Martin Paris "One Acoustic Christmas" 2017
This is the sixth solo guitar release from Martin Paris, who performs extensively around Northern California’s wine country. Although Christmas albums are somewhat of a staple and perhaps a cliché for solo guitarists,
this recording has much to recommend it. First, the audio quality is beautiful – I fell in love with the guitarist’s tone after listening with earbuds. Secondly, he’s an able arranger, creating variations in different
registers of the guitar and adding tasteful chordal interludes. Paris performs the entire set on steel string guitar, utilizing a well-developed fingerstyle technique. Highlights include the album’s opener,
"Deck the Halls," "The First Noel," "What Child is This?," and "Joy to the World." On "Silent Night," Paris employs the aforementioned arranging devices for one of the most successful pieces in the set. This disc
will reward serious as well as casual listening and undoubtedly will sell well at Paris’s gigs.
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Patrick Ragains
Derek Brookshire "Outside the Box" 2017
Derek Brookshire's solo acoustic guitar debut CD, Outside the Box, demonstrates ample fretboard skill and attention to melody resulting in a very enjoyable listen. Brookshire meanders through a variety of styles from
the blues of "Something Borrowed, Something Blue," the pop-infused "Funky Foot," percussive "New Day is Dawning" and more contemporary finger-style like pieces "Grace is Real" and "After All This Time." Several
interesting grooves give this CD a familiar feel. Outside the Box is an excellent choice for your next road trip. I'll bet there is more to come from this Memphis based guitarist.
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James Filkins
Justin Yates "Friend" 2018
Singer-songwriter Justin Yates’ new EP Friend is an eclectic mix of songs and instrumentals on solo acoustic guitar. He’s been at it for a while, honing his craft for several years as both a player and singer.
He first CD, The Jog is UP, garnered some positive regional reviews from his home state of Illinois. His lyrics on a couple songs ("Shedding my Skin," "Change") run up close to being a rap, with quick, staccato
lines featuring inventive hooks and phrasing. As a lyricist, his words seem to present unvarnished thoughts and feelings on life, not sugary emotions about what might be. One example from "Shedding My Skin" – "I’m
drinking joe staying up for days wishing and wanting though I never will change." In some ways he reminds me of John Mayer. Each of the songs is followed by an instrumental where he shows fingerpicking and percussive
tapping chops in abundant measure. Yates is a guitarist who sings as well. He lays down a catchy tapped groove on "California," one of the three fine instrumentals on the EP. "Mejnun, for Leyla" is a more traditional
fingerpicked tune, flowing gently from an initial motif into a faster movement with treble melody while the middle and lower voices maintain the beat. (BTW, in Arabic, "mejnun" is the word for "crazy"). "Change" is an
up tempo homage to life’s troubles parallel to its possibilities for change. Yates drives the song with a percussive guitar foundation. Justin Yates is an inventive singer-songwriter whose songs will connect with
many who are asking harder questions of life, and also want to hear some good guitar picking.
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Kirk Albrecht
Terry Kitchen "The Quiet Places" 2017
One word, "gentle," captures Terry Kitchen's 10th release--a loosely thematic look at the human condition. Kitchen's tenor is quietly reassuring. His adept accompaniments across genres-he plays all of the six
string-demonstrate his light touch. Listen to the harmonics on the title track, the blues progression of "Jericho" (with nice trumpet from Sam Dechenne) and the swing of "Half You, Half Me." The songs carry messages
about issues from the ecological-Spirit's "Nature's Way," the lone cover-to child abuse ("The Kid Behind the Wall") conveyed through humor ("Enjoy It While It Lasts") and story ("Seeds"). It feels personal, with all
of the originals in first person. With no overtly political songs, this record stands in opposition to the noise we live with today. Escape that noise and explore "The Quiet Places" with Terry Kitchen.
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David Kleiner