Hit List

 

Charles Sawtelle, Music from Rancho deVille. Charles Sawtelle, late guitarist with the seminal bluegrass band Hot Rize, was called the Bluegrass Mystery by his friends. But there’s nothing mysterious about the exceptional talent he displays on this posthumously released solo CD. Joining Sawtelle on these 16 tunes are Tim O’Brien, Laurie Lewis, David Grisman, Flaco Jimenez, Sam Bush, Norman Blake, and many more acoustic stars. Sawtelle’s soft, sincere voice and crystalline flatpicked guitar on traditional tunes like "Gonna Paint the Town" and "The Ranger’s Command" demonstrate the vibrant talent he sustained until his death in 1999. The last track, a haunting rendition of "Angel Band," eerily foreshadows his imminent death. This is remarkable music from an expert musician taken from us far too soon. (Acoustic Disc)

––David McCarty

 

Jeb Loy Nichols, Just What Time It Is. Sounding a bit like a male Sade with roots and a flattop guitar, Jeb Loy Nichols offers a fresh, smooth, and romantic twist on singer-songwritering. The prime ingredients of his sound are classic southern soul, James Taylor–esque pop-folk, and reggae (portions of this CD were recorded in Jamaica), all held together by Nichols’ distinctive velvety voice. The opening "Heaven Right Here" is a perfect blue-skies anthem with a swaying chorus that doesn’t let go; "Say Goodbye to Christopher" gets funkier and more urban; while soft asides like "She Reminded Me" are pared down to voice and gently strummed guitar. Definitely music for lovers, or those pining to be. (Rykodisc)

––Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers

 

 

Axel Schultheiss, Free Mind. Fingerstyle guitarist Axel Schultheiss has created a CD that recalls the work of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and other minimalist composers whose pieces explore sonic textures and subtle rhythmic inflections rather than involved harmonic progressions and elaborate melodies. Schultheiss layers acoustic guitars tocreate a shimmering, orchestral wash of sound, and his pieces develop kaleidoscopically with shifting rhythmic pulses that are often anchored by repetitive but interesting ostinato figures. You won’t walk away from this one humming catchy melodies, but the best of Schultheiss’ tunes, like "Spiral Dance" and "Lonely Hope," are highly evocative and mesmerizing in an ambient sort of way. (Acoustic Music)

––Ron Forbes-Roberts

 

Dale Kavanagh, 20th Century Variations. Canadian guitarist Dale Kavanagh, who now lives in Germany, revisits the 20th century with this group of three sets of variations by Carlo Domeniconi, Manuel Maria Ponce, and Benjamin Britten. Kavanagh brings a great deal of insight to these pieces, particularly Ponce’s most ambitious work for the guitar, his variations on the ancient theme "Folia de España," and Britten’s groundbreaking Nocturnal, Op. 70. Praise must also go to luthier Kolya Panhuyzen for building Kavanagh an instrument of great expressive range and power. (Hänssler Classic)

––Stephen Dick

 

Cosy Sheridan, Ant Hymn. If I were going to throw an all-girl dinner party at which I wanted to laugh and cry from the hors d’oeuvres to the chocolate pudding, Cosy Sheridan is the first woman I’d invite. And if she were out of town, I’d make do by playing Ant Hymn really loud. From Barbie to bellies, SUVs, bathroom germs, and broken hearts, Sheridan deals it all a grave smile. Over a cabaret piano, she lampoons (and laments) billboard bikini girls. With a fingerstyle guitar backdrop, she offers Dorothy advice on the yellow brick road. In all, her seasoned, expressive voice paints a sympathetically wry (and extremely musical) picture of this odd world we inhabit. (Wind River/Folk Era)

––Rani Arbo

 

Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro, Soneros de Cuba. In 1927 Ignacio Piñeiro mixed lead trumpet into the sounds of Cuban son and then went on to lead Septeto Nacional for the next 40 years. Current director/guitarist Ignacio Aymee Castro is holding Piñeiro’s torch sky-high. The group’s latest dance-inspiring CD, Soneros de Cuba, features excellent arrangements and musicianship—including some fine fretwork by Castro on guitar and Enrique Collazo Collazo on tres. Son, guajira, bolero, and rumba tunes will tempt your toes to tap from the first track to the last. (Son/RealRhythm)

––Matthew Kramer

Blue Mountain, Roots. After releasing three albums of hard-hitting roots rock, Mississippi’s Blue Mountain goes mostly acoustic on Roots, with ten covers from the American folk tradition. Like the band’s name, the material is a mixture of blues and mountain music, with drinking songs like "Rye Whiskey," murder ballads like "Rain and Snow," and hokum like "That Nasty Swing." They’re all given a lively, spirited treatment, with alt-country attitude and old-time chops. Cary Hudson plays guitar, violin, and harmonica with rough abandon, banging out hard-edged leads on slide guitar; Laurie Stirratt keeps the rhythms solid and lively on acoustic guitar and bass; and George Sheldon holds the band together with hard-driving bass and piano. Roots is state-of-the-art folk music, with timeless songs and invigorating performances. (Black Dog)

––Kenny Berkowitz

 

Sviraj, Ciganine. Tamburitza is the name of a family of guitar-like plucked instruments played in ensembles and much loved in Croatia, Serbia, and other parts of the former Yugoslavia. This high-energy musical tradition also flourishes in Slavic-American communities, where, when the music is really cooking, listeners and dancers shout "sviraj!" (play on!). On this CD, Sviraj, the band, amply demonstrates the aptness of its name. Performing both originals and classics with grace and verve, the band captures the genre’s unique rhythmic feel--the bass and bugarija (a chording instrument) lay down a bouncy groove while the Gypsy-influenced fiddle and passionate three-part vocals float elastically over the top. (Omnium)

––Sue Thompson

Visit the reviews archives to read dozens of reviews of great acoustic-guitar oriented CDs.

Sources

 

Acoustic Disc, (800) 221-DISC, www.dawgnet.com.

Acoustic Music, www.acoustic-music.de.

Black Dog, (866) 218-1294, www.blackdogrecords.com.

Hänssler Classic, www.kavanagh.de.

Omnium, (612) 375-0233, www.omnium.com.

Rhythm Rodeo, (877) 846-2357, www.vincejunior.com.

Wind River/Folk Era, (630) 637-2303; www.folkera.com.

 

 

 

Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar magazine, June 2001, No. 102.

 

Want to chime in with a review of your own? Post it in the Players forum in Guitar Talk at www.acousticguitar.com.