Paul Reddick "Revue," 2007
Paul Reddick revels in the blues. The Canadian-born
composer and harmonica master inhabits the Americana
art form the way a hound curls into the perfect spot
not too near and not too far from the campfire. Fueled
by the blues' glowing embers, Reddick breathes life
into tracks by such legends as Little Walter Jacobs
and Son House, and finds inspiration to create his own
classics. Reddick assembles 18 of his most engaging
recordings on Revue, spanning two decades of work. A
lifelong blues aficionado, Reddicks forges his husky
vocals and stellar harp work with killer arrangements
and outstanding sidemen into a passionate celebration.
©
Fred Kraus
Bill Hibbets "Bricks & Trees," 2007
With a voice like sand and glue (think Bob Dylan in "Modern Times" or Mark Knopfler on a foggy day)
multi-instrumentalist Bill Hibbets renders the bittersweet "Bricks & Trees" with the intimacy of a private
performance. Hibbets' kaleidoscopic arrangements bring to mind the depth and creativity of contemporary
artists who proudly adhere to the album rock era ethos such as Ryan Adams, David Gray, and the eternally
youthful Richard Thompson as the artist melds acoustic and electric guitar passages with an array of disparate
sounds, some of them organic, some conjured in the studio. In addition to excelling as a master story-teller
("lock the gate / make the butcher wait / he's got his tie on straight and it's raining"), Hibbits' penchant
for melody and rhythm is uncanny - check out the weepy dobro licks on "Nobody Knows" or the subtle reggae
grove that lifts the choruses of the opening cut "Bleu." This is the stuff of classic singer-songwriters.
©
Tom Semioli
Barb Ryman "Earthbound," 2007
You'll find songs of hope, spirit and spam from this folky Midwest artist. It opens with a lively flatpicked guitar
and fiddle (played expertly by Peter Ostroushko) in a tune with upbeat lyrics -- the kind that make you wanna dance
around your living room when no one's watching. "A Billion Tears" features an ethereal steel drum and a clear finger
picked acoustic with lovely lyrics, "A billion tears 'cross the Milky Way sky." "This Empire is Falling" uses a
light hand to cover the politics of war and ends with a optimistic plea to understand each other's lives. Finding
solace is the theme of "Mushroom Rock" while "Spam Me" is much lighter, about the daily battle with junk email,
"Spam me, spam me / Might as well take a truck and wham me." Ain't that the truth. After listening to this pleasant
album you won't feel like you've been broadsided -- just relaxed and entertained.
©
Jamie Anderson
Edward Trybek "Portrait Of," 2006
Edward Trybek has enjoyed outstanding success on the international competition circuit over the past two years,
including a silver medal last year in the 49th Tokyo International Guitar Competition. With these remarkable
achievements behind him, Trybek is now releasing his debut album. "Portrait of Edward Trybek" is a balanced
compendium of familiar classical guitar works, ranging from Renaissance to 20th Century. Many of these pieces
he has retained from his competition tour, and as he no doubt played them masterfully then, he continues to do
so now. Trybek presents the works with a delicate sensitivity to both phrasing and tone, which is further
enhanced by his remarkable attention to detail. He programmed the music so that each track leads seamlessly
from one to the next, carefully guiding the listener through several centuries of guitar compositions. His
spirit as a performer is evident as he introduces the disc with "Open Up Your Ears" by Bryan Johanson, then
later, as a digital encore, concludes with a bonus live recording of the Chaconne from the second Violin
Partita by J.S. Bach. The successful completion of this recording is another great step forward in Trybek's
blossoming career.
©
Timothy Smith
Harald Koll, "Now," 2007
With modern technology, it's become easy for musicians to record their own music and press it onto some CD's to get
it into people's hands. Sure beats the old days of trying to distribute cassettes. Harald Koll from the Netherlands
is one of many solo guitarists exploring the range of the tonal palette of the steel string guitar through altered
tunings. He has a nice sense of direction in his songs, allowing the melody to flow. While his music doesn't have
much flash, it has soul -- you can tell he truly owns the tunes he plays. Perhaps this is because many of his tunes
seem to find their inspiration in his wife and children. "Mirel" is namd for his wife, and in it we hear echoes of
some of Tommy Emmanuel's ballads with their mix of chordal runs with fingerpicking. (Could it also be that that he
plays a Maton guitar primarily?) "Before" is a lovely ballad infused with grace. "Dirge for Avalon", as the name
might imply, has a Celtic feel, slow and free, with the melody line floating gently over the steady rhythm.
He closes the 13 songs CD with a nice version of the standard "The Water is Wide". He begins with some
arpeggios, then segues into the melody. While it's not Ed Gerhard, it conveys well the melancholic beauty
of the original. All in all, this is a nice collection of tunes from a good guitarist.
©
Kirk Albrecht
Scott Blasey, "Travelin' On," 2007
The opening salvo "I'm leaving soon / at the break of noon" aptly sums up the wandering spirit of Blasey's third solo
effort. Late of the acclaimed Pittsburgh rock ensemble The Clarks, Blasey's tales of woe and uncertainty are
juxtaposed by a jaunty rhythm section and sweet vocal harmonies evocative of modern alt-country rockers Beechwood
Sparks, The Broken West, and Rhett Miller. Blasey makes good use of his guests too, especially Richard Martin who
summons the ghost of Bowie Spiderman Mick Ronson by way of his slicing guitar lines in "See You Around." Vocalist
Michele Pittenger transforms the downtrodden dirge "Sweet Mystery" into a romantic torch song. Despite the absence
of percussion, the title cut swings as Blasey's nimble finger-picking and Rob James' brisk mandolin lines intertwine
on top of the beat. Heck, there's even a cut Nick Cave could cover: "Bird On A Wire" -- not the Leonard Cohen song.
Feeling "down" never sounded so "up."
©
Tom Semioli
Holly O'Reilly, "Gifts & Burdens," 2007
Listening randomly to the new tunes that came my way lately, every song that stopped me where I stood seemed to
come from "Gifts and Burdens." The opener, the spiritual "Lay Them Down," featuring a lovely duet in close harmony
with David LaMotte. The title track, beautifully establishing the ground rules for the confessional songwriting in
this blazingly candid set. "New York," building on details -- the filthy subway stairs, the elevator buzz "marking off
each floor," the "rooftops and clouds" out the hundredth floor window -- to arrive at a surprising conclusion about one
person who’s decided to get out and many people "who didn’t get to choose when they left New York." Ms. O’Reilly has
more than kept the promise in her liner notes. No one could make a record "more clear or honest" and more fine than
this.
©
David Kleiner
Anthony Ocaña
Trench Town Oddities - Days and Nights
Steve Unruh - The Great Divide
Peter Lavender - Back to Normal (whatever that is)
Nice Ash - Daydream
Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers - Dreamers, Lovers and Outlaws
Michael Jonathon - Walden, The Earth Song Collection
Tom Salvatori & Iris Litchfield - When Evening Falls
Lea - Great Big World
Paul Reece - I'm Happy Cause I Sing