71 Results for : plucking

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    Full Clown Service
    The Full Clown Service came together after a year of travel for Loren Scott... six months through South East Asia followed by a beautiful winter in Berlin created space to put the ten tracks in order. On returning to London, Loren approached producer and collaborator Gary Brady once again to put the full album together. Guy Whitby returned to play drums on a number of tracks, but most of the material was recorded using hand percussion and all manner of ingenious low-fi tricks to move beyond the range of the conventional drum kit. Loren Scott - Guitars & Vocals Gary Brady - Bass, keyboards and all the tools... Guy Whitby - Where there's drums Guest vocals: Massimo Martella and Toby Carter All songs written by Loren Scott Produced by Gary Brady & Loren Scott at Escapade Music Studio Mastered by Denis Blackham at Skye Mastering REVIEWS: Beginning gently, we set the scene. A pacing acoustic guitar, some synth-style beeps and a tender beat, not to mention a stunning voice. But just wait. Bursting into a beautifully rich finale of vocals and guitar before finally slowing down into the soft restful tempo we heard before is opener 'Don't Let Love'. 'Glass' is a soaring anthem with soothing vocals gliding over a chaos of crashing percussion and pianos, little ruptures of guitar sprinkled throughout. Folk-rock grounds are covered with the epic that is 'Kissing Skulls', a stomping drum beat and a current of cascading chords are the perfect setting to vocals delivered with a feverish gusto. Keeping with the acoustic ambience is the delightfully honest 'Sunday (Seemed Like A Good Idea)', coaxing your mind back to summery nineties Britpop ballads. 'The Full Clown Service' just keeps getting stronger as we move into 'So Many Reasons' which is more reminiscent of the Pet Shop Boys, ambitious and striking. 'Looks like Leaper' has bongo drums and staccato pianos galore before emerging into a whirl of guitar, mirroring that of the peculiar darkness of 'Nothing Left'. Another wonderful thing about this album is how the instrumental numbers are just as strong as the lyric laden ones - they have the same impact and sit so comfortably together. So often instrumentals are boring, just there as filler for a good five minutes of an album, but for Loren Scott, the instrumentals are a way of showcasing talent and a broad musical mind. A whispering and twinkling that blossoms into a kitchen sink of percussion and plucking is the gorgeously laidback 'London Fields', so tuned to the finest details that the song comes alive, making the most simple of things so beautiful. It's a song that highlights the subtle variety of this album perfectly as the closest attentions to detail are the key to creating such a huge effect on the listener. You feel the music, there is nothing such as listening anymore as you become of part of what you are hearing, entwining yourself into the pitches and tones. This is truly something wonderful. Eloise Quince - TASTY fanzine * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Loren Scott has been described variously as "a London rocker", "a thought provoking artist" and simply "ace". As it happens all these descriptions are accurate for this singer and songwriter who shows remarkable depth and versatility on her second album. Aided by a sterling line-up of backing musicians, 'The Full Clown Service' is a classy alternative rock affair Scott is blessed with a fine voice, sometimes so deep you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a male artist. She casts a brooding presence on just about every&nbsp,track on here from the half-gloomy, half-grungy opener 'Don't Let Love...' to tense instrumental closer 'Perimeter'. 'So Many Reasons' and 'Opium Of The Week' are top notch indie rockers with plenty of soul. It's indicative of the overall quality of the record that even low-slung instrumental 'London Fields' sounds atmospheric and important whilst the vocal hooks for 'Sunday' are complemented by strings. Best of all is 'Glass', a&nbsp,beautifully mysterious&nbsp,piece of work with Scott lending her ghostly presence over a shimmering backdrop. The production for 'The Full Clown Service' is spot on with spacious arrangements perfectly complementing the breathy quality of Scott's own tones. Equal parts haunting, intense and emotional, this is a seriously good artist who doesn't need any quirky gimmicks to stand out. Leonard's Lair * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Loren Scott's second album has a way of worming it's way into your head by way of sly melodies and a rough-hewn vocal. 'Don't Let Love' is a persuasive, snaky opener, with an explosive chorus and a strong tune. Scott's full-force vocal leaves nothing to be desired. 'Kissing Skulls' is an up-tempo song that allows Scott the full use of her expressive vocals to a punchy backing. It's a curious yet compelling song. 'London Fields' has a becalmed but hardly dull mood that she takes full advantage of. It's somewhat like PJ Harvey a while ago. 'Opium of the Week' has a tune that easily lodges in the mind and a propulsive feel that suits Scott's delivery well. It's one of the most intriguing things on offer here. But the entire album has much to recommend it to the listener. Anna Maria Stjärnell - Luna Kafé.
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    Kosmogonia
    PIANO DIARIES OF A MUSICAL ALCHEMIST Every single composition on this CD represents a time capsule from my life. Each piece I played and recorded on a different piano, in a different city, and in a different period of my life. In all of the pieces I applied the method I call 'preparation in real time'-the personal performance practice I often use in my live performances. It implies using devices, easily movable objects, and different fingerings to temporarily shift the instrument's timbre from that of the piano to that of a harpsichord or clavichord. For instance, in Genesis (2009) and Kosmogonia (Cosmogony) (2005), following the proverb 'necessity is mother of invention,' I came up with a vibrating glove. When placed on the piano strings, the electromagnets stuffed into the glove's fingertips helped create the sostenuto-sounding strings, mockup flute sounds, and bass clarinet I needed. Mappa della Memoria, for acoustic baby grand piano, was recorded live during my recital at the Bogliasco Foundation in Genoa, Italy, where I held a composer's residency in 2004. Based on the eponymous work by the ingenious Italian visual artist Mario Fallini, the Memory Map is a fitting piece to start this album with. Like a traveler who retraces his own footsteps, Fallini draws his version of the iconic medieval allegory of memory, traditionally depicted as a portly matron in elaborate dress, by 'stitching' the titles of his own works in each fold of her sumptuous attire. Sonatina No.1 was composed in 1996 and recorded in 1997 on an upright piano after I rescued it from the local bar and somehow fit it into the kitchen of my studio apartment in Manhattan. I dedicated this piece to Morpho, a large, mysterious South American butterfly with iridescent wings who lives for only a day before being sealed for eternity into a pendant by a jewelry maker. Sonatina No.2 and Sonatina No.3 were composed in 2004 and recorded on an amplified Chinese-made baby grand piano I purchased at a liquidation sale at the San Francisco Opera. In the already-mentioned Genesis, I wondered what it sounded like when God went about making the world. During my college years, while sitting in the symphony orchestra and counting numerous empty bars in my harp parts, I entertained the idea of getting a job in a planetarium. I recalled that fantasy many years later in Kosmogonia, where I explore the ways to depict in sound the mindboggling theory of the ever-expanding universe. This album is dedicated to my dad, Dr. Vladimir Jordano MD. Victoria Jordanova Los Angeles, May 2012 Notes by Dean Suzuki Victoria Jordanova, an American composer born in Kragujevac, Serbia, is probably best known for her magnificent Requiem for Bosnia for broken piano, harp and child's voice. The current CD is her first for piano since the release of the Requiem in 1994. Unlike the Requiem, which exists only as a recording and cannot be performed live (the namesake broken piano no longer exists), Kosmogonia is comprised of works that can be performed in concert. Born in Serbia, a longtime San Francisco resident, and now living in Los Angeles, Jordanova's aesthetic forebears include West Coast American experimentalists and mavericks, Henry Cowell and John Cage. She is inspired by their innovative piano compositions, and especially by Cowell's 'string piano' (when performers bypass the piano's keyboard and play directly on the strings, variously plucking, strumming, rubbing and otherwise manipulating them), as well as his generous use of tone clusters, and Cage's 'prepared piano,' inspired by and extrapolated from Cowell's string piano, in which items such as screws, bolts, bits of rubber and other materials are inserted and wedged between the strings, thus dramatically transforming the instrument's timbre. It should be no surprise that other important influences on Jodanova include Krzysztof Penderecki and György Ligeti, both composers who experimented with and explored sound masses, unorthodox timbres, and unconventional musical textures and techniques. In an undergraduate class taught by composition professor Dr. Jere Hutcheson, Jodanova encountered Penderecki's Kosmogonia (1970) (a work that inspired her own work of the same title found on this CD), Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (1960) and Ligeti's Atmospheres (1961). The music left her awestruck. Such inspiration is borne out when Jordanova states that she uses a computer and MIDI-instruments to compose, 'But whenever I really want to test an idea, only the piano will do. I open it, knock on it, touch every part of it, play it inside and out, amplify it to hear it's softest whispers, and present it with all kinds of toys and devices to coax every possible sound out of it. And it always gives back more than I expect, surprising me with new sounds and possibilities.' Jordanova's wide-open ears are on a never-ending quest for new sounds, timbres and sonorities. She says, 'Some of the best times of my life were spent with pianos. I have played many pianos in my life and I've never found one I didn't like. From the old upright, which never could be tuned properly, that I rescued from a local bar and worked on in my Manhattan apartment, to the one that fell down two flights of stairs in the French-American International School in San Francisco, which I used to record my Requiem-all gave me something unique. Sometimes I feel that there is more at play than a mere material object, as in the medieval concept of Anima mundi--a pure, ethereal spirit diffused throughout all nature that animates all matter in the same sense in which the soul was thought to animate the human.' She concludes with a rather cunning and insightful proposal: 'Maybe the piano participates in my compositions as much as I do.' In her Sonatina no. 1 for upright antique piano, Jordanova coaxes beautiful sounds from an instrument that would have horrified Chopin and would be considered beneath contempt by contemporary concert pianists (can one imagine Lang Lang performing on an upright piano, much less an antique one?). Instead of regarding the faults of the antique piano as shortcomings, she views them as opportunities for sonic exploration. Indeed, the Sonatina would be a completely different and much less successful work were it played on a pristine concert grand. Those familiar with the string piano and prepared piano, and with works by composers such as Stephen Scott who also use extended techniques on the instrument, including 'bowing' the strings (for example, strands of rosined nylon fishing line are threaded under the strings then drawn back and forth to excite the strings), will recognized the instrument as a piano, but may be bewildered by the manner of sound generation in Genesis and Kosmogonia. These compositions require a vibrating glove, in which small electromagnets are placed in the fingertips. Jordanova does not insert her hand in the glove to stroke or massage the strings. Rather, she uses the glove as a holder for the electromagnets, which are placed directly on the strings. Further manipulation, including use of the keyboard, sustain pedal and touching the string with the fingers, changes the overtone structure for the purpose of discovering new timbres and advancing the music. The amplification employed in several works on this CD is used only to precisely reveal the subtleties and nuances of the piano, rather than to increase power and volume. By running the sound from the microphone directly into the computer input, the normal recording studio problems of trying to accurately capture acoustic sound are circumvented. The amplification and recording techniques allow the listener to hear everything--harmonics, partials and other acoustic phenomena--in a way that would not be possible using traditional recording methods. As a result, one hears the music differently and in a way that enhances Jordanova's compositions and reveals her special gifts. Dean Suzuki Associate Professor of music
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    51 Strings
    'It is a glorious and almost unfathomable truth that it only takes 51 strings (four on the violin and 47 on the harp) to produce immensely beautiful music. While violin soloists often have a piano or an entire orchestra to serve as accompanist, the lone harp in the Kent / Shulman Duo does a fantastic job of uplifting and supporting her counterpart in a more sonically unique fashion. Violinist Peter Kent and harpist Amy Shulman have played extensively apart and as a duo worldwide for a number of years. Both imbibe a true appreciation for the music they play and that sensitivity is evident in each piece. Throughout '51 Strings' the violin takes the lead melody with it's resonance and sustain qualities while the harp becomes the delicate percussive instrument keeping each piece flowing while hopefully getting a brief shining moment to run through a glissando. The opening number is Camille Saint-Saëns' "Fantaisie," which runs seamlessly through a series of different moods with each episode ebbing with the violin rubatto and then urged along by the harp. Both instruments have exquisite tone and sound most impressive in the higher registers at quiet dynamic levels. Kent and Shulman form an excellent musical team by intertwining their respective strings in a matched timbre. Continuing in the impressionist style with a more ethnomusicology flair, the duo performs Manuel de Falla's "Spanish Dance No. 1" from the opera La Vide Breve. After expertly plucking along the Latin countryside, the duo journey to the English moors with a masterful arrangement of Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending." The succulent, passionate tune captures the air of rural life in the British Isles, similar to the composer's "Six Studies in English Folksong" for cello and piano, however the combination of violin and harp is sweeter. Jumping back to the European mainland is French composer Jules Massenet's sensual "Méditation" from the opera Thaïs displaying beautiful harmonics. In classical music there is no one more perfect than Johánn Sebastian Bach. These two stellar musicians perform the third and fourth movements from his Violin Sonata in E Major, the "Adagio" and "Allegro" respectively. The final selections on this wonderfully diverse album are from the 20th century Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Two preludes are featured originally written for piano from his 24 Preludes, Op. 34. The first is a jumpy, humorous piece in A-flat Major with the harp carrying the left hand piano part adroitly as the violin jovially takes the melody. In the second, a musically inclined ear may pick up a snippet of the main theme from Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony in C-sharp minor. Lastly, rich in traditional Soviet drama and melancholy is "Romance" from the film The Gadfly. '51 Strings' not only demonstrates a more unique and aurally pleasing pairing of instruments but it also boasts a diverse assortment of musical styles sure to please any classical music lovers palette.' Review by: Kelly O'Neil Rating: 5 stars (out of 5) 'Peter Kent and Amy Shulman are each accomplished artists unto themselves. Harpist Amy Shulman, a graduate of Juilliard, has performed with numerous orchestral, chamber and contemporary music groups. She has also been heard in motion pictures, on television and on recordings by such greats as Frank Sinatra, Placido Domingo and Aretha Franklin. Violinist Peter Kent is a concertmaster in several orchestras in the Los Angeles area, and has performed on recordings by artists such as Michael Feinstein, Fiona Apple, Mariah Carey, Cracker and Shirley Horn. Beginning in 1982, the pair formed the Kent/Shulman duo, and has toured nationally to critical and popular praise. In 2012, the Kent/Shulman duo released their debut album 51 Strings. 51 Strings strikes it's first chord with Camille Saint-Saens' 'Fantaisie', a beautiful marriage of harp and violin that is subtly cast and sublime. Kent creates a beautiful framework from through which Kent's violin may dance. 'Spanish Dance No. 1' (Manuel de Falla) is a delightful turn, full of amazing energy and brilliant rhythmic counterpoints between Kent and Shulman. In contrast, the lyric beauty of Ralph Vaughan Williams' 'The Lark Ascending' is absolutely breathtaking, with Shulman providing subtle textures to highlight Kent's soaring melody lines. Johann Sebastian Bach gets fair time with "Adagio" and "Allegro". 'Adagio' mixes texture and lyricism, with each player carving out their own musical geography. There are moments of simple grace blending into sublime beauty here that captivate the listener's attention. Kent and Shulman build their resolutions slowly, leaving listeners on the very edges if their seats. 'Allegro' is a much more manic experience, with Kent bowing his way through undulating lines. 'Thais Meditation' (Jules Massenet) is contemplative and sweet, with a quiet vibrancy running underneath. The violin lines here are nothing short of gorgeous, most especially the high resolution with about 30 seconds to go. 'Berceuse' (Gabriel Fauré) finds Shulman as the perpetual 'yes, and' in a vibrant story told on four strings. It's a moment of beauty almost perfect in it's nature and mien. ?? Kent and Shulman close things out with three numbers from Dmitri Shostakovich. 'Prelude No. 1' plays off a vaguely Middle Eastern theme but quickly moves to a more classic Italian sound. The violin is vibrant here, while the harp is the glue that holds everything together. 'Prelude No. 2' is 93 seconds of quiet grace in song, with a subtle melody line that dances and lilts as if it were the air itself. Kent and Shulman close with 'Romance', with the harp marking off time as Kent tells a love story on violin. Peter Kent and Amy Shulman don't have much to prove at this point. As musicians they are acknowledged as some of the finest in their respective crafts. Yet on 51 Strings they find a way to move together beyond simple mastery into fine art. The ability to play notes with precision and a certain amount of grace is the mark of a master. The ability to breathe life through your instrument into a composition and bring it to life is the mark of an artisan. Both Kent and Shulman exhibit that ability in significant measure on 51 Strings. This is pure chamber music, much too expressive and full of life to ever be relegated to the background.' Review by: Wildy Haskell Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)? An excellent album this. Violinist Peter Kent and harpist Amy Shulman have put together a varied and colorful program that plays to the strengths of their unusual combination of instruments. Musical variety is achieved through subtle gradations of dynamics, and through a wide range of tone colors. Peter Kent is clearly a versatile violinist, and he knows exactly the tone to go for to complement the harp. Amy Shulman is also capable of varying her timbre as the music demands, through differing percussive levels in her attack, and by allowing the reverberation of the strings to overlap and mix into each other's harmonics. Most of the works on the program are arrangements, but the first piece, Saint-Saëns' Fantaisie, is a violin and harp original. And what a wonderful piece it is. The composer makes adventurous use of the harp, employing it as a full duo partner and never as mere accompaniment. His use of repeated note effects is particularly effective, as are his endlessly varied broken chords. And most importantly of all, he conjures some magical melodies, ideally suited to both instruments. In Manuel de Falla's Spanish Dance No. 1, the harp takes the role of the flamenco guitar, providing the ideal Iberian flavor and gentle propulsion throughout. The Lark Ascending is well-known in a wide range of settings and transcriptions, but the advantage of the harp here is that the violin does not have to compete to be heard. Even in it's original orchestral form, the piece presents a paradox: how can the soloist float on the breeze when the orchestral backing dem
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    Grape Vine Twist
    This is a continuation of my work on Early Banjo Volume I. The published material is c. 1855-1886, although many of the songs were certainly performed well before that. Most of it was played on a Wunder Boucher, built by George Wunderlich, modeled in detail after an instrument built by William Boucher of Baltimore in the 1840's. The source of the music came from the following books: • Briggs' Banjo Instructor of 1855 • Phil Rice's Correct Method for the Banjo 1858 • Buckley's New Banjo Method of 1860 • Frank B. Converse's New And Complete Method for the Banjo With Or Without A Master 1865 • Buckley's Banjo Guide of 1868 • The Banjo And How To Play It by Frank Converse 1872 • The Analytical Banjo Method by Frank Converse 1886. The books were published for commercial reasons, but remain as an important record of what the banjo was doing at the time. Each book represents a collection of Jigs, Reels, Walk-Arounds, Waltzes, Polkas, and Popular Songs and is the source from which I am playing today. Since we have no recordings from the 19th century we must rely upon these manuscripts. Experimenting, listening, studying, and talking to other musicians is the way to breath life back into this forgotten music. The music is played faithfully, note for note, as is written in these books. There may be a small variation in rhythm, or the use of added harmonies, but by and large, it is entirely accurate. The interpretation of style and added percussion is my own. I used only instruments that would have been present during this time, bones, tambourine, bodhran, and jawbone. This style of banjo playing sounds different also because of the manner in which it is played. It is struck down by the back of the first finger and the flesh of the thumb only. This is called the STROKE STYLE and has long been forgotten. This is truly African in it's origin. It is not "plucked" the way guitars and banjos are today. Eventually, the banjo did adopt the "guitar style" manner of plucking in the middle of the century. The banjo of this time is also tuned much lower than the modern banjo of today. I chose primarily material that had not been recorded yet, as well as a few which are favorites and can be found elsewhere. The Wunder Boucher is used on all tracks except for 2, 3, and 6 which are performed on a Jay Moschella Banjo (as seen on the cover). Tracks 1 and 19 are played on a Gourd Banjo, also by Jay Moschella.
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    Mantle of Peace
    /*[*Mantle of Peace*]* is: Reuben Correa's Christmas / Winter recording containing his arrangements of traditional carols, Classical pieces, and two of his original compositions. The title is reflective of this time of the year as the pure white snow falls silently and muffles sounds into a quiet peaceful murmur. To Reuben it becomes a peaceful, sparkling Mantle covering everything. Reuben ventured out into the frozen tundra of Minnesota after an ice storm, with his camera and hung a golden harp on the icy branches of several trees and bushes before choosing the right picture for this recording. 1. Fanfare and Christmas Medley (O Come all Ye Faithful & Joy to the World) Reuben introduces each Carol with a Fanfare opening using the full range of the harp in a creative mesmerizing blend of styles from stately to lighthearted. 2. Silent Night: Franz Gruber's melody done in a few different variations, utilizing rolled chords, ornamented descant, sparkling descending chords, and the melody hidden amongst smooth glissandos. 3. Good King Wenceslas: Mr. Correa uses single and double xylophonic plucking to introduce this piece, gradually blending in unusual harmonies and finishing this arrangement with syncopated rhythms. Lastly he uses a string slide to end the piece with what sounds like a string break! Not!!! 4. Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring: This piece is an arrangement of J.S. Bach's top ten piece of all times. 5. International Party Mix (a Medley of 7 carols from around the world) 6. Ode to Joy, 7. The Little Drummer Boy, 8. O Holy Night, 9. Canon in D, *10. Mantle of Peace, 11. Prelude in C, 12. *Snow Flake Lullaby. *denotes original compositions.
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    Chicken Pickin'
    After 15 years of performing, including 3 CDs with his band, Blue Rooster, Cort Armstrong has released his first solo CD, which features 100% original material. Recorded in his isolated rural community, at Nash's Corner in Dungeness Valley, WA, throughout 2009, Cort laid down twelve songs of his own, with engineering and a little harmony vocal support from fellow devotee of roots music, Tyler Richart, from Seattle, WA. A very adept producer, Richart coaxed the best out of the new material, practically collaborating in the evolution of some of the newest songs. Armstrong's performance sizzles... his voice reflects the pain of years, and the guitar picking shows off his passion for the picking styles of Rev. Gary Davis, Merle Travis and Doc Watson. This collection of original songs doesn't rely on any tradition or genre to define it... based on a love for Piedmont Blues, Bluegrass, Mountain Fiddle music and barroom Country music, this music of Armstrong's may come to define other people's music. Right now, we describe it as 'Chicken Pickin''. This is not the 'chicken picking' of the Telecaster plucking Marty Stuarts of the world. This style comes from the mountains, and is a blues man showing his love of country music. The project introduces two other songwriting collaborators. Kevin Sandri (Blue Rooster, Foghorn Stringband) helped Cort pen 'Stone Cold Blues', a true story about a fellow that Kevin knew back in New Jersey. Mark Hintzke, who is better known for his altruistic efforts to restore temples and associated communities around the world, has a bit of a gift with writing, and collaborated with Armstrong on 'Chicken Pickin'' and 'Can't Keep Livin''.
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    Rockitfuel
    The album kicks off with a gentle electric plucking from a Les Paul and rolls into a melodic acoustic progression with a soothing vocal layered on top. Then the track explodes into mid-tempo classic like rock which we call 'Southern Bell'. The album takes a turn with the second track 'Sail Away'. An atmosperic almost romantic like ballad which only features acoustic guitar and vocals. As the album moves along we experience a small journey of humor, violence, heartbreak and candid feelings of rejection as displayed on the track 'Lousy Reception'. This song describes the often misunderstood lyrics and music in a song, as we have seen so often throughout the years and decades in music. We feel these songs are only the tip of the iceburg with much more of the story to unfold.
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    Scenes
    One of the delightful mysteries of music is the power it possesses to stimulate visual impressions in the minds of listeners. Certain works-even small musical fragments-can fire the imagination with images from our world. A chevron of birds in flight, a serene mountain lake, the morning after a snowstorm, a starry sky, a cityscape, all from melody, harmony, and rhythm. Certain musical strains can release floods of memories that instantly connect us with the poignancy of times and places that we long to glimpse again. Like many before me, pursued a lifelong quest to find and capture the notes that may move others to feel such things. The guitar has been an excellent musical companion in this pursuit. The range of musical styles into which it's voice fits has enabled me (in different seasons of my life) to delve into folk, rock, jazz, and sacred music in addition to the classical repertoire. Consequently, the pieces I've written for this album have been shaped by my passage through diverse stylistic territories. The suite Four Scenes From a New England Calendar offers pastoral impressions of the part of the country where I've spent most of my years. The individual movements bear the subtitles "January", "April", "August", and "October" and attempt to convey feelings about the seasons as experienced in America's Northeast. As well, each movement explores different guitar textures and techniques and harmonies. "January" employs block chords struck vigorously in an eighth note pulse throughout. "April" is an atmospheric but melodic waltz at a medium tempo. In my mind, the rolling triplet arpeggio texture of "August" suggests ocean waves. "October" is dark and introspective with a lyrical melody. It brings the suite to a close with a coda that's as warm and peaceful as glowing embers on a chilly night. Descent to a Dream explores the moments of waning consciousness as we drift into sleep. The piece opens with a serene melody that becomes more rhythmically animated as it develops. Whole-tone scale motives, suggestive of the dream state, appear periodically for transitions. Fragments of the main theme emerge again in the coda above a bass line and hypnotic arpeggios. Four long chords signal the final break with the waking world. In the blues Mississippi Revisited, astute listeners might detect inspiration drawn from various blues guitar stylists blended with harmonies slightly reminiscent of George Gershwin's music. The middle section with it's walking bass line and chord jabs gives a nod to jazzmen Joe Pass and Lenny Breau. Three Hymn Tunes is a group of settings of popular hymn melodies: "Where Can I Turn for Peace?" "Abide With Me," and "Come, Come Ye Saints." My first serious exposure to hymn tunes began in 1984 when my wife MaryAnn and I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and felt the uplifting power of hymns through singing them. The canon of American hymn tunes includes original melodies and adaptations of folk songs that have enjoyed long lives in both Europe and America. When I began making guitar settings of hymns in 1993, my approach was to take them out of the vocal domain and into the instrumental world and attempt to illustrate aspects and images inspired by the titles and lyrics. Joleen G. Meredith (1924-2004) wrote the melody to "Where Can I Turn for Peace" in 1971. Of the three hymns in this grouping, this melody has the shortest history, but has touched millions with a buoying message about turning to Christ for peace amid life's tumult. "Abide With Me" is considered a masterpiece of the Christian hymnody. British organist and composer William H. Monk (1823-1889) wrote this melody, which he titled "Eventide," and joined it with lyrics penned by Reverend Henry F. Lyte as the latter was succumbing to tuberculosis in 1847. The line "the darkness deepens, Lord abide with me" builds on a metaphor relating the inevitability of the close of the day to the end of life. "Come, Come, Ye Saints" is the best known of all Mormon hymn tunes. The melody is from an English folk song with lyrics written by William Clayton (1814-1879) after he and thousands of other Mormons were unlawfully ejected from their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois in the winter of 1846. This setting opens with the single-line melody accompanied by a snare drum effect (produced by plucking the fifth and sixth strings after crossing and fretting them at the midpoint of the guitar neck), alluding to the forced exodus and historic Mormon pioneer trek across America's plains. The ebb and flow of rhythmic and harmonic activity are meant to conjure up images of the energy and vibrancy of the pioneers who built a new city in the Salt Lake Valley. Malenky Etude is a short arpeggio study created to help master the right-hand fingering pattern found in "Etude 1" by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos. Virtually all classical guitarists have grappled with the unusual demands of that piece. "Malenky" is a Russian word for small, and the piece is dedicated to my Russian-born former teacher Dmitry Goryachev. Beneath the Lowering Sky seeks to portray the reaction to the sight of angry clouds overtaking a formerly clear sky. It's based on angular question-and-answer phrases built from the arrangement of nine tones. I worked this curious little melody through several permutations, presenting it in a number of harmonic and textural guises to fit a range of shifting moods. Metheny is a tribute to the great jazz composer and guitarist Pat Metheny. Over the years he has named several tunes for people. Two musicians whose work has moved him-songwriter James Taylor and bassist Jaco Pastorius-inspired the tunes "James" and "Jaco." I'm not aware of any musician returning the favor, so I named this piece for Pat. While it doesn't directly quote any of his music, it does contain allusions to aspects of his style in the articulations of certain melodies, unusual chord voicings and progressions, Latin rhythms, vigorous strumming, and a button ending. It's a tribute to an artist whose music has been a recurring theme in the soundtrack of my life since 1976. Farewell is the only piece I didn't write or arrange for this project. John Doan, best known for playing the 20-string harp guitar and for his Celtic-influenced compositions, came up with this gem. It's tinged with a bit of Irish dolor that affected me deeply the first time I heard it. Who hasn't experienced bittersweet resignation when the time for parting arrives and we desperately wish it could be postponed? John's simple but eloquent tune captures that sentiment perfectly, making it an ideal choice to close this album. -Mark Small.
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    Crossroads Middletown
    Polair bears his soul First playing this CD in the kitchen whilst making dinner, two things stuck in my mind - a number of the songs remind me of the melodic, melancholic folk of Sophia and at one point my ears pricked up because I thought I was listening to the Pale Fountains. Two points of interest are a positive indicator, an awful lot of the records I listen to fail to register any. On closer listen Polair has an awful lot more going for him than being likened to excellent yet defunct groups. The deliberate walk of the strings on 'Fallen Angels' is definitely one of the points that invited me to think of Sophia and it was the bucolic bossa nova of 'Eternidad' though sung in Spanish that made me think of the young Michael Head and the iconoclastic fun of his first band. Polair does up-tempo indie folk rock with some brio, 'Tragi-Comic Girl' boasts a superb opening and a chorus that is surrounded by guitars that are both melancholic but paradoxically uplifting. Then there is 'Teenage Years' that has some banjo plucking that would make the nimblest of Bluegrass pickers flush with envy. This is the kind of stuff that Joe Pernice started out making in the Scud Mountain Boys. Even better, for me at least, is 'God Knows Why' which reminds me of Herman Dune who are the best exponents at this kind of left-field folk/indie rock. Some of the songs suffer from a lack of a strong identity, but they're nonetheless pleasant and this collection is satisfying in the way that home baked bread is. David Cowling Americana UK Crossroads, Middletown was created to fulfil every interpretation imaginable, so I can hardly get it wrong. If you stripped away the vocals for 'Settle Down' it sounds like Craig David has taken a trip to Texas and taken on the influences, banjos, folk life and decided to remix his songs with a country twang. But by adding Fabien back into the equation this song is by no means a joke, it's a well constructed musical journey of dusty settings and spectacular views. 'Fallen Angels' is by far my favourite track on this EP. Not only does it have a deep meaning behind the lyrics, the music is spell binding and takes you by the wings up into the darkness of above. This record is truly deserving of a pat on the back, Fabien's ear for music is transformed into beautiful songs with heart felt story's behind each and every one. This doesn't just create a good listen but also creates a connection to the artist and this bond will make you a fan for life. Beckie A The-Mag Fabien Polair returns with an amazingly enchanting, and undeniably elegant album. If you haven't heard anything by Fabien Polair yet, then you are surely missing out on something magical. He is an artist with a very raw and passionate talent, and he expresses emotions perfectly through his music, which is something that very few musicians tend to achieve. Fabien Polair has returned with a new album titled 'Crossroads, Middletown', and it houses fourteen of the most fabulous tracks. Followers of Fabien Polair's music may think that 'Crossroads, Middletown' is his own personal reaction to his previous album, 'Circumstances of the Present World', which is fairly politically focused and contrasting in themes and sounds compared to his latest effort, but it's simply the work of a musician who is free to follow his moods and inspiration, whatever the consequences and wherever they may lead. Track five of the album, 'Caught In The Monotony', is particularly worth noting for the beautiful harmonica melodies. It is rare for a musician to use a harmonica for more than a brief flirtation in a song, however Polair makes it sing and the sound is so rich and vibrant that one almost wouldn't mind hearing the pure instrumental part of the track by itself. The ballads are soothing whilst tracks such as 'Tragi-Comic Girl' and 'Teenage Years' provide a slightly more pop and light-hearted feel. The graceful tones of Fabien Polair's voice are quite simply put, intoxicating. This album really grows on you the more that you listen to it, there is an instant attraction that builds until before you know it - you've placed it amongst your favourite albums. 'Crossroads, Middletown' is a delicate mix of easy listening and folk, yet it doesn't flow as a paint by numbers album, it is far too soft and charming to be that straight forward. Fabien Polair will be performing throughout Europe during 2008, it would be a complete delight to see him live, and I for one am eagerly awaiting his next move. Goldie Stewart Subba-Cultcha Crossroads, Middletown is a lovely gentle piece of Americana, with hints of American Music Club, American Football and Wilco, to name but a few. Lovely, lush instrumentation layered deeply and complimented perfectly by Fabien's voice, which perfectly walks the line between vulnerable and whiney. Making it even more impressive is the fact that he played everything on the album himself (I assume not at the same time, because there's quite a lot going on in some of the songs!) and even appears to have released the CD himself. In some ways I find it a real shame that such an obvious talent can't get his record released by a label, but on the other hand if self releasing gives him the freedom to make such great alt. Country songs then it's all good. Recommended if you like slide guitar and banjos, and Uncle Tupelo and Jets to Brazil. Will Slater Die Shellsuit, Die!
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    Keep Your Options Open
    First album by English singer songwriter Rob Kirk. A diverse collection of self penned tunes and different takes on some covers. Contains the ' tongue in cheek' caravanning song 'Twisted Vanner'. He has lived all of his life at Matlock, Derbyshire, England. Has been writing and playing guitar since he was 10 years old. He decided to record an album after a short period of illness in 2009, realizing 'it's later than you think'. Rob is a professional Disc Jockey for parties and has been around on the DJ circuit for 30 years. He has also set up his own DJ Agency which he has been running since 1985-RK Entertainments. His musical influences come from The Eagles, Crowded House, Glen Tilbrook, Status Quo, John Gill and his younger brother Gavin Kirk who is a singer songwriter who has now lived in the USA for the past 10 years now residing in Seattle after moving from Chicago. Keep Your Options Open - Album Diagnostics. 1. Whistling Rose - Written by Rob Kirk . Originally a song written around the early 80's and then re written in 1997. Just a song I grew up with. Lead Guitar Leavon Archer and Produced by Leavon Archer . Originally given away to friends and family in a Christmas card in 2007. 2. Because Of You - Written by Rob Kirk in late 2009. Had a couple of verses and a chorus written the night before a studio session to record another track. In between tracks I kept on messing with it . Leavon asked what it was and I said I was not sure yet as it was still in progress. He immediately stopped the other recording and told me to record the song! What you hear happened over a couple of hours in the studio with me writing another verse and a middle section in 5 mins whilst Leavon did some production on the already recorded verses. The lead was played by Leavon at the following weeks recording session. It all happened so quickly. 3. Look Over Your Shoulder - Written by Rob Kirk. Written as'homage' to Robs early guitar tutor John Gill (Of Please Y Self). I wanted to reflect John's style and write something I could hear him singing. John and his band have played a big influence on my 'tongue firmly in cheek' style seen on the Twisted Vanner track. Rob catches up with John at the open mic sessions held second Sunday in the month at the White Lion Sessions in Stark Holmes Matlock. 4. Twisted Vainer - written by Rob Kirk. 'Tongue in cheek ' poke of fun at the caravan perceptions ( Bear in mind I am A Caravan Club member!) . Half conceived in a caravan awning at York whilst playing with some friends. We had gone away with Chris Gill, John Gills sister and another of the 'Please Y Self 'Skiffle band and her husband Stu . Just an off the cuff silly moment improvised on the spot but we were still laughing the next day. It was still going round in my head making me laugh six months later . I decided to try to write it down . This happened in stages over another 6 months as I kept hearing bits in my head and having to stop the car wherever I was to write them down. Took it to Leavon's studio and I could tell he thought 'I was off my rocker'. Mainly finished in one evening but on driving to the next recording session I decided to remove all the original vocals and 'ham it up' as per the caravan holiday. 5. Roundabout Of Love - Written by Rob Kirk. Again originally written around the early 80's . This song has been a part of me from when I was young. Inspired again by my guitar teacher John Gill who encouraged me to write it. I got the chance of John producing it when my wife paid for some studio time with John to do some recording for my birthday . I originally went in the studio to do a version of the Eagles 'Desperado' but after three hours of searching for a decent midi file for the backing we had drawn a blank. John asked if I had ever written any songs we could do. The only one prepared enough for recording was this. John said he could remember it and said 'don't know why we didn't do this in the first place'. The session turned out to one of the best days I can remember. Thanks John. 6. Behind Your Eyes - Written by John Gill. 'Please Y Self' did a version of this on their 'Scratch This ' album back in the late 70's and it captivated me with it's mix of guitar and harmony vocals. I have played it ever since I was young. Plucking up courage to play it one night at a session at the Fishpond Matlock Bath when John and the band were there. They immediately came and did the backing vocals with me impromptu. It made the hairs stick up on the back of my neck. This version is slightly updated with a lead break and our own take on the harmonies. Getting permission from John to record this made me happy. Enough said. 7. Peaceful Easy Feeling - Written by J Tempchin. Originally recorded and made famous by the Eagles. I have always played this song as per the Eagles original recording but was forced ( by myself !) to play quietly one evening as it was a lovely summers evening and we had sat around the back of our house with a patio wood burner on. I could not play anything too loud so I just picked around with the classic and ' hey presto' the arrangement you hear here appeared. This was my first attempt of recording using a software package and I spent many agonising days attempting to get the thing to work. What you hear is exactly what was recorded over three weeks of pushing buttons and learning. 8. You're The One - Written by Rob Kirk . Just a good old honest set of feelings for my wife and the realisation how much you take people for granted at times. Produced and recorded at Leavon Archers Spare Oom studios in Derby. Leavon plays a stunning haunting lead break on this which builds the whole feel of the sentiment of the song. Originally sent out to friends and family as a single with our family Christmas cards. 9. I Don't Want To Put A Hold On You - Written by Flint and Flint. Berni Flint won Opportunity Knocks ( the 70's X Factor) with this back in the 1970's . I just was picking around on the guitar one day when I realised I had just picked out the song. So I got the original words together and just did it. This was the first and only song I ever recorded using a portable recording studio at Wishing Well ( Home ) . One hell of a learning curve of dedication as I never did find out how to cut and paste to smooth over any glitches in the recording so had to be done over and over again until I got it right. Must have been take 321? Again we decided to put it out 'raw' as it was part of my recording history. 10. Going To Stay - Written By Rob Kirk. Written a couple of years ago. Just a tune I was toying with when I heard the words coming very quickly in my head. Written in 10 minutes. Took it to the studio and started to record it when I realised it required a middle section. So I just wrote it on the hoof and stuck it down. This lifted the whole song. I could always hear the backing vocals but Leavon added a twist by slightly shifting the timing out of sync with how we had recorded it. This was the 'icing on the cake'. Again Leavon's Spanish style well complimented the song for the lead break. 11. You Do Something To Me - Written by Paul Weller . Just my version of the classic track. Stripped back and laid bare in acoustic format. Simple.
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    • Price: 26.65 EUR excl. shipping

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