Author

Nick Dellar

To mark the 50th anniversary of John Fahey’s Takoma label ‘Contemporary Guitar – Spring ’67’ the Tompkins Square label has issued The Music of Harry Taussig and Max Ochs. To their credit these are all new recordings.

This month sees the releases of ‘Endless,’ the first widely available solo guitar album from Richard Osborn, a first-generation American Primitive guitarist who studied with Robbie Basho in the late 60’s.

Birds is a five track EP from the driving force behind Cambrian Records, guitarist/composer Toby Hay. The music forms part of a larger artistic enterprise, a collaborative exhibition, shared between Hay, artist Keith How, and blacksmiths Nick Buchan and Tom Robinson of Gofannon Forge. The twelve string technique is flawless; the music delightful.

I can only say that I loved this album, and probably will for as long I can imagine. You can find virtuoso playing, imaginative composition, wonderful arranging and a sense of ‘I’m taking this music where I want it to go, without forgetting the roots of its being.’ What more could you ever want?

Los Dias is the new album from Isasa, a guitarist and composer based in Madrid. The album has been described by Glenn Jones as ‘a captivating voyage, one I hope you’ll relish as much as I do.’ One thing’s for sure…it deserves the listener’s full attention…several times.

LA-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Kayla Cohen has been recording as Itasca since 2010 but Open to Chance is her first album to feature the full band with whom she currently records and tours. Despite this, the album is beautifully characterised by her inventive guitar playing and dreamy vocals.

Ryley Walker seems to have taken what Pentangle were doing, added his own voice and a shed load of influences and given it back to us writ large for the 21st Century. Don’t miss his European tour dates in November / December.

Nick Jonah Davis’s ‘House of Dragon’ scores deservedly high with Folk Radio UK. “I doubt if I will come across a better album this year if I ever do it will be a considerable piece of work.”

The Private Press is a very interesting collection of music, much of which might have been lost but for the efforts of the Tompkins Square team – Michael Klausman, Brooks Rice and Josh Rosenthal should be commended for their work in compiling both the album and its informative liner notes.

Justen Cimino is a Florida based guitarist who has been concentrating on producing instrumental music since around 2009. Dragon Tree is his third solo album and 1381 Records, his own label.

British guitarist Andy Cartwright’s latest exploration is work on the edge of what might be defined as acoustic guitar and anyone pushing the boundaries of the genre this well has to be applauded.

Cold Weather Music is the first solo release from guitarist Paul Tasker. If you like your music to be predictable and albums tracks to be homogenous, maybe this is not for you…your loss. Personally, I loved it.

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