Howard Emerson "A Tale to Tell", 2004 It may well be that the best guitarist in America you have never heard of is Howard Emerson. The man can flat out play. Every song on his second CD "A Tale to Tell" brings Emerson's stylistic syncopation to the forefront, while various tracks emphasize funky slide work, a fingerstyle groove, or simple, sweet melody. He doesn't dazzle with flash, or confound our ears with too many notes. Emerson's work is deft and precise, but full and rich while not being crowded, like a fine walk in autumn. Three of the tunes are vocals, with Howard's gravely tenor bringing the right flavor to each, while there are 12 instrumentals (though 4 of these are just "orphan licks"). More than once while listening I have caught myself wondering, 'how does he do that?' He plays as one who has absorbed bits and pieces from the legacy of finger pickers gone by, yet he is none of those, but brings his own musical voice. He can be funky ("Phelps Flats," ".and why not?", "Nokie's Blue Bottle"), or gentle (""Liar's Lullaby," "Piping Flower Waltz") . Emerson does a great slappy cover of Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" on 12-string guitar with some tasty slide work -- who needs a bass when you've got that groove going on? And how's this for praise: Stan Jay of Mandolin Brothers on Staten Island wrote the introductory notes, and for a couple years, Howard's debut CD "Crossing Crystal Lake" has been his recommended listening. I concur: give it a listen, and then you'll be one more who's heard of Howard Emerson. © Kirk Albrecht

Tony Furtado "These Chains", 2004 "These Chains" pulls recording veteran Tony Furtado down another road, this time unfurling his songwriting/vocal talents. Furtado has explored several genres and styles during his 15-year recording history. Discs have included studio work ("Swamped", "Within Reach", "Full Circle", "Roll My Blues Away", "American Gypsy") and two live effors ("Tony Furtado Kelly Joe Phelps Band" and "Live Gypsy"). Previous focuses on bluegrass, banjo and slide guitar have given way to thoughtful lyrics and an earnest, country-inflected tenor. California native Furtado takes his band through the paces in several swamp-based, driving tunes, with bandmate Doug Pettibone’s searing guitar cutting though the gumbo. "These Chains" show Furtado in a reflective mood -- he mentions on the liner notes that old prison work songs have been a big influence of late, and it shows, both musically and thematically. He covers a lot of other ground as well, including a duet with Jules Shear on Bob Dylan’s "One Too Many Mornings", "Swayback Jim", a nice ode to a swayback horse Furtado happened across during a cross-country trip, and a heartfelt track co-written with Jim Lauderdale, "Need a Friend". Still, the one track that jumps out from this collection -- and which has country radio station "hit" written all over it -- is Furtado’s "Oh Father Mine". Furtado wrote this when he learned his father was about to die from cancer. It’s sincere, pulls all the right heartstrings without being manipulative, and quietly connects. © Fred Kraus

Kastning/Siegfried, "Bichromial", 2004 The avant-garde composer John Cage was profoundly influenced by a maxim of one of his teachers: that the purpose of music is "to sober and quiet the mind, thus making it susceptible to divine influences". Kevin Kastning and Siegfried, on "Bichromial", follow in Cage's tradition with an austere collection of acoustic guitar duets which challenge a listener's preconceptions about the nature of music. "Through-composed", no passages or themes are repeated. The result gives the impression of spontaneous but unhurried improvisational interplay, and is synchronously quieting and disquieting. © Alan Fark