Hit List

 

Richard Boukas/Jovino Santos Neto, Balaio

Few nylon-string guitarists outside Brazil navigate the technical challenges and capture the spirit of Brazilian music with the élan that Richard Boukas demonstrates on this duet CD with Jovino Santos Neto. Neto was Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal’s pianist for 15 years, and Balaio features three of Pascoal’s compositions as well as several by Neto and Boukas. These two remarkable musicians mine the rich improvisational possibilities of these jazz-influenced tunes, which are built on bossa nova, choro, samba, and other Brazilian musical structures and rhythms. The pair’s empathy and ability to blend their instruments harmonically and rhythmically through the twists and turns of this infectious, complex music is uncanny and breathtaking. (Malandro)

—Ron Forbes-Roberts

 

Alejandro Escovedo, A Man under the Influence

After 20 years spent on the margins of rock ’n’ roll, Alejandro Escovedo has written a masterpiece. There’s an emotional honesty in these majestic songs, whether they’re talking about the Escovedos’ exodus from Mexico or any of the losses that Alejandro has experienced since then. The sounds here range from wistful pedal steel and acoustic guitar on the country-ish "Rhapsody" to classical string quartet on the lyrical "Across the River" and chiming electric guitars on the retro-pop "Velvet Guitar." A Man under the Influence is evidence that Escovedo has found a new maturity, with all the wisdom that comes of growing older and trying to find a place in the world. (Bloodshot)

—Kenny Berkowitz

 

Chris Jones, Just a Drifter

This sweet album of acoustic country music is about as close to contemplative as bluegrass gets. Chris Jones’ understated vocals highlight his thoughtful lyrics and inventive melodies, and his quiet style permeates the whole production. Even the requisite fast breakdown has a mellow loping tempo and a bluesy feel. Jones is a fine flatpicker who plays as though he has nothing to prove—his solos are lucid, simple, and wonderfully melodic. A particular treat is the lovely setting of the traditional ballad "Pretty Saro," which features Tim O’Brien’s soulful fiddle and harmony vocal. (Rebel)

—Sue Thompson

 

Various artists, Avalon Blues

This stunning tribute album features 15 of today’s best roots musicians covering well-known Mississippi John Hurt tunes. Each song in the diverse collection allows the interpreter’s personality to shine through. Included are top-flight fingerpickers like Chris Smither and Bruce Cockburn, a down-home take on "Chicken" by Geoff Muldaur and his daughters, a gut-wrenching rendition of "Angels Laid Him Away" (aka "Louis Collins") by alt-country chanteuse Lucinda Williams, and a down-and-dirty version of "Candy Man" by Steve and Justin Earle. Other highlights include Ben Harper’s gorgeous take on "Sliding Delta," Victoria Williams’ joyful "Since I Laid My Burden Down," and Taj Mahal’s upbeat "My Creole Belle." After listening to this disc, you’ll surely say, "I’m Satisfied." (Vanguard)

—Simone Solondz

 

Eric Taylor, Scuffletown

Nanci Griffith called Eric Taylor "The William Faulkner of songwriting." Taylor’s songs have been covered by Lyle Lovett, Griffith, Joan Baez, and others, and he’s in step with Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, and other Texas legends. Scuffletown is Taylor’s fourth record, the third chapter in a recent comeback that includes Eric Taylor (1996) and Resurrect (1997). Everything about the album is strong: Taylor’s blues-influenced fingerpicking, his tellin’-it-to-you voice, the sparse but dramatic production (with piano, organ, and sax highlights), and his writing, which has a way of piercing the truth. Take this chorus from "Happy Endings": "Home life, man and wife, kids and a Motorola / I’m a broken doll, fix it, Carl, I can’t live like this no more now / Ain’t built like this and you know it now." (Eminent)

—Rani Arbo

 

Lukasz Kuropaczewski, Plays Spanish Music

On his new CD, Polish guitar virtuoso Lukasz Kuropaczewski offers polished performances of lesser-known works by Spanish composers Eduardo Sainz de la Maza, Federico Mompou, and Federico Moreno Torroba. The CD opens with Sainz de la Maza’s Platero y Yo. This semi-theatrical suite alternates spoken passages from the book of the same title (the heart-warming tale of a man and his donkey), with solo guitar movements evoking sections of the book. Kuropaczewski’s performance captures the music’s impressionistic light and shade. His performances of Mompou’s only piece for the guitar, Suita Compostellana, and Moreno Torroba’s Sonatina in A also demonstrate strong musicianship, solid technique, and a well-developed understanding of these works. (Professional Music Press)

—Stephen Dick

Tim Buckley, The Dream Belongs to Me

These rare and unreleased recordings are drawn from two sessions recorded early and late in Tim Buckley’s brief career. His work, which dwells in the spaces between folk, jazz, and rock, retains its unique quality to this day. Buckley’s dark and throaty voice wails languid folk ballads over an improvisational bed of acoustic 12-string guitar, electric guitar, bass, conga, and vibes. The late sessions (1973) shed new light on a period when Buckley was criticized for his overproduced concessions to the commercial market. This CD will satisfy eager fans and provide an excellent introduction for newcomers to Buckley’s work. (Manifesto)

—Gary Joyner

Brian Gore, Legacy

Brian Gore’s strong, well-developed melodies and intriguing chord sequences set him apart from the myriad steel-string fingerstylists who compose in open tunings. His finely crafted, poetic "songs without words" take the listener on a spellbinding, emotional ride. Gore has great facility as a player, but it’s the depth and range of moods his pieces evoke, rather than his technical wizardry, that makes Legacy such a pleasure. Classical guitarist Andrew York and steel-string fingerstylist Antonio Calogero lend their musical hands to this inspired and beautiful CD. (Acoustic Music)

—Ron Forbes-Roberts

The Robin Nolan Trio, featuring Randy Greer, Nat Meets Django

Robin Nolan, one of today’s smoothest and most soulful Gypsy swing guitarists, adds vocalist Randy Greer to his trio’s snappy mix of jazz and Latin-tinged sounds, resulting in his most appealing CD to date. Greer, a honey-toned vocalist who can work a ballad almost as well as Nat "King" Cole himself, seamlessly merges his jazz-inflected singing with the Nolan Trio’s swinging acoustic backup on such classic tunes as "Route 66" and "The Shadow of Your Smile." Nolan’s playful, lilting guitar is the perfect foil for Greer’s moody, sentimental phrasing. Reinhardt and Cole would have approved. (RNT)

—David McCarty

 

Pete Yorn, musicforthemorningafter

Classic power pop usually doesn’t generate much media buzz these days. But when the songs are as catchy as they are on Pete Yorn’s debut CD, it’s like finding a nugget of gold among the hype heap. Though the arrangements seem carefully crafted, there’s a homemade vibe throughout. Some tracks are casually strummed; others are driven by punky eighth-note energy. But it’s the anthemic melodies and loopy, layered guitar lines that propel these tunes above the folk-rock fray. Brit-pop fans will find that most of these songs sound like long-lost friends by the time they reach the second chorus. (Columbia)

—Drew Pearce

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

Sources

 

Acoustic Music, www.acoustic-music.de.

Bloodshot, (773) 604-5300, www.bloodshotrecords.com.

Eminent, www.eminentrecords.com.

Malandro, (800) 356-1786, www.brazilianjazz.com.

Manifesto, www.manifesto.com.

Professional Music Press, www.poplawski.com.pl.

Rebel, (804) 973-5151, www.rebelrecords.com.

RNT, www.robinnolantrio.com.

 

Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar magazine, September 2001, No. 105.

 

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