Hit List

Luka Bloom, Between the Mountain and the Moon

From the tense, thunderous crash and crisp guitar picking of the opening track, "Monsoon," to the percussive glee of "Perfect Groove," Luka Bloom has cultivated a wide range of aural textures for this CD, his first set of original songs in six years. Amid the traditional Celtic-style swell of strings and Bloom's rumbling vocals, he floods his lyrics with vivid images like "breath frozen in the early morning" ("Soshin") and "watchmen working on the water" ("Here and Now"). Of particular note is Bloom's duet with Sinead O'Connor, "Love Is a Place I Dream Of," a pensive track that embodies the amorous longing found in much of this lovely collection. (Bar/None, www.bar-none.com)

—Karen Iris Tucker

Kenny Sultan, West Coast Blues

California guitarist Kenny Sultan has been making good-time acoustic blues recordings with partner Tom Ball for 20 years. On West Coast Blues, Sultan steps out on his own with an all-instrumental effort that spans the spectrum of unplugged blues, from the monotonic bass of Lightning Hopkins to the 12-string slide of Bo Carter. Sultan uses the old masters as jumping-off points, injecting jazzy chords and improvisational flourishes into simple motifs. Highlights include "Honky Tonk," a meditation on Bill Broonzy, and "Raggin' the Blues," a syncopated Piedmont strut. There's nothing too showy here, just fluid grooves and a slew of very tasty licks. (Solid Air, www.solidairrecords.com)

—Ian Zack

Los Super Seven, Canto. Raul Malo, Today

Produced by Los Lobos' Steve Berlin, Canto and Today redefine the cutting edge of Latin music. They're hot and cool, muscular and meditative, invigorating and relaxing. Of the two, ex-Maverick Raul Malo's solo debut Today (Higher Octave) is much closer to pop. Most of the songs are in English, and all of them are upbeat, with full-throated vocals, blasting horns, and a tight, hard-hitting ensemble. Recorded in a more informal setting, the gorgeous Canto (Columbia Legacy) is looser, roomier, and more varied. Led by a revolving cast of vocalists—Susana Baca, David Hidalgo, Malo, Rubén Ramos, César Rosas, Rick Treviño, and Caetano Veloso—Los Super Seven sing in soulful Spanish, English, and Portuguese, mixing new songs with old standards in a contemporary, uniquely American approach that succeeds beautifully. The instruments here are acoustic—guitar, tenor guitar, tres, bajo sexto, and piano—and all are played with precision, taste, and a light, propulsive touch.

—Kenny Berkowitz

The Country Gentlemen, On the Road (and More)

Listen in on a few bluegrass jam sessions and chances are that you'll hear some songs and tunes made popular by the Country Gentlemen's early 1960s recordings. Many of the best of these classic cuts are now available on this new collection from Smithsonian Folkways. Though the production values are primitive by 2001 standards, the qualities that earned the Country Gentlemen its status as bluegrass icons still shine through—banjoist Eddie Adcock's rhythmic and melodic fluidity, Charlie Waller's warm baritone voice and driving rhythm guitar, and the group's haunting vocal blend. The three-part harmony on the chorus of "The Long Black Veil" is still hair-raising after all these years. (Smithsonian Folkways, www.folkways.si.edu)

—Sue Thompson

Sylvia Herold, A Mockingbird Sings in California

LThis delightful recording from California songstress Sylvia Herold swings through the sweeter side of American roots music. Traditional and penned classics such as "The Ash Grove," "I'll Wear the Green Willow," "Seven Daffodils," and "The Colorado Trail" are dressed up with honeyed harmonies (courtesy of Connie Doolan and Patrice Haan) and clean, classy arrangements. Instead of imposing a new twist on these American gems, Herold and her all-star band simply give them a sparkling shine. With Scott Nygaard and Tony Marcus on rhythm and lead guitar, Jim Rothermel on clarinet and sax, Orville Johnson on Dobro, Cary Black on bass, and Karen Tweed on accordion. (Tuxedo, www.sylviaherold.com)

—Rani Arbo

Carl Verheyen, Solo Guitar Improvisations

Fingerstyle guitarist Carl Verheyen uses a multitude of guitars—acoustic steel-strings, classical, electric, baritone, and 12-string—on this diverse and surprising disc. Verheyen's material ranges from jazz standards and '60s pop to a Jerry Reed tune and several originals. He has excellent technique and his arranging and improvisational skills shine particularly brightly on the jazz standards. His version of "I Loves You, Porgy" is one of the most stunning and successful evocations of pianist Bill Evans' music ever played on acoustic guitar. Verheyen's wry arrangement of the Kinks' "Sunny Afternoon" is another highlight. (Chase, www.chasemusic.com)

—Ron Forbes-Roberts

Josh Rouse, Under Cold Blue Stars

On his third solo release, Josh Rouse breaks away from the prototypical acoustic jangle of the singer-songwriter genre. For example, the catchy title track mixes funky R&B keyboard and guitar grooves with rural lyrical imagery. Imagine a Motown tune with the line, "So did the farm steal your soul when the cornfields wouldn't grow?" At times, Rouse's layered guitar melodies are reminiscent of the Cure. At other times, they're more like the low tremolo twang of "Wichita Lineman." But the eclectic influences mesh effortlessly thanks to Rouse's melodic drawl. (Slow River/Rykodisc, www.rykodisc.com)

—Drew Pearce

Rayna Gellert, Ways of the World

Young fiddler Rayna Gellert is relatively new to the old-time scene, but her debut CD sounds like veterans' craft. Whether she's honking on "Arkansas Traveler," loping through a modal tune like "Sally Comin' Through the Rye," or playing her own yearning "Swannanoa Waltz," Gellert's deep feel for the music is unmistakable. Her fiddle is nimble, energized, and completely in the pocket (an achievement for a recovering classical player). With alternating backup bands of John Herrmann (guitar), Meredith McIntosh (bass), and Phil Jamison (banjo); and Trevor Stuart (guitar) and Travis Stuart (banjo), this CD brims with energy, enthusiasm, and grace. (Rayna Gellert, www.raynagellert.com)

—Rani Arbo

 

Duck Baker, Fingerstyle Swing Guitar

On his latest video, fingerstyle icon Duck Baker teaches four arrangements of swing tunes ranging in level from beginning/intermediate to intermediate/advanced. He goes over each piece slowly and thoroughly, concentrating on the essential and/or difficult passages in each tune while also demonstrating how you might stretch or improvise on his arrangement. Baker has an encyclopedic knowledge of swing, but his presentation is engaging and witty rather than dryly academic. This is a great learning tool for those who want to pick up a few new killer arrangements and also learn something about the history of swing or the possibilities of fingerstyle guitar. (Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, www.guitarvideos.com)

—Ron Forbes-Roberts

 

 

Zan McLeod, Learn to Play the Irish Bouzouki

The popularity of Celtic music has created an interest in the Irish bouzouki, but until now there has been a dearth of learning material available. Homespun Tapes has rectified this with Zan McLeod's Learn to Play the Irish Bouzouki, a well-organized 90-minute video that will help aspiring bouzouki players learn the basics of accompaniment. McLeod, an accomplished Irish backup guitarist who also doubles on the four-course, eight-string bouzouki, explains left-hand fingerings and chord patterns in the keys of D and G and demonstrates right-hand strumming patterns for reels, jigs, and slip jigs while accompanying button accordion player Billy McComiskey. McLeod's right-hand cross-picking style, which he learned from bluegrass guitarists, is easy to follow on the split-screen video. The included tab booklet is clearly laid out and includes the melodies and picking patterns McLeod describes, as well as chord charts for five tunes. (Homespun, www.homespuntapes.com)

—Art Edelstein

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

 

Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar magazine, May 2002, No. 113.

 

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