Winter 2021/2022 Short Takes Brief Reviews
Guy Buttery "One Morning in Gurgaon" 2021
Guy Buttery of South Africa is known for melding South African influences with acoustic guitar music drawing from his jazz and classical background. On One Morning in Gurgaon he goes in a different direction,
embracing Eastern influences and teaming up with Indian master musicians Mohd. Amjad Khad (tabla) and Mudassir Khan (sarangi) in an unrehearsed, improvised, and utterly enthralling session. On these seven pieces
Buttery mostly takes a back seat to Khan's soaring sarangi. Buttery lays the foundation, often with tinkling delicate melody and grounding repetition, over which the sarangi circles and weaves. The tabla's rhythms
propel the tempo, now lightning quick, now insistent and bold. "Chidiya" opens the album, dramatic and sensuous. It's followed by "December Poems," an exceptional piece in which the sarangi displays a dark feverish
intensity over the complex and jewel tones of the guitar as it builds to a crescendo encouraged by the table. On "I Know This Place," Buttery substitutes for the guitar the clear chimey sounds of the kalimba, creating
with the sarangi an intricate texture. "Kya Baat" opens with a more acoustic fingerstyle vibe and melody, while jaunty "Bakithi" has more of a South African sound; both are a bit jazzy. The two longest pieces are both
Raga based. "Raag Yaman" is atmospheric, with a droning foundational tone over which the sarangi soars and dips. The final piece, "Raga Kirwani," begins with harsh clanging sounds and a somber single melody line by the
sarangi. The guitar enters and begins to assert itself, after which the two instruments begin a complex dance. A new melody is advanced, and the sonic contrast builds to an electrifying pitch enhanced by the tabla.
Overall, these masterly improvisations weave from strands of several musical traditions a rich tapestry that is downright mesmerizing.
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Céline Keating
Marco Matos "3 Contemplações" 2021
Marco Matos has a passion for instrumental guitar music and has offered the following to further explicate: "Thus, the music I write is comprised of many things. From everything I've heard - exhaustively or occasionally -
the concepts and theory learned and the experiences shared with other musicians." The four pristinely recorded solo guitar pieces on 3 Contemplações are an amalgam of the traditional and modern in terms of compositional
form, and are singularly approachable in their harmonic structure. An apt usage of dissonance is also well-placed throughout the EP, keeping the listener engaged, curious, and, on occasion, pleasantly surprised. Each
capably performed piece stands confidently on its own while also serving the broader story Matos is telling about the past, present, future, and beyond.
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David Pedrick
Paul Benoit "Beautiful Lies" 2021
Honest music, done simply. It sounds easy, but so few find the path that radiates from the heart to the song. Paul Benoit, a veteran singer/songwriter and gifted wielder of guitar, skillfully treks that trail on
his 10-track collection of Americana folk-rock, Beautiful Lies. Benoit is well-traveled, doing this work - translating emotion and meaning into melody - for a couple of decades, and it shows. He's not world-weary,
but knows life and love and what makes it all go round. This album plays like a distillation of all of the bands and gigs and tours of his life. There are clouds, there is thoughtfulness, there are lyrics that will
make you smile and nod. "Cactus Meets the Sky" finds its balladic power in a theme of impermanence, "The Score" aches over a breakup, while "Beautiful Lies" and its tale of desire features Amilia K. Spicer on vocals.
Pristinely produced throughout, Ron Weinstein's B3 Hammond and Noah Jeffries on violin and mandolin add to the full but fully breathable soundstage. The most powerful thread is Benoit's guitar snaking through the
tracks, supporting and gently enhancing the mood of each. It all makes for fine and immediately listenable stuff that gets better and better with each listen.
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Fred Kraus
Neil Campbell "The Great Escape" 2021
British guitarist Neil Campbell has just released another diverse recording showcasing his composition skills alongside his dexterity on all things strings. A celebrated composer and performer for the past 15 years,
Campbell's newest release The Great Escape defies genre labels and we hear shades of jazz, Latin, classical, and Celtic vibes in the 12 original compositions. The disc opens with "Syzmonia," a great smooth jazz
piece. "Incident in Rio" - as you might expect from the title - is a Latin groove that shines, as well as the bouncy "Spanish Feat." "Masquerade" uses a repeating staccato scale to set off the melody. "Passport"
employs a simple hook that joins other payers to form a compelling musical narrative. It is also the longest track of the disk, with a second movement that is equally ethereal and captivating. Campbell is a fine
player who seems at home in most any style of guitar, steel or nylon strings. Good listening!
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Kirk Albrecht
Stephen Godsall "Atlantic Skies" 2021
Atlantic Skies is the latest release from British jazz musician Stephen Godsall. The compositions are full and complex, using guitars, percussion, brass, keys, woodwinds, and vocals. On most cuts, Godsall is
not even the featured instrument, but his playing is always there in the pocket. Vocalists show a range of styles from whimsical to straight-ahead. The title track "Atlantic Skies" is a mesmerizing counter-point
guitar and piano duet searching for a melody line while each instrument takes its own road, yet drawn together. Godsall uses electric guitar to develop "Fantasia on a theme of Ralph Vaughan Williams" along with
strings to highlight the deeply emotive music of the British master. "White Water" has shades of the Arab world in melodic structure. There are 18 tracks overall, with a wide variation in styles and playing by Godsall.
He has some serious skills, and his music is an interesting ride.
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Kirk Albrecht