Guitar Album Reviews
Gilbert Isbin/Geert Verbeke - Twins"Twins" is an altogether intriguing album that will undoubtedly delight some listeners, and confuse others. The instrumentation throughout is straightforward; Gilbert Isbin plays the acoustic guitar, while Geert Verbeke performs on various percussive instruments, such as Himalayan Bowls, bells, and various cymbals. The music itself, however, isn't so straightforward. After the relatively light and lively opening tune "Amphora" (mp3 format), the music on "Twins" unravels into a series of dark, impressionistic pieces, some of which have distinct themes, others feeling more like open-ended improvisations. Although there are moments of conventional beauty (as on the delicate "Royal Tune"), much of the music on "Twins" is without rhythmic meter or basic tonality. Which isn't to imply the music is aggressive or chaotic; almost all of the tracks are gentle, moody, and atmospheric. One criticism; "Twins" could have benefitted from a ten minute cut in running-time. The palette of colors the duo draws from is rather small, so many listeners may find the album repetitive by the fifteenth track. This aside, adventurous listeners who enjoy quiet, ominous music will find lots to love about "Twins".
Listen to two MP3s from "Twins".
More on Twins at Frontstage (with Sound Samples). NOTE: No money or credit is made by Guitar Guide Dan Cross, or About.com through the sale of this CD
Wilson Picket - It's Harder Now
What a delight to see that, at age 58, Wilson Pickett hasn't become an "oldies act". In his first recording in more than ten years, Pickett's "It's Harder Now" (Bullseye) immediately proves to the world that the qualities which made him an R&B legend are still soundly intact. The gravel-infused voice hasn't mellowed one iota, and the bad-boy image is as prevelant in Pickett's music as ever. Overt sexual references run rampant throughout the recording, as song titles like "Taxi Love", "What's Under that Dress?", and "All About Sex" brazenly suggest. Even the album title itself could be interpreted several different ways. Producer/guitarist/arranger John Tiven does a wonderful job of creating a raw, aggressive sounding musical environment for Pickett, that perfectly compliments the singer's ragged style. Although the overly-nostalgic "Soul Survivor" treads dangerously close to sounding like name dropping (Pickett directly references Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and others), the the rest of the album steers wisely clear of any such sentimentality.
More on It's Harder Now at CDnow (with sound samples) NOTE: No money or credit is made by Guitar Guide Dan Cross, or About.com through the sale of this CD
Steve Rochinski - A Bird in the Hand
Guitarist Steve Rochinski seems to shows an avid interest in the tradition of jazz and jazz guitar. On "A Bird in Hand" (Jardis), his second CD as a leader, the Massachusetts-based guitarist opts to explore themes familiar to the jazz community; from standards like Stardust and Beautiful Love, to jazz staples like Monk's Dream and 'Round Midnight, in various settings ranging from solo to quartet (guitar trio with piano). The playing throughout is solid and very much in the tradition of the past masters of the guitar; particularly Tal Farlow (Rochinski's former teacher). The album has a relaxed, comfortable feel, probably as a result of the musicians playing material they were intimately familiar with. Rochinski's nice work with several of the arrangements (including a nice "clustered" orchestration of "Monk's Dream"), however, does help to bring a bit of formality to the occassion. Although some of Rochinski's solos do tend to meander a bit, and occasionally fail to make a strong statement, the nice musical interplay throughout "A Bird in Hand" makes for an enjoyable listen.
Buy A Bird in the Hand through the Jardis website. NOTE: No money or credit is made by Guitar Guide Dan Cross, or About.com through the sale of this CD
Page 2 of this week's Album Reviews...
It's Harder Now graphic courtesy of Rounder Records.
A Bird in the Hand graphic courtesty of Palmetto Jazz
