Ross Hammond – It’s Been Here All Along
Independent – 2021
Anybody who has listened to much of Nic Jones or Chris Wood’s music will have heard the C Modal (CGCGCD) tuning so often used by both players. The tuning benefits from three strings being tuned to the root note, giving it that drone-like, modal quality, plus the high D acting as a second to the root note. It’s a cracking tuning that possesses a beautifully open and sweet structure, and it’s the tuning that Californian resonator guitar player Ross Hammond has discovered and used exclusively for It’s Been Here All Along. This is a really confident and genuinely solo instrumental album; eighteen songs are played across seventy minutes, using that one guitar tuning and just the resonator. It takes some doing to keep the listener interested with such a limited toolbox. Still, Ross is an experienced and talented player and his varied style and broad palette mean the album slides by smoothly, and it’s easy to see why the original plan to trim the number of tracks to regular album length was abandoned.
It’s hard to cherry-pick tunes, but the little melancholy melody and stoic bass notes of Loss are hard to resist. Perseverance is another, with more notes and a quicker tempo, this time adding some drama and complexity. The almost banjo-like chiming quality of some of the plucked strings also works well here, highlighting the nuances of the resonator and broadening its sound.
Even better is Winter is Over, the longest song at six and a half minutes. Here the calmness and relief of a new spring comes across in steadily picked strings and slide notes. The laid back nature of the piece is enhanced by barely any low notes used, maintaining a feeling of lightness throughout.
On the flip side, Cold Morning Blues comes at us before the warm fingers of spring can be felt, and the ominous thumbed bass strings lurking below a stark bluesy slide line (the occasional sound of the slide scratching the strings is particularly welcome) result in a much darker and more brooding tune. It’s Rain Season is in a similar vein, with a return of the softly thumbed low string, but the melody is sweeter and softer than on Cold Morning Blues. Indeed, the patient character of the piece and the hints of melancholy have made this one of my favourites on the album.
But what is more important is the fact that, although each song has its own character, they all belong together and succeed in balancing a sprawling yet tightly focused set. Ross isn’t trying to do too much here, but with the playing at such a high level and the material varied and interesting, he knows there is no need to embellish. Simply put, It’s Been Here All Along is a pleasure to listen to and a fine example of the richness that can be found in the simplicity and purity of solo guitar music.
It’s Been Here All Along is available via Bandcamp: https://rosshammond.bandcamp.com/album/its-been-here-all-along