I can’t stop listening to Down the Deep Well by Hardin Burns. It simmers, it sizzles, it dives deep under the skin as only the best music does. Hardin Burns finds the sweet spot where folk, country, rockabilly, jazz, and Latin stylings meet. Jeannie Burn’s expressive vocals recall the throb of Dusty Springfield and the grit of Lucinda Williams; Hardin plays with the virtuosity of Eric Clapton and the ease and sensibility of JJ Cale—just listen to “Ache,” “Wave of Your Hand,” and “Gentle Rain.” Together, these two powerhouses create original songs so rich with arresting harmonies, lyrics, and arrangements they’re destined to be classics. Warning: One listen, and you’ll be hooked.
Tom Russell, “Love and Fear”
On “Old Heart”, Texas singer-songwriter Tom Russell exhorts himself to “get out of bed”. But however weary of life his persona may be, one thing is certain from his 13th release: Russell the artist is as strong as ever. He’s mastered the skill of spinning mundane details into universal gold, and his melodies deliver a knockout punch. The all-original songs on Love and Fear grapple with despair, hope, and “all you little devils of alcohol and caffeine” (from “The Pugilist is 59). Searing electric lead guitar (by Andrew Hardin) gives the rootsy sound a raw edge, while Gretchen Peters (vocals), Gurf Murlix (bass and slide guitar), Fats Kaplan (steel guitar), Barry Walsh (keyboards), and Rick Richards (drums), among others, contribute to the vibrant and nicely blended textures. Russell uses his deep baritone to chilling effect, taking it down to a ghostly whisper on “Beautiful Trouble” and dramatically intoning spoken lyrics against the rousing rockabilly beat of “Four-Chambered Heart”. Throughout, Hardin is Russell’s ace in the hole; his acoustic picking shades the haunting beauty of the ballads (particularly “K.C. Violin”) with mediative, jazz-influenced lines and single notes that ring with bell-like clarity, underscoring the bittersweet wisdom that Russell imparts on one of his finest CDs to date.
(High Tone, http://www.hightone.com)
Acoustic Guitar, July 2006
I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey
Various Artists
Vanguard
The late John Fahey, father of “American primitive guitar”, incorporated elements of blues, Native American sounds, Indian ragas, and other rootsy music sounds into his playing, influencing not only a generation of fingerpickers but countless players from other genres as well. His special legacy is reflected in these 13 interpretations of his instrumental by artists from across the musical spectrum, including such unlikely candidates as Calexico and the electric collaborative Immerglück, Kaphan, Krummenacher & Hanes. Peter Case’s version of “When the Catfish Is in Bloom” is probably the most Fahey-like of the tunes here, though Devendra Banhart, while wandering further afield on “Sligo River”, still captures the original’s brooding vibe. Elsewhere, Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo uses street sounds to evoke late-period Fahey on “The Singing Bridge of Memphis, Brooklyn Bridge Version: The Coelcanth”. The differences in these artists matters less than what unites them: a willingness to experiment that Fahey, as much as anyone would have approved of.
Guitar World Acoustic
Various Artists, “Tone Poets”
What a concept! For the last extension of his Tone Poems project, DAvid Grisman conjured the idea of taking a 1933 OM-45, one of the most sought-after Martin guitars, and a 1922 Gibson Loar F-5, one of the most imitated mandolin designs in the world, and exploring how the same instrument sounds in different hands. On one disc of solos and another of duets, 42 acoustic masters—including Sam Bush, John Jorgenson, Del McCoury, Tim O’brien, Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, and Grisman—indulge in a buffet of styles and techniques, from Bach counterpoint to bluegrass picking and Gypsy jazz. The Gibson is bright and plunkety under Mike Marshall’s fingers, rough and prickly under Mike Compton’s. On the Martin, Bon Brozman picks percussively over rumbling bass; Jerry Douglass sounds twangy yet warm, Jim Hursts vibrant yet mellow; Frank Vignola’s flashy runs ring clear, and Beppe Gambetta gets luscious tones from alternate tunings. The duets play up the contrasts between mandolin and guitar in a variety of styles, including a choro by Eva Scow and Carlos Oliveira, a jazzy blues by Joe Craven and Rob Ickes, and a contrapuntal dance by Chris Thile and Mike Marshall. In the end, this sonic experiment proves that players, even more than instruments, account for ultimate uniqueness in musical sound.
(Acoustic Disc, http://www.acousticdisc.com)
Acoustic Guitar, January 2006
Tim O’Brien, “Cornbread Nation and Fiddler’s Green”
On these two simultaneously released CDs, Tim O’Brien loosely parcels out his abundant talents between his Southern-folk inheritance (Cornbread Nation) and Celtic inspirations (Fiddler’s Green). Both feature almost the same top-notch lineup, with such guests as Jerry Douglas (lap steel and resophonic guitars), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), and Kenny Vaughan (electric guitar) joining O’Brien’s core band of John Doyle (guitar, bouzouki), Casey Driessen (fiddle), and Dirk Powell (banjo, bass). The ensemble playing is rich and varied on both recordings, but Fiddler’s Green is sparer, with stripped-down accompaniment for O’Brien’s voice on cuts like “Foreign Lander” (where O’Brien’s fiddle improvises with Edgar Meyer’s Bass), “Buffalo Skinners” (featuring O’Brien’s muscular flatpicked solo guitar), and “A Few More Years”, where the interplay voice and exquisite fiddle harmonies will cause shivers. Whether he is singing of hard work or hard luck, Obrien’s burnished tenor voice conveys every emotion, from stubbornness to sorrow.
Adding new lyrics to old and altering traditional melodies, O’Brien liberally mixes ingredients and time travels across both CDs. “Cornbread Nation” could have been cooked up a century ago, but (Runnin’ Out of Memory” reveals itself as contemporary with its clever, computer-related lyrics. Cornbread Nation features Vaughan’s electric guitar throughout, even on such traditional material as “Hold On” and “When This World Comes to an End”, an unconventional choice that pays off. The thunderous gospel song “Moses”, with Odessa Settles, Todd Settles, and Darrell Scott on backup vocals, is just one of many standouts. It might be unclear what is and isn’t traditional here, but that’s the point. Change is part of the recipe for this rich and satisfying feast.
(Sugar Hill, http://www.sugarhillrecords.com)
Acoustic Guitar, December 2005.
Nickle Creek, “Why Should the Fire Die?”
When 2002’s This Side created less excitement in bluegrass circles than the band’s self-titled Sugar Hill Records debut, Nickel Creek could have retreated to the “vanguard grass” that garnered early accolades from roots to aficionados. Instead Chris Thile (mandolin) Sara Watkins (fiddle), and Sean Watkins (guitar) moved even further from their bluegrass roots into pop territory, and instinct that has paid off in an assured and vibrant new work. Though seemingly absorbing inspiration from everyone from the Beatles to Stevie Nicks to Elliot Smith, the trio, aided by Mark Schatz on bass, recasts its influences in a small sound all its own. From discordant fills on the brooding “Eveline” to staccato guitar strumming and crystalline mandolin picking on “Somebody More Like You”, the arrangements here are varied, original, and show even more creative flair than the instrumentals (except for the masterful “Scotch and Chocolate”, with its intricate shifts of tempo and tone). Each member of the trio contributes original music, carefully crafted lyrics, and lead vocals, but the group’s strength is its synergy. “Jealous of the Moon” (co-written by Thile and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks), “Best of Luck”, and the beautiful, wistful title track especially showcase Nickel Creek’s intense vocal harmonies and instrumental finesse.
(Sugar Hill, http://www.sugarhillrecords.com)
Acoustic Guitar, December 2005
Badi Assad, “Verde”
Badi Assad says that Verde (green) represents the various shadings of the forests of her native Brazil. Indeed, on her first solo effort in six years, she wields her pliable, irrepressible voice like a magic wand through a rainbow of pop, bossa, jazz, and traditional hues, creating a sound at once representative of her country’s idioms and uniquely her own. Assad’s startling vocal tones—which accurately mimic the sounds of rainforest insects and birds—and percussive effects could easily have been overdone or become mere ornamentation. Instead, they are integral to the spare, exotic sound of the original compositions and covers, most sung in Portuguese, as on “Não Adianta” and “Daruma”, co-written with Jeff Young. Her inventiveness extends to her guitar playing—on “Daruma” she places a drumstick under her strings to achieve a tolling bass against a harp-like arpeggios. Teco Cardoso (flute), Naná Vasconelos (percussion), Rodolfo Stroeter (electric and acoustic bass), Webster Santos (mandolin and 12-string guitar), and Toquinho (guitar), among others, lend support to Assad’s subtle, often surprising fingerstyle arrangements that emphasize delicate, single-note melodies in this artful collection.
(Edge/Deutsche Grammophon, http://www.universalclassics.com)
Acoustic Guitar, November 2005
Zoran Dukic: Balkan Muses
In these days of digital downloads, it’s not often that people rush to purchase a CD, much less several, because the music simply is too exquisite and unique not to be owned and shared others. But “Balkan Muses” rises to that level. Zoran Dukic of Croatia is among the finest guitarists anywhere, and his playing is beyond exquisite. The music under the umbrella of “Balkan” is characterized by its modal language and unusual and frequent changes of meters, often played at astonishing speed. The music that Dukic has chosen for this collection were nearly all composed by guitarists and emphasize less of the folk influences of Balkan music and more of the more modern and abstract aspects, including jazz. The pieces by Dušan Bogdanovic (Belgrade) – “Six Balkan Miniatures” and “Fantasia” – are among the most technically challenging and exhilarating. The “Miniatures,” each about a minute long, are compressed jewels of feeling, ranging from the limpid notes of “Lament,” to the abrupt slaps of “Vranjanka” to a riot of show-stopping techniques in “Wide Song” and “Tiny-Knit Dance.” “Fantasia,” written for Dukic, and at five and a half minutes one of the longest, is a more complex, abstract, improvisational piece. Here Dukic’s bass lines are rich and thick, while his treble notes are crisp, yet raw. “Sonata No. 1,” by Atanas Ourkouzounov (Bulgaria) employs compound rhythms; Tadic’s “Walk Dance” features rumbling arpeggios and feverish passages. On “Macedonian Girl” by Miroslav Tadic (Serbo-Croatia), based on a traditional Macedonian folk piece, the separate lines are so distinct that it sounds like two different guitars. “Sonata” by Vojislav Ivanovic (Sarajevo), is a tour de force among tours de force. While it follows the classical sonata form, its rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic aspects reflect jazz and Balkan influences. The album closes with “The Chase Dance” by Apostolos Paraskevas, from the Greek tradition; it will raise pulses as it races through alternating 2/8, 5/8, 6/8, and 9/8 meters. This magnificent CD does a wonderful job of exploring the music from this part of the world. Dukic has won more guitar competitions than any other guitarist. He is a virtuoso performer, but it is the perfection of his tone and the range of colors he achieves that make his playing so breathtaking. © Céline Keating http://www.minor7th.com/shorttakes8_14.html
Yonder Mountain String Band, “Mountain Tracks, Vol. 3”
Yonder Mountain String Band’s sixth release, recorded live at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado, in 2003, fairly hyperventilates with the energy and intensity that has earned the Colorado-based-bluegrass jam band in its enthusiastic following. Ace musicians Adam Aijala (guitar), Jeff Austin (mandolin), Dave Johnston (banjo), and Ben Kaufmann (bass) are joined on this two-disc set by fiddler extraordinaire Darol Anger. The group’s vocal harmonies are sometimes reminiscent of the Band, while its emphasis on instrumental wit and originality set it apart from other groups trolling similar newgrass waters. On original and traditional pieces, as well as covers like the stunning version of Bill Monroe’s “Kentucky Mandolin,” the quartet’s straight-up instrumental breaks open with clean, rapid-fire picking and drift into extended improvisations. Some pieces, such as “Peace of Mind” (with Anger’s American Fiddle Ensemble bandmates cellist Rushad Eggleston and fiddler Brittany Haas), morph into another (in this case, ‘Snow on the Pines”), creating something akin to a bluegrass fever dream.
(Frog Pad, http://www.yondermountain.com)
Acoustic Guitar, April 2005
Ray Bonneville, “Roll It Down”
Ray Bonneville may have one of the sexiest guitar styles around, and his sleepy bed-room baritone voice only enhances that impression. It’s all in his rhythms: breezy blues beats with hints of Latin and reggae that refuse to be rushed yet incite you to dance. On his fifth release, Bonneville, who splits his time between Montreal and Austin, is joined by others as laid-back as he is, among them Richard Bell (organ), Bryan Owings (drums), Geoff Arsenault (percussion), Joey Spampinato (bass), Colin Linden (bass, guitar, mandolin), and Jonell Mosser (harmony vocals), for 12 irresistible originals about love, lust and other mysteries. Bonneville knows how to sketch guitar lines that are both spare and elastic, stretching the pauses between notes for maximum emotional impact. His artful vocal and musical phrasing is best displayed when accompanied only by his guitar and percussion, as on “Stand Real Still” and “Tiptoe Spider”.
(Red House, http://www.redhouserecords.com)
Celine Keating 