a now-experience, than if the core improvisations had followed also a larger structural building up of compositional ideas.

Audio on http://www.myspace.com/jamesgreenmusic
& on http://www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/Experience-New_wyrd_01.htm
Label info : http://www.earlywinterrecordings.co.uk/ewr1.htm
Reviews with audio : https://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=23142
& http://www.wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk/Folk_Community/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=499
Other reviews : http://www.earlywinterrecordings.co.uk/ewr1reviews.htm
Digitalis Industries Jeremy Kelly (UK,2007)**'

Often when I hear drones, mixed with other inspirations, I am suspicious if there is not some kind of camouflage involved to hide a lack of structural inspiration or ability in technique. In this case, Jeremy Kelly’s guitar style is vague, jangling, and the ideas are blurry and jammed, and also the drones are not building up with overtone harmonic communicative inspirations, but blur the moments. Between the arranged drone and feedbacks jam injected moments, we hear rawly achieved semi-Indian open tuned pickings (to nowhere really). Whenever percussion is involved, it is also clear that Jeremy isn’t the best drummer in understanding deeper abilities with rhythms. On the opener, the drums follow the strums a bit too precisely. Also on the last track, the percussion is simple and the effects of tensions are all produced by cymbals, but luckily without missing the right effect. So, for me, the most effective track might also be the last one, a heavier track in building up tensions, an electric jam, with an afflicted hazy effect, droning the mind.

The front cover association also seems to be a bit meaningless as a context. It seems to me that Jeremy Kelly with this release wrestles himself into the scene of new improvisational guitarists who embrace Middle-Eastern/Indian jam-alike ideas, without preparing properly with playing techniques and compositional theory to do this well enough to distinguish himself in this way. As a drone based effects artist however the music still is rather enjoyable. 

Audio : "rising dawn", "august bootfire"
Info on artist : http://www.answers.com/topic/jeremy-kelly?cat=entertainment
Info : http://www.digitalisindustries.com/digi046.html
About the Wild Swans : http://www.thewildswans.co.uk/
& http://www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk/chat/chat.asp?id=1392
& http://www.renascent.co.uk/pageswswans/wswans2.html
& Lotus Eaters : http://www.allmusic.com/...
cover
Numero V.A. : Wayfairing Strangers : Guitar Soli (US,rec.1961-1981,pub.2008)****'

A well fitting together compilation of pleasant to listen to melodic fingerpicking guitar tracks with a John Fahey and often American primitive (steel) guitar interest, rare tracks found and compiled from LP’s and from one unreleased tape recording (only a few of the featured albums were reissued in limited editions in Japan, two albums I reviewed before, like The Tree People & William Eaton). The digipack with fold-over features a 40 pages booklet with introduction, LP covers and background descriptions of the albums/guitarists. An essential guitar compilation.

Audio on http://digital.othermusic.com/...  &  http://www.soulseduction.com/...
& http://www.soundsoftheuniverse.com/...
Label info with audio : http://www.numerogroup.com/catalog_detail.php?uid=00329
Other reviews : http://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/various/wayfaring-strangers-guitar-soli
& http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/48361-wayfaring-strangers-guitar-soli
& http://www.stopsmilingonline.com/story_detail.php?id=969
& (with audio track) http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4049
& (with 2 audio tracks) http://www.soundfixrecords.com/products/v-a-wayfaring-strangers-guitar-soli
& (with 3 audio tracks) http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=73147
& http://www.jambase.com/Articles/13413/Wayfaring-Strangers-Guitar-Soli
& http://www.75orless.com/?/archive/2008/04/various_artists_18.php
& http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=8xrjjy58zz
& http://www.rykodistribution.com/artist_title.php?artist_id=132&media_id=24295
1. Early Winter Rec. David A Jaycock : The improvised killing of uncle Faustus
and other mythologies (UK,2006)***°

Like on the other Early Winter recording I have heard before (from James Green, with review up), also David A Jaycock’s compositions, or let’s say arranged improvisations, very often come and disappear without leaving a trace, like an inspirational dawn that disappears as soon as it could trace conscious perception. There are moody intros, without a compositionally constructive second or third concluding part, something with which the listener could memorize and give order in his mind with structure to the inspirations. Different from James Green, David A Jaycock has built up more layers of arrangements, with piano, analogue keyboard, harmonium-alike drones/keyboards or harmonica, or some vocals, which are either equally in character more often arranged with volatile, swift brushes, that almost disappear before they catch attention fully for what or where they are, or that are definitely arranged, in thought, like the extra in range non existing strings on the guitar with different tones, or giving extra enriching melody, filmic and moody. Often the pickings are emotionally gifted tunes, rather romantic or semi-baroque, or classical (or slightly semi-Spanish but more classical) in nature.

I have read that David is also part of the Family Players project, of the free-improvising / experimental The Broken Blackbird Ensemble and of psych-rock group Bingo Jesus.

Audio : "Tremolo Study"
Audio & info on http://www.myspace.com/davidajaycockmusic
Label info : http://www.earlywinterrecordings.co.uk/ewr4.htm
Description on http://bigeyes.theshumskyfunclub.co.uk/bigeyes/otherprojects.asp
& http://www.normanrecords.com/records/87360
Other reviews : http://www.losingtoday.com/reviews.php?review_id=3499&band_alpha=d
(with audio) : http://www.wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk/...


2. Red Deer ClubDavid A Jaycock : The Coleopterous Cuckoos Collude (UK,2007)****

On this well hung together album David developed moody pieces with harmonic arrangements led by (two) acoustic guitar(s) (or guitar with banjo), arranged, surrounded and mixed with warm harmonic progressions, by instruments like harmonica mostly, with a few sparse echoes of cymbal percussion, a bit of electronica, cello or double bass, glockenspiel, and glockenspiel-alike keyboards and electrified guitar. There are a few harmony vocal song parts too (where harmonica leads here once as well). A nice improvement to the already very promising previous album.

400 numbered copies.

Audio & info on http://www.myspace.com/davidajaycockmusic
Other review : http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=7062
& http://www.music-dash.co.uk/releases/release.asp?item=5154
& http://www.highvoltage.org.uk/displaydemoreview.asp?num=3492&band=2169
& with (audio) on http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/...
Label : http://www.myspace.com/reddeerclub
private Jeff Eden : Night and Day Songs for Solo Guitar -cdr- (US,2008)****

I pretty much liked this nearly-demo album of this unfortunately still rather unknown guitarist, with a beautiful, moody and melodic, clear and dew-fresh expressions, with an almost song-approach on his guitar while picking. For instance, I very much wanted to hum along with the “Evening song”. Especially the bass tones (on the first tracks) give some of these (mentioned as Songs) melodies body, as if with vocal bass tones. “Moon Song” is more ethereal (slightly echoed). “In the dark” is a rhythmical melody that could easily evolve, as a core, into a song, or that’s how it inspires me again to add my own vocal fantasies while listening, out of enjoyment and enthusiasm. I can also sense the slight feeling of disappointment transformed into beauty through inner strength on “Bad Luck”, again, just like a song without words. “Night Winds” includes some slide effects and drives passionately, just like the winds. Also “First Light” uses slide effects as melancholic touches to this, what appears to me as an evening mood song (or is it more like a shadowy morning?), while “Across the lake” sounds like a tune describing a moody staring at a lake. A promising talent.

Homepage with audio : http://www.myspace.com/jeffericeden