Picking up on the Dr.’s educational and excellent last post, I got to thinking about the contemporary crop of acoustic guitar players. People like Glenn Jones, Sir Richard Bishop, Steffen Basho-Jung, Harris Newman… all exceptional musicians outright, but each more importantly are guitar sculptors of architectural space and sound. Like Fahey and Kottke before them, the faculty of their playing transcends the technology their instrument.
Two personal favorites though are Jack Rose and James Blackshaw. Rose comes from Philadelphia and was an original member of the noise/drone band Pelt in the 90s. In the 00s he’s focused on his solo guitar, releasing a handful of albums under his own name. Kensington Blues (2005) would be a highlight among the highlights. His playing is an informed mix raga, ragtime, and the blues. When all three collide, like in the first song of this clip, it’s money in the bank of my eardrum.
Blackshaw is a surprisingly young London-based guitarist. He’s, in my estimation, responsible for some of the most unabashedly beautiful music of the last four years. His two latest releases, Cloud of Unknowing (2007) and Litany of Echoes (2008), sees his playing reaching a critical mass… almost classical in composition, the resonating frequencies of patterns and shapes he subtly shifts over time work to bring a sort of altered state of clarity to the listener. Dreamtime on a 12-string.
really well done and exceptional post Jacob..
( the Title itself should be a posting category).
but apart from that..I’d never heard of the contemporary group you mentioned..the real talent in musicians is a never ending well..you can’t get enough of it and you can never hear it all..
really enjoyed the 2 you featured..especially Jack Rose.
got me thinking about guitarist’s..and realizing in the “acoustic” category..my tastes tend to run to the British/Celtic side of things..
if i was forced to pick a favorite..I couldn’t.
but,after much gnashing of teeth.. the top 3 would be: Richard Thompson,Bert Jansch,and Martin Simpson.
All so extraordinary.
I would also cite John Renbourn,Martin Carthy,Stefan Grossman, and from an entirely different context and culture..Ali Farke Toure…among many, many others.
So yeah..shut up and play yer Acoustic guitar!
indeed.
yeah i guess my taste is probably more in the roots/blues/americana-raga realm, but those brits/celts got a good thing going for sure. i still vividly remember Richard Thompson solo at Cuesta college. un-be-lievable.
which reminds me i just wrote his name, along with numerous others, on a certain person’s new board. Prana Yama and Mr. Ed i recall were also in the mix.
I don’t know if you remember..but a friend (bootleg) recorded that RT concert..
I gave a copy to Malcolm but if it dematerialized..let me know.
now speaking of roots/blues/americana…you are sooo in luck..
see my upcoming post on Kelly Joe Phelps..