One man who's got something to say about…
A complete schedule has been posted of the Taylor Guitar Road Shows May-June, where you can play the latest guitars, meet Taylor reps and learn about their Expression pickup systems. There are many dates in Europe, as well as the U.S.
On June 18th they will be at
in Flemington, New Jersey
Languid, lovely, evocative… a melt into a sumptuous sofa, and the sonic equivalent of isolated pools of low light playing off facets of cut crystal and opulent aperitif, close sensuous voices, soft laughter bittersweet with memory at the end of an evening. A warm, layered and very human scene painted entirely with one acoustic guitar drenched with resonant chords, clear and unhurried melody lines, and shadowy blue bass notes that rise or fall in pitch or pace like a melancholy pulse. An exquisite piece of music played on an exquisite guitar, exquisitely.
And that is just the first track on Juber’s Under an Indigo Sky, the latest CD from the two-time Grammy winner.
It was mixed by Al Schmitt, who has won 19 Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
On the CD, the slightest string vibration, creak of the guitar’s hide glue joints, or wave of Juber’s “virtual whammy bar” technique used to coax out every drop of resonance is heard clearly and in three dimensions. The vinyl version must be breathtaking.
As impressive as the vibrant playing is, it is the more languid performances, such as Cry Me A River with its sustained chords and un-struck string glides that truly show off the mastery of the engineer and the exceptional qualities of the guitar. While both the mellow and the vigorous selections reveal the mastery and exceptional qualities of the guitarist.
George Barnes just may be the best guitarist you (thought) you never heard. He appeared at more recording sessions than any musician in the union files – blues, jazz, rock n roll, folk, country and western, you name it.
… Then, I heard the duets of George Barnes and Bucky Pizzarelli. I was enthralled with the musicality of the tunes, the breathtaking licks, the slower passages of glistening, liquid tone. For some reason I assumed the suave, James Bond looking guy with the colorful name must have been doing all the exquisite lead playing. Only later did I realize it was the squat, cigar-chomping George Barnes who was tripping the light fandango in such a transcendent manner.
He had a lot of practice, as it turned out…
In a word, the voice is huge … a good example of a Bluegrass banjo killer with focused trebles that cut through the stout, strong bass of its pronounced bottom end … If you are familiar with the brand, I can say this guitar is warmer, fatter and more resonant than even some rosewood Huss & Dalton offerings, as that dense tonewood and reflective spruce reverberate and amplify each note and every strum. It still sounds like mahogany, but mahogany that has been working out in the weight room …
To whet your appetite for our exclusive review (publishing Friday, May 10), here are some photos of the TD-M for your enjoyment and envy.
A Huss & Dalton TD-M Sinker Mahogany model will be the subject of a video and hi-def audio recording later today. We look very forward to visit from the owner, and to playing this guitar again.
It has been chosen as our next review, which we hope to have up early next week.
For those unfamiliar with sinker wood, it refers to timbers that were salvaged from bodies of water, where it has lain for years. In this case the mahogany came from Belize, where whole logs of old growth Big Leaf mahogany was submerged in a river for perhaps a century or more. Kiln dried in Belize, it has made its way to various luthiers, in this case it was made into a Huss & Dalton TD-M. Yum.
Related Content:
Howard Emerson’s It Ain’t Necessarily So offers tracks that are bluesier, while some are more poppy, or even churchy. Many are written in alternate tunings, and most of those are cross-tuned so the key is something other than the root of the tuning itself (no small feat when done with such mastery.) But all are neatly constructed and expertly rendered…
Emerson’s style is easily recognizable, by its authoritative thumb-driven rhythms matched with an intelligent use of mid range and treble that weave texture and highlight around simple yet fresh melodies. And there is always that impeccable timing, with flow and tension, space suddenly appearing and just as quickly filling up again. That is all notably present on tunes like “Pop Top” and “That’s What She Said.”
We are greatly saddened by the news of the untimely passing of Bob Brozman, at the age of 59.
An innovative traditionalist and with a wide scope as a musicologist, his was a unique style grounded with deep roots. He will be in many ways irreplaceable.
In the words of our good friend Stan Jay, of Mandolin Brothers:
Bob was a great person, musician and friend to the heritage of styles of the 1920s and ‘30s, and also to both the National Reso-Phonic and the Santa Cruz Guitar Companies.
He was always willing to share information and advice.
He was, in every way, a true professional.
We will greatly miss him.
Amen
We present our latest featured review, of an exquisite Lowden O50C, our first taste of African Blackwood.
“From the beautiful, master grade woods, the obvious expert craftsmanship, the sensual display of light and line, of arch and symmetry, of plane and undulation that make up the understated, woody aesthetic, everything suggests the best of the very best. And it has a voice every bit as good as its looks.”
Read Full Review (with video)
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