September/October, 2019
Tony McManus & Julia Toaspern, "Live in Concert," 2019
Tony McManus is a top-flight performer of Celtic music who has also successfully adapted pieces from other genres for solo fingerstyle guitar, including American jazz and popular music and European classical vocal
and instrumental works. Here he partners with Julia Toaspern, a young musician originally from Berlin, who sings and plays both violin and guitar, all masterfully. Although Toaspern has previously recorded as a
traditionally based singer-songwriter, her musical interests overlap significantly with those of McManus. Equally important, their skills and tonal approaches are complementary. Toaspern often sweetens her single
string guitar playing with a bluesy vibrato, which provides a nice contrast to McManus's rich and varied fingerstyle or his driving, ornamented flatpicking. This live set begins with McManus taking the lead on
"Rolling Waves", a modern jig he recorded as a solo a few years ago on Maker's Mark. Toaspern supplies a nice second guitar part before the pair segue into a reel, "Martin Wynne's #1", on which she plays the melody.
Scottish bard Robert Burns's "Bonnie Jean" follows, with McManus singing lead and playing a fingerpicked accompaniment, and Toaspern adding harmony vocal and violin. Another medley, "Breton Waltzes", begins with "La
Valsonette," played with a jazzy rhythm, followed by "La Valse des Pastoriaux", which has a more straightforward pulse and adventurous interplay, as the two guitarists trade lead and backup. Toaspern returns to the
fiddle for "Kiltyclogher Jigs", where the duo's intensity increases. The remaining selections are varied and excellent, including "Amarilli", a sixteenth century Italian love song, Luis Bonfa's "Manha de Carneval",
two original songs composed by Toaspern ("Penny" and "Ton of Bricks"), a second vocal by McManus, and several more Celtic-flavored sets. Much of the interest in this album will likely come from Tony McManus's
followers and, as such, will increase Julia Toaspern's audience, particularly in North America. Here, the two musicians have achieved a high level of collaboration, one which will undoubtedly broaden the musical
horizons of both. I hope it will continue!
Derek Gripper & Mike Block, "Saturday Morning in Boston," 2019
Symbiotic and synergetic are the first words that come to mind while listening to Saturday Morning in Boston, a collaborative effort from Guitarist Derek Gripper and Cellist Mike Block.
That is not to say that words are the first thing that come to mind when the seductive and sonorous vibrations of "Anna" ooze through the speakers like sonic vapor. Quite frankly, the first
time I heard "Ana" I was frozen in time and space, mesmerized as my auditory senses opened like a diurnal flower absorbing those first rays from the sun. It is more than an auditory experience,
it is visceral - of flesh and bone as much as wood, steel and nylon. Acoustic music at its best is a sensual experience, and Saturday Morning in Boston is a feast for the senses. My guess is this
is why YogaBasics.com lists this CD among the best for practicing yoga (perhaps, not the goal when Gripper and Block sat down that morning in a Boston studio, playing together for the first time).
Block had never heard these pieces before, which is surely one of the reasons this work has all the feeling of a live moment without the trappings - just pure, sweet musical nectar emanating from two
extraordinary musicians, captured pristinely. This CD definitely leans towards Gripper's extensive repertoire of Kora music in structure. Of the nine compositions, five, "Lam Tooro," "Folon," "Ananaming,"
"I Like the Motorcar" and "Chiwo," are arrangements of compositions from Mali, Senegal, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Block's artistry, not only complements Grippers pulsating fretwork, it is also adds a
timbre that expands a sonic landscape that is at once subtle and intense. Gripper's originals walk a line between Kora and classical influences sort of like a West African ballet, with the playful
"Koortjie," driving "Fanta and Felix" and arcing "Radio H." Gripper and Block weave a textured tapestry that evokes story.
Both Gripper and Block are innovators and adventurers of the best kind. Like musical Sherpas, these two have taken their classical chops down varied musical roads creating truly unique music all
along the way. They form a natural duo. Saturday Morning in Boston presents two sonic symbionts anticipating the ebb and flow of melody with such grace, timbre and touch that they become provocateurs
of something truly sublime.
Van Larkins, "Cinder Moon," 2017
One-man-acoustic-band Van Larkins kicks some serious fingerstyle butt. He's worth checking out for his inventive use of percussion, from the "traditional" (for modern fingerstyle) thumps and raps on the guitar body to using
his nails as brushes while plucking sonorous harmonics with some other appendage, as in the mesmerizing middle of the title track, "Cinder Moon." There is some astonishing choreography going on with Larkins; watch his
videos to see his hands dancing like a Wu Li master. No question, then: Larkins is master of technique. But what of the compositions? He's a fine writer, too, a groovemaster with the best of them. You can hear the
influences--to my ear more Preston Reed than Michael Hedges, more Don Ross than Andy McKee--but in any case carrying the torch and bringing forth the funk sauced with spicy chords and soaring harmonies. The opener,
"Cold Fusion," speaks to Larkin's early days as a guitarist, when he was mastering Metallica tunes. "Mr. Forest" is a ballad with some tasteful, spare overdubbing of synth-like sounds. "Outback Storm," with its steady
pulse of percussion, was inspired by Larkins' native Australian Outback. "Alaskan Seahorse" is another lovely ballad. It's rippling gait was inspired, Larkins says, by his first-ever horseback ride in New Zealand on a
water-averse horse named Laska. "The group of new riders and our instructor crossed a river," Larkins says. "Laska panicked and tried to swim. Laska became completely submerged. But we made it to the other side. Later,
I joked about Laska being a seahorse because of her aversion to water, resulting in the song, tuned to C, 'Alaskan Seahorse.'" Cinder Moon is a pleasure; here's hoping Van Larkins trying new things and continues to kick
out the jams.
Jon Hart, "Annual," 2019
Concept or thematic recordings sometimes work, sometimes they don't. On Jon Hart's most recent recording, Annual, he traces out a year through his guitar, with each of the first 12 tracks representing the
months of the year, and the last track is a bonus cut called "Mother." Good news for us listeners - the concept works in this case. Each month is its own postcard capturing some quintessential element of that
lunar cycle, at least for those of us who live in the northern hemisphere. Hart allows notes to breathe and linger in the right ways. The disc begins, appropriately, with January – "The Morning Still." It is a
quiet, calm meditation, much like early morning huddled inside during this bleak winter month. But things begin to move in February – "The Clock Room" (which benefits from the talents of Amrit Sond helping out).
Hart's playing in several places reminds me of Sond's gentle attack, which I first heard almost 20 years ago. Each month is a nuanced reflection. My favorite was October – "The Layered Beings" where Hart creates
a counter-point mood with an unusual modal melody, tapping out a pattern that captures October's bi-polar chaos of beauty and violent storms. The tune is aided by Sarah Hart's dynamic flute. While most of us
think about March coming in like a lion, Hart makes November the month of "Lion," and it's the most frenetic track on the CD. On December – "Transition," Hart uses reverb and a bit of delay to capture the dive back
into winter. If there is one word to describe the vibe of Annual it would be peaceful. It is a listener's delight.
Benjamin Dakota Rogers, "Better by Now," 2019
Someone did a number on Benjamin Dakota Rogers. And she left an ache Rogers simply cannot get out from under — no way, no how. He was crushed, smashed and crumpled like a Tim Horton's napkin. Bad luck for
Rogers but good luck for us, because this Canadian singer/songwriter makes us feel his hurt, that deep-inside, buried-away pain, which we all lug along, so reluctant to even nudge. Rogers brings our long-ago
losses all back, and takes us right there, right to the bruise, into the wound. But his conceit is no simple, crying-in-your-beer twang, strang and durm. First of all, Rogers can flat-out sing, with a raspy edge
both sharp and soft. Second, he weaves stories specific to him, but general enough for the rest of us to fill in our own blanks. His opening track, "Better By Now," sets the stage for an often throbbing course to
follow: "Ain't it funny / how I can't even say her name / and I would if I could but it only brings me pain / ‘cause you're not bad, you're just bad for me." So this sounds philosophical, a least until Rogers gets
to the next line: "You left me begging at your door like a dog looking for something to eat." Oh, yeah, now we are getting down to it. But here's the kicker, as we soon learn that this isn't a one-time love-and-lost
for him. He's waded in again, and perhaps again and again, as we see with the payoff chorus: "I really ought to know better by now / but damn it I don't / damn it I don't." Rogers slides off such phrases as "whiskey
words from the night I was born" and "Oh to live is to love but to love is to burn" with elegance. His "'Til I Die" is a slow cooker, a weeper/bawler in the best sense, while "Home" sees Rogers taking on the harsher
persona of a tavern companion. Rogers' most formidable talent on this 11-track collection of originals may lie in his near uncanny ability to make songs sound like the sentiments expressed in his lyrics. The overall
vibe is rustic Americana, drawing on the evocative angst of plucked banjo, searing violin and touches of cello, all a-gumbo with a base of guitar, drums, piano, upright bass, and a bit of pedal steel. The arrangements
are killer, but what will really flick your ears are the production values: the cello on "$7," the banjo and bass drum on "Rockabye," the pedal steel soaring above a propulsive bass on "Fare Thee Well." His fellow
players and background singers serve him well, and Rogers displays a versatile musicianship, though gravitating toward acoustic guitar. He intermixes loud and soft, piercing and dull, smooth and thumping, each one
making the other stronger without drawing attention to itself. Rogers will absolutely make your speakers rattle with his thunderous foot stomps on both "Lazy Old Moon" and "Mercy," the latter dark and hypnotically
frightening. There is much truth in this collection, and there is soul, and there is humanity. There is very much to like.
Shank-Hagedorn Duo, "At Home and Abroad," 2019
When established, veteran musicians collaborate together on a recording, they often achieve an exceptional degree of artistic purity and freedom in their musical pursuits. They're in no way bound by the
pressures of their budding careers, and they draw upon their years of experience to produce music that they themselves find uncompromisingly satisfying. At Home and Abroad by the Shank-Hagedorn Duo is
one such album, and in it they revisit and reimagine some music from their past, as well as explore new repertoire. For the first track, composer Ian Krouse reworked a guitar duet he had written in the 90s,
this time for guitar and string quartet. It's a beautifully soothing and meditative piece with material drawn from John Dowland's Frog Galliard. Soon after, three lovely arrangements of pieces by Maria
Kalaniemi are presented; they were arranged by Joseph Hagedorn for violin and guitar after he was moved by a live performance by Kalaniemi with her band. "Gift" was a wedding gift to Joe and Leslie Hagedorn
from their long-time friend and composer David Lang. The work that closes the disc "Suite for Violin" by Javier Contreras contains six movements, each defined by a differing South American rhythm or dance. The
work is perfectly suited to the timbres of the violin and guitar, and the differing rhythms powerfully evoke the sights and sounds of Spanish-South American life. Throughout the recording the many years of
making music together is evident in Shank and Hagedorn; at times they joyfully play off of one another with ease and finesse, and at other times they together explore the farthest reaches of interpretive depth.
If you have found yourself drawn to violin and guitar before, you will no doubt be captivated by this stunning and unique recording.
Martin Paris, "Time at Hand," 2019
Martin Paris's Time at Hand is one gorgeous album. Although the seven original pieces equal less than a half hour of music, the CD feels full and complete and carries emotional weight. The music is varied,
immaculately played, deeply satisfying. Paris hails from California's wine country, and there is something relaxed and laid back in the music, which blends elements of folk, blues, and even rock. Paris gets a
remarkable crisp yet warm tone, excellent sound quality, and a deep reverby resonance that lend intensity throughout. Just listen to the longing expressed in the beautiful melody "Forever with You," or the chimey
sounds that contrast with the depth of the bass notes on "That One Fine Day." The title track starts off with a MidEastern vibe that segues into a traditional finger-picked melody with a kind of call and response
bluesy refrain. There's something about that repetition that seems to warn, time's moving on! On the very sweet "My Soulfull Love," written for his wife, the love really shines through the delicate picking and a
run of sparkling arpeggios, while on "Open Skys," a spirited piece that seems infused with optimism, you feel the wide open spaces. It has a terrific interplay of instruments: resonant bass from Kirk MacLane, Paris's
gentle acoustic, and the exhilarating electric of featured performer Kelly Powers (Martin Paris's bandmate). Paris is joined by his brother Brandon on another of the strongest pieces on the CD, "Brothers in Tune."
Though the sounds of each guitar are quite different-- the acoustic deeply resonant, the electric searing--the guitars both cut to the quick as they find a way to the heart. On "Through the Trials," which was written
for Paris's grandfather before his death, the guitar moans while the cello, played by Bob Liepman, underscores the sadness and love that infuse every note. That Paris counts Tommy Emmanuel as an influence is obvious
from his technical mastery and his melodicism. But most of all, Paris's greatest strength is the depth and emotional resonance he achieves.
Daryl Shawn, "Safe in Sound," 2019
Safe in Sound, the fifth album by Pittsburgh-based Daryl Shawn, is an impressive set of 10 original compositions that showcase his compositional and technical prowess. Shawn melds many flavors and musical
traditions into his work in a way that is both holistic and original. A striking aspect of his playing is his mastery of two-handed independence: His right hand often plays the melody via hammer-ons and
pull-offs while the left is busy strumming. This skill is amply demonstrated on the intricate title track and on the spirited "The Monsoon Replied," which near the end involves using both hands on the guitar
body as if playing a tabla or bongos, the intricate rhythms sounding almost like tap dancing. "Tug of the Planet" is a short, fascinating piece where Shawn achieves the effect of a Chinese zither by hitting the
strings with chopsticks and his ingenious use of wooden "koto bridges" to lift the strings off the fretboard. "We Heatseekers" has a beautiful tremolo passage that reveal classical guitar training, while the subtle
"A Walk in the Park" includes complex strumming patterns and "Trusting in Bridges" has a lovely arpeggiated melody. There's the contrast of slapping and impressive bluesy runs in "Natural Law," quirky shifts of pace
and a little flamenco strum in "Where Shalom Sleeps," and on "A Common Place," perhaps the most tour de force piece among so many, he integrates Eastern scales in his melody. Shawn offers lessons and posts videos
regularly on various social media channels, so it's possible to see him in action and get a sense of how he's achieving his astounding effects. Chock full of interesting ideas, surprising directions, and stellar playing,
this remarkable album should help this outstanding musician reach the wider audience he deserves.
©
Patrick Ragains
| Julia Toaspern's Website
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Rolling Waves"
Listen to Tony McManus & Julia Toaspern at our podcast 
©
James Filkins
| Mike Block's Website
Buy it at Bandcamp
Listen to "Ananaming"
©
Brian Clark
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Outback Storm"
Listen to Van Larkins at our podcast
©
Kirk Albrecht
Buy it at Amazon.co.uk
Listen to "June (Sarah)"
©
Fred Kraus
Benjamin Dakota Rogers's Website
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Better by Now"
©
Timothy Smith
Shank-Hagedorn Duo at Innova Recordings
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Gift"
©
Céline Keating
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Time At Hand"
©
Céline Keating
Buy it here
Listen to "Despertada Por La Madrugada"