Autumn 2022
Alan Mearns, "Sei Solo, Works by J.S. Bach," 2022
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and currently living in North Carolina, Alan Mearns is an artist comfortable in a wide variety of musical settings and roles. His work as one-half of the Belfast Boys with Adrian Rice
finds Mearns performing traditional Irish music, while his singer/songwriter/guitarist output is presented under the moniker Yes the Raven. On Seis Solo: Works by J.S. Bach we hear Alan Mearns, classical guitarist,
the musician who moved to the United States in his late teens, studied classical guitar performance with Douglas James at Appalachian State University, and with Stanley Yates at Austin Peay State University. The
recording itself, co-engineered and produced by Yates, is consistently superb in its chronicling of Mearns' arrangements. Bookended by two short pieces, the album includes the "Prelude, BWV 1007," and two complete
extended works, "Sonata in C major, BWV 1005" and "Suite in E minor, BWV 996." While listening to this program, it is important to remember at the outset that these pieces are not transcriptions, but indeed arrangements
that, for some, could chafe against preconceived notions concerning earlier editions (Busoni and Segovia immediately leap to mind). As there are numerous additions, most notably extra voices and extensive ornamentation,
the supposed intentions of Bach in each of these works, as they relate to the instrument for which they were originally composed, could persuade the informed listener to indict Means for imposing himself on the piece,
rather than serving it. The debate comes to the fore on the album's second track, "Chaconne, BWV 1004," a Herculean endeavor in both arrangement and performance. It is a fifteen minute, thirty-two second tour de force
that will be discussed and scrutinized for years to come for being patently as controversial and polarizing as it is impactful and simply glorious. Mearns finds something new to tell us about Bach on this recording by
using every tool at his disposal to excavate the impassioned, unfeigned grandeur that lives at the core of a seemingly implacable, relentless barrage of notes.
Joe Robinson, "The Prize," 2022
It would be fair to say that guitar phenomenon, Joe Robinson, has little left to prove. Yet, he keeps moving the bar musically and artistically in virtually any direction his hybrid talent and sonic soul leads him.
I have to wonder if categories apply to his body of recorded fretwork. Modern fingerstyle, country fingerstyle, Travis picking, jazz, blues, bluegrass, folk and rock. Keep in mind, Robinson doesn't just dabble, he
succumbs and embraces each style, demonstrating grace and fluidity in each he undertakes. A quick listen through his catalog is nothing short of illuminating. Like his early mentor, Tommy Emmanuel, Robinson
possesses an intrinsic sense of rhythm and chameleon-like ability to shift from lick to lick, groove to groove, and style to style. From a general perspective, Robinson falls somewhere between Emmanuel and Eric
Johnson, but to be fair he synthesizes everything in between and covers new ground in the process. With his seventh album, The Prize, he broadens his repertoire to encompass Spanish, gypsy jazz, and reggae tinged
rhythms in "Gypsy Eyes," "Winds of Change," and "Fine Line." Rhythmically The Prize is a sumptuous feast, with boogie woogie blues ("Got a Woman to Love"), country picking ("Wandering Man" & "The Prize"), John
Mayer-esque blues-pop power ("So Much More"), and a bit of a Motown vibe combined with a reggae shuffle ("Moonlight & Magic"), as well as the aforementioned Spanish influenced rhythms. This polyrhythm approach to
composition seems to come naturally to Robinson. With so much sonic depth layered throughout The Prize, the aspect that grabs my attention most is the song structure, melody, lyrics, and the articulation of all
three vocally as well as instrumentally. His relationship and time touring with songsmith extraordinaire Rodney Crowell seem to have rubbed off. Compositionally, these songs have a completeness and maturity from
track one right through to track ten. His vocal chops and songwriting acumen have been developing over the span of his last five albums and his Gemini EPs, and it all pays off on The Prize. What do we expect from
someone who won the Australian National Songwriting Competition at age 13, Australia's Got Talent Grand Finale at age 17, and was awarded the 2009 Senior Grand Champion Performer of the World at the World
Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles a year later? Energy, brilliant fretwork and performance poise ooze from this album, which is easily one of the year's best for me. The influence of Grammy
winning producer and Country songwriting award winner, Brent Maher, whom Robinson gives co-writing credit to for the album, is evident. Once again, demonstrating that he is able to absorb and synthesize
creativity from those around him. Robinson is not content to simply take the torch from Emmanuel and other influences, he is all about the growth of his musicality, rooted in skill, technique, artistry and an
unstoppable muse. I for one, look forward to what this guitar virtuoso lays down, musically, lyrically and artistically in the decades to come.
Adam Dobres, "Kin," 2021
Canadian Adam Dobres began his musical studies with classical guitar, then focused on jazz, and soon joined ensembles to play a wide range of roots genres. He's performed with the Ruth Moody Band, Toni Childs,
Wailin'Jennies, and was a member of Outlaw Social. These experiences stoked his creative fires, and the results on Kin are impressive. The album opens with "The Yearning", a solo fingerstyle piece inspired by
Franco Marone. As on other selections, Dobres's strong interest in Celtic music is evident. Both the melody and drone accompaniment emulate pipes and it's a strong piece. "Daffodil Hill" follows, a reflective piece
for which Celtic influences are more subtle. He picks up the pace with "Jubilation Jig". The piece's title says it all - it's a jig, conceived in and played with joy. "Ometz Lev - Courageous Heart" is another solo
piece, this one with a continental sound, resembling some of John Renbourn's solo compositions from the late 1970s and 80s. Dobres's wife suggested the title of the DADGAD piece, "Salmon Run". Its rapid, cascading
melody evokes the fishes' journey to spawn as well as a lively dance among us land dwellers. "Starlight Romance" is Dobres's foray into gypsy jazz, played with a Latin tinge. His single-string soloing is more scalar
than Django Reinhardt's playing, but he's more than capable and definitely engaging in this context. "Ruby's Dream" finds Dobres weaving electric and classical guitars around a theme played on steel string acoustic.
The arrangement has a spacious feel and reveals another aspect of his musical interests and skills. "Butterfly" follows, which, although a solo piece, is no less fully realized than "Ruby's Dream". The lyrical
"She's a Sunflower" recalls Scottish songs such as "Wild Mountain Thyme", while Dobres emulates pipes once more on the jaunty "Where Two Rivers Meet", played in 6/8 time. "The Dove" features another singable melody
that's beautifully ornamented. He closes the album with "Good Night, Sweet Dreams", looking back to "Ruby's Dream", but played solo, with an exquisite rise and fall in intensity. While I love the entire album,
it's with pieces like "Daffodil Hill", "Ometz Lev" and "The Dove" that Adam Dobres strongly demonstrates his individuality as a composer and performer. Dobres has prospects of building a strong worldwide following
among fans of fingerstyle guitar. He's produced tablature books of his solo works and I'd like to see him teach at the major music camps. Go, Adam!
Jason Keiser (w/ John Stowell & Rick VanDivier), "The Axe Axis," 2022
Jason Keiser's current release The Axe Axis contains an eclectic blend of original compositions and thoughtfully chosen standards played on an Ovation steel string acoustic. Keiser is a multi-instrumentalist
holding an undergraduate degree in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music from East Tennessee State University and a Masters in Jazz Studies from San Jose State University. He currently divides his time by
teaching in the San Francisco Bay Area and performing in various ensembles across the continental United States. The recoding begins with Keiser's ambitious interpretation of John Coltrane's "Africa," featuring
percussive harmonics, dramatic chordal movements, and sophisticated improvisations. Throughout the impressive arrangement the guitarist replicates McCoy Tyner's signature quartal voicings, paying homage to the
original quartet, within the parameters of his unaccompanied acoustic. The ethereal reading of "Stella By Starlight," finds Keiser joined by his former teacher Rick VanDivier on electric guitar. Together the two
elegantly swing as they seamlessly navigate through the altered harmonies and challenging chord changes of this seminal standard. The captivatingly dissident "A Fox Trot" is a latin tinged tribute to the late
trumpeter Freddie Hubbard featuring John Stowell. The piece contains modal chord changes with dueling acoustics interchanging incendiary single note runs. As the piece ends the two continue to improvise,
generating beautifully conceived spontaneous dialogues. Keiser's "Wheeler's Waltz" is a heartfelt tribute to Kenny Wheeler featuring inspired, compassionate soloing by the leader and Stowell. The intricate and
intuitive interplay between the musicians on the duets brings to mind the pivotal collaborations between Ralph Towner and John Abercrombie. The jaunty reading of "All the Things You Are" illustrates the leaders
extraordinary command of his instrument showcasing elaborate chord melodies and dazzling solos. The recording ends with Keiser's reflective arrangement of Kenny Wheeler's "Gentle Piece," marking an appropriate
conclusion to a recording of remarkable performances. Jason Keiser is a masterful guitarist whose melodic improvisations and eloquent chord melodies reveal a prodigious and promising talent. The Axe Axis is
an exceptional musical sojourn and is highly recommended for all listeners of contemporary improvised music.
Donald Broerman, "Ever Onward," 2021
Donald Broerman has had a bad pandemic. He lost his father and a friend to suicide, ended his engagement, and broke one of his hands. Those events, Broerman says, are the inspiration for his debut album,
Ever Onward--because what else can you do but soldier on? The collection of nine original compositions all feature Broerman on solo classical guitar. A performer and teacher in the Midwest, Broerman brings a
lot to the table. While the compositions here are almost uniformly--perhaps too uniformly--sad and slow, they are also very beautiful. Full of simple melodies imbued with deep emotion, these pieces remind me a
bit of VIlla Lobos and Ravel--romantic and striving, little tendrils of life pushing upwards against a dark sky. "Pater Meus," the Latin for "my father," starts from a Gregorian Pater Noster chant before moving
on to even more mysterious places. Broerman writes of this piece that it is a prayer asking that his father be spared from the "underworld" and forgiven the (Christian) sin of taking his own life. A couple of the
other pieces grew out of the pain of the broken engagement. "Discarded Flowers" and "Without Name, Without Place" are both haunting and "Without Name..." is especially so with its ethereal harmonics and its energy
born of sometimes startling discordances. "Theurgic," a kind of dark magic intended to bind a divinity to a human in order to do the human's earthly bidding, is surprisingly calm, full of spare and lovely double
stops that invoke a sense of peace--at least until the modal movement kicks in, wherein the desire to raise the dead is revealed. The album closes with two more hopeful pieces, although again at a very slow tempo:
"In Seeking Repose" and "Only the Living." "In Seeking Repose" does feature some attention-grabbing arpeggios before dropping back to dead slow. "Only the Living" seems to suggest that we play on, that our job is
to commemorate, celebrate, and demonstrate that life is a gift worth embracing. This is a memorable album and I hope to hear more from Broerman soon. I do recommend this album, though with a reservation: it was
apparently recorded under far less than optimal conditions and the sound quality suffers from a booming mid-low end. That said, Broerman is clearly a talent to keep an eye on and, for getting through what he has,
a force of nature that will, I have no doubt, carry ever onward.
Vin Downes, "Three Evenings," 2022
Vin Downes is a classically trained, finger-style guitarist with eight studio albums of original music under his deft fingers. The 12 soft, melodic and introspective originals, played with tremendous depth and
emotional resonance, are like meditations, at once somber and joyful. Three Evenings (both the lovely title track and album as a whole) feels personal, as if written for specific people or celebrating special
evenings. In fact, "The tree still thinks of Tom" was written for Tom Eaton (Downes's producer) about a tree Eaton was especially fond of and moved away from; with its overlay of nostalgic mournfulness, the
piece captures the essence of the tree missing its frequent visitor. The CD rewards repeated listening to catch the nuances of the voicings, exceptional tone, and subtle blend of textures.
"Something in You Remembers" showcases Downes's exceptionally rich tone and ability to bring out many strands of voices in a complex melody. With "Landini's Nightingale" one can imagine the bird in
the cascades of notes and clear ringing high tones, while "Kian's Blues" demonstrates both Downes' slow jazz bluesy side and impressive control and dynamics. "The Impatient Raconteur" is mysterious and
spooky while "Never Time Enough," with its repeated motif, drips with regret. "Skyline Drive" is a bit of a departure, faster paced and less atmospheric. The album builds to the most poignant piece,
"Above the Meadow," written for Will Ackerman. The longest on the CD, it has clear echoes of the renowned New Age guitarist, founder of influential Windham Hill Records. Here Tom Eaton contributes fretless
bass and the interplay between him and Downes is achingly beautiful. The music is delicate, moody, and wanders, dreamlike, in different directions to create a mellow tapestry of sound. Indeed the album
casts a spell, generating a sense of peace and tranquility, as Downes taps into reservoirs of emotion in his fluid, pristine playing.
Calling Cadence, "Acoustic Sessions, Vol. 1" 2022
Calling Cadence features guitarist/composer Oscar Burgarin, who shares vocal duties with the talented Rae Cole. The guitar-driven group is rounded out by Los Angeles session musicians, and their well-crafted songs
spring forth from your sound system with lightness and power. Tight but loose, a heady weave of lyric and melody. Calling Cadence, despite the group's name that seemingly nods toward regimen, creates a path that delights
in the extraordinary. It forges a sound stunningly vibrant, fresh and warm like a mid-summer peach. This musicality is due in part to the recording process that - opposite of the usual path these days - features an
all-analog album without the use of a single computer, recorded, mixed and mastered straight to analog tape. Your ears will thank you for playing this, and thank you even more for playing it loud. I would stick my head
right in the speakers if I could. The music covers and interweaves several genres, from folk to rock to soul to Americana to funk to jazz. What it is, is infectious. Rhythmic but with a pleasant edge, Burgarin and Cole's
harmonies are a delight, and each is equally strong on their own. Burgarin shows a deft touch on guitar, with a number of deft runs that support and enhance the melody. There's a breeziness to it all, with a nod toward a
California-centric '70s vibe. Song topics focus on the ebb and flow of relationships, and, though there is a decided emphasis on the ebb, there's an even greater emphasis on the moving on, the actual joy of living.
Positivity in the face of life's struggles. You know, keep pushing the rock, and enjoy the ache of the struggle. The other departure is that this particular collection that is the focus of Minor 7th is titled
Acoustic Session, Vol. 1 a five-song, all-acoustic subset of the group's fully fleshed-out and electric 11 song self-titled debut. These five acoustic tracks on "Acoustic Session" include the dance funk of "Good Day,"
the knee-slapping truth of "California Bartender," the sweet revenge of "Just the Way it Goes," "Burn These Blues" and the powerhouse "Throw My Body," all written or co-written by Bugarin. The refrain from "Good Day" pulls no punches:
"It's a good day to say goodbye / Now it's a good day to keep from dyin' / Oh, hell, it's a good day to be alive." And this from "Burn These Blues": "I just wanna burn it away / Light a smoke, clear my head / Fade to black
but seeing red / And burn these blues away." That's the stuff, all right, good for the soul. Making it all magic is the clean production throughout by Matt Linesch and David Swartz, whose arrangements create a uniform
sound while surfing across the genres. It's a great listen.
©
David Pedrick
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Prelude in C minor, BWV 847"
©
James Filkins
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "The Prize"
©
Patrick Ragains
Buy it at Bandcamp
Listen to "The Yearning"
Listen to Adam Dobres at our podcast 
©
James Scott
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "A Fox Trot"
Listen to Jason Keiser at our podcast
©
Brian Clark
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Pater Meus"
©
Céline Keating
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Sail Down the Sides"
©
Fred Kraus
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Just The Way It Goes"
