Hit List

Guy Davis, Give In Kind

Inspired by the death of a friend, acoustic bluesman Guy Davis has never sounded better than on this, his fifth, CD. Backed by a mellow but tight band, Davis is equally impressive putting his own spin on Fred McDowell's "61 Highway Blues" or belting out an original like "I Will Be Your Friend," a joyful ditty that sounds as though it's been sung around the campfire for ages. Davis' deep, whiskey-soaked voice has matured with time, and so has his fingerpicking, judging by the solo fretwork of "Honeydew Melon Rag." He also blows a sweet yet melancholy harp. As Davis proves here, the trials of modern life can be the grist for some genuine blues catharsis. (Red House, www.redhouserecords.com)

—Ian Zack

 

Jeff Tweedy, Chelsea Walls

Jeff Tweedy's songs for Wilco and Uncle Tupelo were always firmly rooted in location, transporting listeners to a long, dusty road after midnight or a corner booth in a dive bar. It's fitting, then, that Tweedy scored the new movie Chelsea Walls about New York's Chelsea Hotel. His music, as director Ethan Hawke writes, "gives the building a voice." Tweedy's instrumental soundscapes are often devoid of melody but full of urban feedback, the inorganic pulse of the city, and voices heard through 120-year-old walls. The songs, such as Jimmy Scott's stunningly remorseful reading of "Jealous Guy" and Robert Sean Leonard's stark cover of Wilco's "The Lonely 1," convey the desperation and poignancy of the Chelsea and its artist residents, many of whom came for a few days and ended up staying for years. (Rykodisc, www.rykodisc.com)

—Nicole Solis

Steven King, Meandering

Steven King has a knack for making his intricate solo guitar arrangements of jazz, pop, and bossa nova pieces sound right at home on the fretboard, as though tunes like Charlie Parker's "Anthropology" were written for the guitar. This piece and others on Meandering get the deft, simultaneous bass-harmony-melody treatment for which King is known. He makes it all sound so effortless that it's easy to get lost in the music. Highlights include his treatment of "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" and a beautiful version of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed." (Steven King, www.kingofguitar.net)

—Ron Forbes-Roberts

Hot Rize , So Long of a Journey

This previously unreleased live recording from 1996 captures one of bluegrass' best bands at the absolute peak of its creative powers. Playing before a hometown crowd in Boulder, Colorado, just months before guitarist Charles Sawtelle was diagnosed with the leukemia that eventually killed him, the band sparkles on a set of their best-loved material. Sawtelle's guitar playing kick-starts the band over and over, soaring as he punctuates a solo with an unexpected blues bend or snappy syncopation. Tim O'Brien and Nick Forster's singing is brother-tight, and O'Brien's mandolin and fiddle playing leave no doubt as to why he's one of the best. Running through tunes such as "Radio Boogie," "Nellie Kane," "Walk the Way the Wind Blows" for an adoring crowd, it's as if the band sensed their time together might be drawing to a close. (Sugar Hill, www.sugarhillrecords.com)

—David McCarty

Garrison Starr, Songs from Take-Off to Landing

In the five years since the release of her outstanding debut, Eighteen Over Me, Garrison Starr obviously spent a lot of time crafting this collection of roots-pop songs. The four rave-ups that open the record give her a chance to show off what she does best: belt out beautiful melodies. Her bright voice cuts through thick layers of distorted guitars and heavy rock grooves and serves as an uplifting counterpoint to lyrics like "Silent night / worn out from fighting / hoarse to a whisper / demobilized." What makes the songs especially memorable, though, are the distinctive harmonies provided by such guests as Mary Chapin Carpenter and Steve Earle. (Back Porch/Virgin, www.backporchrecords.com)

—Drew Pearce

 

Harry Manx , Wise and Otherwise

After 20 years of touring the world as a blues musician, Harry Manx finally reached India, where he studied with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and learned to play mohan vina, a guitar/sitar hybrid with eight plucked strings and 12 sympathetic strings. Now, after the promising debut of last year's Dog My Cat, he's back with the solo acoustic Wise and Otherwise, mixing ragas with blues as he shifts between vina, banjo, six-string lap guitar, and harmonica. It's a meditative, quietly spirited approach that's much more relaxed and fully integrated than Dog My Cat, as Manx finds new shadings to Appalachian balladry ("Death Have Mercy"), Jimi Hendrix ("Foxy Lady"), and B.B. King ("The Thrill Is Gone"). His own songs have grown smarter and subtler, and his playing has grown deeper and more soulful. (Northern Blues, www.northernblues.com)

—Kenny Berkowitz

 

Great Big Sea, Sea of No Cares

Great Big Sea is a Canadian quartet that mixes original compositions with old Irish and Scottish songs from the Newfoundland seafaring tradition. The band's contemporary Celtic sound blends furiously strummed acoustic guitars, bouzoukis, and mandolins with thrilling vocal harmonies, but its traditional roots go so deep that even when the occasional electric guitar is added, it skirls like a set of bagpipes. Original songs like the title track and "Own True Way" are generally upbeat in both mood and tempo, but the old seafaring ballads, which range from the bleak to the bawdy, remind us that silver linings never come without a few dark clouds. (Rounder, www.rounder.com)

—Michael Simmons

 

Gene Bertoncini and Steve Greene, Gene with Greene

Marrying the richly hued tonal colors of the nylon-string guitar to the punchy, penetrating sound of the acoustic archtop guitar can be a risky business. But Gene Bertoncini and Steve Greene show here that the outcome can be beautiful. Tackling a range of material, from classics such as "Moonglow," "Angel Eyes," and "Nuages" to more daring interpretations of Coltrane's "Impressions" and Villa-Lobos' "Little Train of Capira," the guitars slide deftly from solo to supporting roles. Greene coaxes some of the sweetest tones ever from his vintage Gibson archtop, while Bertoncini lays down a chordal foundation and weaves shimmering melodic lines throughout the music. This is acoustic jazz guitar of the highest order. (Northtwelve, www.stevegreene.com)

—David McCarty

 

Justin King, Le Bleu

Unlike Justin King's prior two releases, on which he matched his fingerstyle chops with sweet vocals reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, King pulls out all the stops on Le Bleu, a festival of awe-inspiring instrumental pieces. Whether he's tapping his way around a doubleneck or airing his flamenco, classical, jazz, and Celtic influences to the accompaniment of James West's tablas and the strings of Linh Renken and Troy Sicotte, King shows a deep capacity for lyrical phrasing. Le Bleu's 18 instrumental tracks are played entirely in D A D G A D tuning, recorded direct to tape, almost entirely without overdubs or punch-ins. This player is the real thing. (Not Your Average, www.justinking.com)

—Julie Bergman

 

Pat Donohue and Mike Dowling, Two of a Kind

Deeply rooted in early instrumental blues and jazz, Two of a Kind pairs two contemporary masters of the styles. Full of humor and spontaneity, the collection of mostly original tunes captures the kind of interplay found in a great live performance. With Donohue on a Kevin Ryan flattop and Dowling alternating between various vintage Nationals and a Martin, Two of a Kind recalls the legendary duets of Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson (and features Lang's "Guitar Blues"). It is a lesson in effective rhythm guitar, creative melody interpretation, and stunning soloing. This is a joyous romp that will leave listeners wanting more. (Solid Air, www.solidairrecords.com)

—Teja Gerken

 

Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar magazine, October 2002, No. 118.

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