July/August, 2019
Spencer Elliott, "Folding Space," 2019
Spencer Elliott's second full length CD, Folding Space, finds him further down the path of percussive acoustic guitar. Using a visual analogy, if Elliott's debut release, Some Forgotten Color (2015), was a standard
size photo, Folding Space would be panoramic. The melodies are stronger, the note articulation seems sharper, the breadth and depth and sonic landscape is grander. The fretboard magic Elliott produces here is enhanced
by the tonal qualities of the custom sinker redwood jumbo and baritone acoustic guitars used to record Folding Space. Canadian luthier Trevor Kronbauer created both. It would be unfair of me to not disclose that I am,
undeniably, a sucker for jumbo and baritone acoustic guitars. In the right hands these larger acoustic guitars emanate a verve and resonance that vibrates deeply into nerves, marrow, sinews and corpuscles of the human body.
Spencer Elliott possesses those hands! Take a deep breath, clear your mind and give yourself over to tracks three through five, "Viking Lullaby," "Folding Space" and "Yang," and you'll feel and understand what I mean. Where
other percussive acoustic players tend to lose themselves in technique and kinetics at the expense of melody and artistry, Elliott's subtle yet dynamic use of bends, vibrato and percussive rhythm create musical space that
envelopes mind, sprit and body. Perhaps, my favorite track is "4:20" with its ebullient rhythmically playfulness. From the opening track, "There's Something in the Airlock," to the melancholy closing track, "Missing You,"
in its entirety, Folding Space, is transcendent. The CD's title reference to Frank Herbert's Dune is apt as well, but by no means a prerequisite to submersing oneself in the acoustic splendor of this solo guitar gem. As
with his debut CD and 2016's EP Unspoken, Candy Rat Label mate, Antoine Dufour, engineers and produces Folding Space, and the influence is certainly present as a watermark on a fine
linen stationer. Collaboratively, Dufour certainly seems to allow Elliott to put all his energy and focus into to the fretwork and the results are spot on.
Laurence Juber, "Downtown," 2019
Laurence Juber, whose credits include a stint in Paul McCartney's Wings and extensive work in television soundtracks, is now well into his third decade as a leading solo guitarist. His recordings
include his own instrumental compositions, arrangements of pop songs, and last year's Touchstones, an historical survey of important works written for solo guitar. Juber recorded Downtown in one afternoon
session at Hollywood's Capitol Studios, using an LJ signature Martin OM21. The album features jazz, popular songs, and a new original, "Airfoil". Juber's performances here are successful in every respect
and rank among his best interpretations of jazz and popular songs. He begins the set with Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol's "Caravan", a jazz standard recorded by artists as diverse as Art Tatum and Brian Setzer.
Juber states the tune's melody and much of the improvised portion in octave lines, which suggests he played it in DADGAD tuning. A driving "Limehouse Blues" follows, wherein Juber uses chord melody, single-string
lines, and Travis picking, much as he did several years ago with "All of Me". The bluesy ballad "Willow Weep For Me" is richly expressive and reminds me of his take on "Cry Me a River", from Under an Indigo Sky.
On George Shearing's "Lullaby of Birdland" Juber plays contrapuntal lines interspersed with chord melody at an invigorating medium-fast tempo. I've added both "Willow" and "Lullaby" to my list of all-time LJ
favorites. Charles Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" reflects guitarists' longstanding interest in the piece, recorded in the mid-1960s as a duet by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch and later in solo or ensemble
settings by John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, Tony McManus, and several others. Here, Juber creates reflective countermelodies instead of inserting a blues jam into the tune, as have other guitarists. Jimmy
McHugh and Dorothy Fields's "On The Sunny Side Of the Street" finds Juber digging into a medium-tempo classic, exploring the tune's great changes with single-string lines, walking bass, and chord stabs,
utilizing DADGAD tuning. Winding down the program, Juber offers a straightforward reading of "Downtown", a hit in 1964 for singer Petula Clark, adhering to the spirit of her arrangement for a calming effect.
"Airfoil" is a distinctive encore, as Juber plays variations on a driving minor key theme. It's also a good reminder of his strengths as a composer. As a whole, Downtown fits well within Laurence Juber's
body of work, this time emphasizing his interpretations of jazz and giving listeners another wonderful glimpse into his musical world.
Terry Robb, "Confessin' My Dues," 2019
Terry Robb enthusiastically takes on just about every genre of the blues in his 13-track collection, Confessin' My Dues. He gives the Chicago blues a workout with "Heart Made of Steel," classic country blues
with "Darkest Road I'm Told," folk blues with "Butch Holler Stomp," rockabilly blues with "Keep Your Judgment," plus a sampling of Southern-fried blues and metal blues. It's a tall order, but Robb, equally adept
on acoustic guitar or resonator, keeps his fingers flying. He finds a nice balance between instrumental tracks and those that feature his agreeable vocals. Perhaps what is most surprising is that Robb displays such
an ease with both fingerstyle and flatpick lead style. And Robb seems to especially get a kick from playing fast, like crazy fast. It can get a little overwhelming at times as he moves quickly from genre to genre,
sometimes all within the parameters of one song, as with "Three Times the Blues." Though much of the album, in which Robb had a hand in all of the compositions, is solo, two sidemen round out several cuts: Dave
Captein on standup bass and Gary Hobbs on drums. Born in British Columbia, the veteran guitarist — with more than a dozen albums to his credit — makes his home in Portland, Oregon, where he was won just about every
blues guitar competition in existence. His notes cite that he has been inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame as well as the Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame. After garnering the Muddy Award for Best
Acoustic Guitar from 1992 to 2011, the honor was renamed the Terry Robb Acoustic Guitar Muddy Award. A master technician and educator, Robb shares his skill through workshops and master classes, breathing life and
longevity into roots and blues music.
Drew Gibson, "Shipbuilder," 2019
Shipbuilder opens with faint steel guitar as if coming through the mists of time out of an old radio. Be prepared. The next sound you hear will be a take-no-prisoners, driving tune meant to convince you,
despite its title, that Drew Gibson knows Dave Hadley's pedal steel will break some hearts. Gibson, a singer/songwriter well known to Minor7th, has essentially made a band record and Hadley is on every track
except "In a Fire," the only solo number on the disk (with some impressive 6 string work by Gibson, especially in the outro). Hadley first appeared on "1532," Gibson's previous release. Now, he's essential to
Gibson's signature move, the overlay of guitar tracks, and more. Another addition to the CD are the vocal harmonies on almost every track of Devon Sproule ("Keep Your Silver Shined). She has sung with Gibson before,
but her more prominent role elevates the proceedings greatly. Check out her echoes and foreshadows in "She Has it Anyway." So lovely whenever she harmonizes with Gibson's rough-hewn vocals. The title track builds from
finger picked guitar to more than just another driving song. It's the highlight of the album, an electric symphony with great harmony and long instrumental sections, the first showcasing a kickass Hadley run that
leads to Gibson's electric solo. A second instrumental section starts and ends with Brian Simms' organ. Throughout, the arrangements play with dynamics and do not mind being pretty. The lyrics are typical Gibson,
enigmas built from images: fire, water, and nautical motifs recurring. In the midst of those pictures, some lines jump out. In "Shipbuilder" it's "I think about her in the coming of the storm," standing among
impressionistic moments like "Barrel-makers hurdle doors, / water ties the corridor." Listen for the way, "before you, "Everything I Ever Did Was Wrong,'" morphs into "Now with you, everything I did before is gone."
The closer, "At This Very Moment," puts together all the elements that make this a fine record: the images, Hadley and Sproule, and a closing line, "Not a word in the end, it's all rust," to break any heart that's
lasted this long.
Ewan Dobson, "Little Angels," 2019
This year Ewan Dobson has added to his already prolific list of offerings with a new album entitled Little Angels, which I believe features some of his best works to date. The album is staggering in not only the
stunning beauty of the music, but also in its number of diverse compositions. Dobson's mind appears to be overflowing with musical ideas, and I wonder if no amount of time could be enough for him to communicate all
that he wants to express. I challenge anyone to listen to the first five tracks, and not be convinced that they simply must explore the album in full. The title track, "Little Angels," is inspired by a relationship
that Dobson has fostered with the wild birds that surround his country home. He has taken to feeding them daily by hand, and has catalogued the variety of fowl that have come to visit him. It seems that this peaceful
stage of Dobson's life has perhaps allowed him to explore even deeper into his potential as a guitarist and composer. One important aspect that separates Dobson's compositional style from many fingerstyle guitarists,
is his commitment to beautiful, captivating, and 'sensible' melodies. While it seems fingerstyle guitarists are often aught up in the molasses of slaps and pops and dreamy, new-age harmony, Dobson delivers all of the
sounds/feel/technique that fingerstyle listeners love, while never sacrificing the importance and nuance of his melodic content, which is truly refreshing. Many of his various influences, musical and otherwise (i.e.
the birds he interacts with), can be found throughout this recording, including his love of classical music, in particular the works of Paganini. Aside from the obvious fact that the latter part of the recording features
Dobson's gorgeous interpretations of Bach and Paganini on steel string guitar, throughout his own works the strong classical influence serves to further separate Dobson as unique from many other fingerstyle composers. If
this were a more in depth review, I would have loved to go in depth on several of the new works on this album, but suffice it to say, go and listen and enjoy for yourself. Little Angels is available via Dobson's
website, at CD Baby (best ways to support the artist), and on Spotify.
William Henry Russell, "Outside the Box," 2019
Guitarist William Henry Russell, on his new CD release Outside the Box, successfully applies classical technique to some of the most recognizable pop tunes ever written. Russell glides effortlessly across the guitar
fingerboard with relaxed and capable ease, AND he is obviously having a good time doing it! He holds degrees from Boston University and Florida State University, and his formal training in fretboard discipline leaps
to the front of these cover arrangements, though never failing to also nurture a unique and stimulating personal signature. The quality of tone and balance of the nylon stringed instrument bespeak careful attention to
the recording process. Add to this some hints at Bill's personality, sense of humor and inventiveness neatly tucked into these arrangements in conjunction with the choice of material. Limited space here prevents me
from going into fine detail of each piece, but my thinking is that Mr. Russell would get high scores from Sir Paul, Mason Williams, Stanley Myers, Herman Munster, The Ventures, Willy Nelson and all of the original
composers on this disc that Russell has honored with his arrangements. The variety of styles embodied in this collection and the familiarity of material and themes will appeal to a diverse audience, guitarists and
non-guitarists alike.
©
James Filkins
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Folding Space"
©
Patrick Ragains
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"
Listen to Laurence Juber at our podcast 
©
Fred Kraus
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Butch Holler Stomp"
Listen to Terry Robb at our podcast
©
David Kleiner
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Speak Now Teresa"
©
Timothy Smith
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Little Angels"
©
Mark Bayer
Buy it at Amazon.com
Listen to "Spiderman Theme"
