Hit List

Sérgio and Odair Assad, Sérgio and Odair Assad Play Piazzolla

Sérgio and Odair Assad have been performing the music of Astor Piazzolla for almost 20 years, beginning in 1983 with their arrangement of "Escolaso," which they recorded in 1995 for Saga dos Migrantes, and the premiere of "Tango Suite," which was written in their honor. The Assad/Piazzolla combination is an unbeatable one that brings out the most beautiful, lyrical parts of Piazzolla’s writing and the most supple, soulful feel of the Assads’ playing. They make these notoriously difficult tangos—with constantly shifting rhythms, sweeping melodies, and complex harmonies—sound easy, distilling the drama of the pieces to a stately, graceful perfection. With help from Fernando Suarez Paz (violin) and Marcelo Nisinman (bandoneon), the Assads’ gorgeous, flawless performances recapture the spirit of Argentina’s greatest composer. (Nonesuch)

—Kenny Berkowitz

Pierce Pettis, State of Grace

Pierce Pettis’ latest sounds like the midnight set at Winterhawk or Telluride, when all the big hats get up on stage and wheel through tunes in an exuberant mess of fantastic sound. A glance at the liner notes bears this out: Pettis’ backup band includes Stuart Duncan, Tim O’ Brien, Claire Lynch, Colin Linden, and Alison Brown, among others. Pettis’ lyrics, however (original and co-written), are in the spotlight. Like this chorus from "Long Way Back Home," they are an uncanny mix of cool observation and mystical wonder at the human condition: "Sometimes the only difference / ’tween a pilgrim and a prodigal son / is just the difference / ’tween the dream you begin / and the thing that you become." (Compass Records, www.compassrecords.com)

—Rani Arbo

Jack Jezzro, Jazz Elegance

Apart from four well-written originals, the material fingerstyle guitarist Jack Jezzro uses for his improvisations on Jazz Elegance are standards that have been turned inside out countless times by the best players in jazz. But Jezzro successfully breathes life into such well-worn tunes as "Night and Day" and "Stella by Starlight" through his ambling but interesting melodic lines, rhythmic nuances, and the array of colors he pulls out of his nylon-string guitar. Bassist Jim Ferguson’s inventive harmonic and melodic ideas allow plenty of space for Jezzro’s contrapuntal lines and simultaneous comping and melody playing. And Jim White’s acoustic guitar–friendly drumming completes this subtle, laid back, and utterly captivating jazz trio recording. (Hillsboro Jazz, www.hillsborojazz.com)

—Ron Forbes-Roberts

Hobart Smith, Blue Ridge Legacy

John Cohen’s excellent liner notes credit Hobart Smith as one of the primary influences on early folk revivalists, but only die-hard traddies will be familiar with anything more than the occasional track from anthologies. Smith was a brilliant clawhammer banjoist, a fine fiddler, an excellent guitarist, and a great vocalist. He even played fiddle tunes convincingly on the piano! There’s more banjo than guitar on this outstanding collection, but tunes like "Railroad Bill" and "Claude Allen" are classics of mountain-style fingerpicking. Other tracks, including a particularly fine version of "Wayfaring Stranger," feature sturdy backup guitar work. (Rounder)

—Duck Baker

Brad Paisley, Part II

Brad Paisley is a monster country picker who hit platinum with his 1999 debut Who Needs Pictures. For his follow-up, Part II, he’s made a few minor adjustments, pushing his acoustic guitar closer to the front of the mix and relaxing into a solo version of "The Old Rugged Cross." Like his idol Buck Owens, he plays lighthearted, straight-ahead country, singing simple small-town truths about love with a mainstream pop approach to the tradition. Switching between electric and acoustic guitar, Paisley delivers his slow ballads and high-speed breakdowns with an easygoing, crowd-pleasing sincerity that makes him an artist worth watching. (Arista/RCA)

—Kenny Berkowitz

Dar Williams, Out There Live

During the height of the ’90s grunge explosion, brainy Dar Williams came out of the Northeast strumming razor-edged reflections on gender and feminism, fraying relationships, and post-college flailing. Despite her resolute poetics and the offbeat nature of her soprano, which is at once awkward and swanlike, Williams began selling out theaters. Fans came as much for the songs as they did for her cerebral quips about postmodern pretension and growing up in stale suburbia. This live CD captures Williams at her best, singing highlights from her four CDs--including "When I Was a Boy," "The Christians and the Pagans," and "I Won’t Be Your Yoko Ono"--backed by guitarist Steuart Smith, bassist Gailann Dorsey, keyboard player Jeff Kazee, and drummer Steve Holley. (Razor and Tie, www.razorandtie.com)

—Karen Iris Tucker

Mark O’Connor with Frank Vignola and Jon Burr, Hot Swing!

During his tenure with the David Grisman Quintet in the late ’70s, Mark O’Connor had the good fortune to play and record with swing violin pioneer Stéphane Grappelli. Now O’Connor pays homage to the late master with this live CD, which swings like a chandelier during a Pasadena earthquake. Joining O’Connor here are acoustic bassist Jon Burr, who accompanied Grappelli during the last ten years of his career, and Djangophile and acoustic jazz guitar prodigy Frank Vignola. The tunes range from Hot Club classics like "Nuages" and "Minor Swing" to O’Connor originals like "Swingin’ on the ’Ville" and the startlingly personal "In the Cluster Blues," where O’Connor’s fiddle moans with great emotion and power. (OMAC, www.markoconnor.com)

—David McCarty

Kate McDonnell, Don’t Get Me Started

Kate McDonnell applies a polished and subtle musicianship to bluegrass, swing tunes ("Sticky Buns"), and classic singer-songwriter fare. Whether fingerpicked or flatpicked, her guitar is rhythmically solid, fleet, and energetic. On Don’t Get Me Started she is backed at various times by drums, organ, bass, mandolin, fiddle, and harmonica. McDonnell’s originals run the gamut in subject matter and lyric complexity; standouts include the title track (which sounds something like a Shawn Colvin classic) and the aforementioned, pastry-oriented number. Best of all, McDonnell’s voice has a sweet patina that complements her stylized yet unaffected delivery and stays fresh throughout the whole CD. (Waterbug, [800] 466-0234, www.waterbug.com)

—Rani Arbo

Whiskeytown, Pneumonia

This outstanding final record from North Carolina–based alt-country heroes Whiskeytown contains some of the band’s finest tunes to date. Recorded three years ago in an abandoned church in Woodstock, New York, Pneumonia is 14 tracks of mostly melancholy melodies and beautifully intertwined violin and acoustic and electric guitars. Rave-up rockers like "Crazy about You" are balanced by sparse ballads such as "Under Your Breath." On "Paper Moon," the elaborately arranged orchestral backdrop sounds like the lost soundtrack to an old ’50s western. Even if twang isn’t usually your taste, the brilliant guitar melodies alone will grab your attention and hold on. (Lost Highway, www.lost-highway.com)

—Drew Pearce

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

 

Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar magazine, December 2001, No. 108.

 

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