David Wilcox, Turning Point. Wilcox's latest is another step away from the smooth, romantic folk-pop of his earliest albums. He's still singing quiet, introspective ballads, but now that he's finally producing his own music, his acoustic guitar is deeper in the mix, surrounded by electric guitars, basses, effects, and a full drum set. The songs are just as likely to be about death as they are about love, and the whole album works as a meditation on change. In "Human Cannonball," Wilcox finds his career in free-fall; in "Glory" he decides to keep living anyway. The melodies are as sweet as ever, but the songs are angrier, richer, and more ambitious. (Koch)
--Kenny Berkowitz
Choying Drolma and Steve Tibbetts, Chö. This unlikely collaboration between a Nepali singer/nun and a Twin Cities guitarist is hauntingly beautiful and transporting. Tibbetts recorded Drolma's silvery voice in a Kathmandu nunnery, then returned home to layer guitar, strings, and percussion beneath it with his longtime collaborator Marc Anderson. The soundscapes are similar to Tibbetts' ECM albums--thickly atmospheric, alternately grooving and drifting into space--but here they're grounded by the simple, repetitive melodies of Tibetan Buddhist songs. Tibbetts adds dashes of his extraordinarily liquid, thoroughly unguitarlike guitar work, but the focus of Chö is the mystery of the human voice. (Hannibal/Rykodisc)
--Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
Front Range, Ramblin' on My Mind. This is a primer for string players who may have learned the chords and runs yet have not realized the final secret of making music. To play truly well, not just the hot licks and fancy stuff, touch is important: not too hard and not too soft, caress the pick and romance the string. On Ramblin' on My Mind, guitarist Bob Amos, mandolin player Mike Lantz, banjoist Ron Lynam, and acoustic bassist Bob Dick give a clinic on breathing life into music. Because each plays and sings so touchingly, the total effect makes this disc music for the soul and gospel for the aspiring bluegrass musician. (Sugar Hill)
--Roger Deitz
David Burgess, The Gates of Spain. In this program of entirely Spanish works, Burgess displays a burnished tone and refined technique in pieces by five of the Iberian peninsula's most celebrated composers. Mixing chestnuts by Granados and Albéniz with less familiar titles by Rodrigo and Torroba, Burgess reveals a solid grasp of the stylistic nuances called for in contemporary Spanish guitar music. Flashy scale passages and crisp rasgueados abound in the Rodrigo and in Turina's "Soleares." This disc justifies Burgess' stature as a prizewinning, internationally recognized soloist. (GSP, 514 Bryant St., San Francisco, CA 94107-1217)
--Mark L. Small
Tara McLean, Silence. While she may draw comparisons to Sarah McLachlan due to their like-minded ethereal folk approach, McLean has her own style. The standouts on the Canadian singer-songwriter's debut include "Evidence," with its driving djembe beat, reverberant acoustic guitar, and haunting vocals; the title track, in which McLean's soulful vocals glide over a trance-inducing guitar melody; and the instrumental remix of the melancholic "Holy Tears," where an added cello part flows nicely with the delicate acoustic guitar work. McLean possesses a gorgeous voice, which she uses both solo and in multitracked situations to create highly effective choruses. (Nettwerk, 632 Broadway, Suite 301, New York, NY 10012)
--Bryan Reesman
The Dead Reckoners, A Night of Reckoning. The Dead Reckoners offer a musical gumbo that combines country, folk, and pop/rock flavors with delicious results. Acoustic guitars fill an ensemble role throughout the recording, which features five guitarists, including Kieran Kane and Kevin Welch. It's hard to know who's playing, but acoustic guitar carries three of the album's quieter tunes, supported by pleasingly varied instrumentation, including fiddle, mandolin, and accordion. Acoustic fans will beg for more of that and less of the big-drum modern rock/country, but the band does it all mighty well. (Dead Reckoning, PO Box 159178, Nashville, TN 37215)
--Bryan Powell
Shane Jackman, Rhythm of the Land. Jackman's album is a collection of intricately written and performed songs of the high country. Recorded in Utah and New York City, these are songs to be envisioned and tasted and felt, and the only thing better than this CD would be Jackman and his friends sitting around your campfire. He has an engaging voice and a fluid guitar style and is backed by a cast of musicians that includes fellow songwriters Michael Lille, David Massengill, and Cosy Sheridan. (BWE Acoustic, 55 N. 300 West, Suite 315, Salt Lake City, UT 84110-1160)
--Steve Givens
Gene Bertoncini, Jobim: Someone to Light Up My Life. Bertoncini may be the finest exponent of solo, acoustic, nylon-string jazz in the guitar universe. He shows a virtuosity and sensitivity that only a seasoned veteran can project. He reflects upon Jobim's music, playing standards like "How Insensitive" and "Corcovado" as well as little-known tunes like "Someone to Light Up My Life" and "Portrait in Black and White," while maintaining his own creative touch, and he uses no overdubs or electronic enhancement. A must-hear for any lover of jazz, nylon-string or the artistry of Jobim. (Chiaroscuro, 830 Broadway, New York, NY 10003)
--Charles H. Chapman
Jorma Kaukonen, The Acoustic Guitar of Jorma Kaukonen, vol. 3. In the first two volumes of this video series, Kaukonen taught several classic songs and instrumentals from his early Hot Tuna years and spent quite a bit of time on fingerpicking fundamentals. In the well-paced, 80-minute volume 3, he focuses a lot less on the basics, digging into seven tunes, including "Man's Fate" and "I'll Be All Right," from his vast repertoire. Kaukonen is a thoughtful teacher, and he presents the music in a very unpretentious and direct manner. The sound, camera angles, and accompanying tab are all first-rate. This program is very accessible for the intermediate player and something for beginners to work on. (Homespun Tapes)
--James Jensen
Tony Rice, Tony Rice Teaches Bluegrass Guitar. Tony Rice has made only two authorized instructional audiotapes during his long career. Some of the most popular material from those releases has been compiled on this CD into a short course on the musical vocabulary that defines Rice's brilliant playing. Not only will aspiring bluegrass guitarists benefit immensely from studying the kickoffs and solos to tunes like "Jerusalem Ridge," "Red Haired Boy," and "Blue Railroad Train," but they can play lead over Rice's compelling backup, because the rhythm and lead tracks were recorded on separate channels. (Homespun Tapes)
--David McCarty
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