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SUMMER 2007
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HANK
MARVIN
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GODFREY
TOWNSEND
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JOE BECK
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NELS
CLINE |
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TOM HEMBY
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HANK
MARVIN
Guitar Man
(Universal)
The
U.K. twang that changed Englands 50s pop music for the better,
Hank B. Marvins famous Shadows guitar sound is given a new twist
on his 2007 CD Guitar Man. Yes, thats him
covering the David Gates song with Bread, but in his able hands,
Hanks instrumental version moves at a brisker tempo and is reworked
into pure instro-retro magic. And that goes ditto for fresh Marvin guitar
instrumentals of Sting, The Doors, Cat Stevens and a new and cool guitar
take of the Carol King classic, Youve Got A Friend.
The midas touch in the guitar world, to those who know of him, Hank
is always at his best when playing Hank, as he does on a pair of Marvin
instrumentals here. Going out in a blaze of 60s rock flashbacks,
Guitar Man closes with Hank finally doing his own instrumental
rock version of the Beatles white album classic While My
Guitar Gently Weepsfocusing on both melody and memory. The
original U.K. guitar mans Fab Four affinity breaks new ground
with Hanks instrumental take on the Revolver classic, Here,
There & Everywhere. Commenting on his connection to the Lennon/McCartney
classic, Hank recalls At sometime during 1966 I ran into Paul
at Abbey Road studios. The Shadows always recorded there and of course
so did The Beatles, so we regularly used to see each other and wed
all become good pals. Paul said to me Ive got a great tune
for The Shadows that Ive just finished writing and he played
it to me there and then. I loved it, so he said hed send me a
copy of it so that we could record it, but it never showed up. Then,
when I heard the next Beatles album I realized why. The song was Here
There and Everywhere. Now, at last, I finally got to record my own version
and its on Guitar Man its only taken me 40-odd
years to do it! Performing his signature Fender Stratocasters
and Hodson & Aylward acoustic guitars, Hanks 2007 CD release
of Guitar Man was recorded at his studios in Australia with several
players assisting including rhythm guitarist Gary Taylor, who
plays a Selmer-style acoustic and the drums and percussion of Ric
Eastman. With a cross-section of old and new sounds, Hank Marvin
stays true to the Shadows guitar tradition on Guitar Man. www.leosden.co.uk/shadowsnews.htm
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GODFREY
TOWNSEND
Easy
Journey To Other Planets
(Misty Bridge)
Hes
played guitar for some of the greatest rock legends in music history,
including the late, great John Entwistle, Cream icon Jack Bruce, Traffic
guitarist Dave Mason and hes currently playing guitar with prog-rock
legends The Alan Parsons Project. With such a legacy of fretboard finesse
under his belts, its especially gratifying to see Godfrey Townsend
finally get to shine in the spotlight on his solo debut. Also a great
singer, Godfrey lets his guitar do the talking on his all instrumental
solo CD. Produced by Godfrey and drummer / keyboardist Steve Murphy,
Easy Journey To Other Planets features some excellent players
but the star here is Godfreys guitar work and exceptional instrumental
compositions. Anyone who thinks guitar-centric instrumental rock fusionin
the best spirit of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return To Foreveris
a thing of the past should check out the dazzling musical interplay
at the core of Easy Journey To Other Planets.
www.godfreytownsendmusic.com
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JOE
BECK
Tri07
(Whaling City Sound)
The
name Joe Beck will be familiar to guitar fans thanks to his work over
the years with big names like Miles Davis, Paul Desmond, Tom Jobim,
Paul Simon and more. Having also arranged records for Frank Sinatra
and made co-artist albums with artists like David Sanborn and flamenco
guitarist Sabicas, Beck returns in 2007 with an instrumental trio CD,
appropriately entitled Tri07. Featuring Beck backed up by Santi
Dibriano (bass) and Thierry Arpino (drums), Tri07 sounds
fresh and is marked by Becks fat grooves, edgy improvisation and
clear virtuosity on electric guitar and synth guitar. Further commenting
on Tri07 Beck states, These sessions were approached like
a live gig. This project, Im proud to say, has many valuable moments.
Spanning five decades, Becks name has become synonymous with skillful
musicianship and Tri07 is just the sort of diverse and well recorded
instrumental album youd expect from such a renowned guitarist.
www.joebeckmusic.com
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THE NELS CLINE SINGERS
Draw
Breath
(Crypto Gramophone)
Draw
a couple of breaths before you cue up the 2007 CD from guitarist Nels
Cline. First off, theres no singers here and not even something
remotely hummable as the entire proceedings here are instrumental rock
based. Currently touring with the rock group Wilco, Cline has won tons
of well earned praises for his experimental merging of guitar based
instrumental jazz and rock. On the third album by the Singers, Cline
receives like-minded support from Devin Hoff (bass) and Scott
Amendola (drums). Even with all the avant gard hard fusion wall
of sound, theres still plenty of unusual guitar flavored atmospheres
to marvel atcheck out track five, The Angel Of Angels.
Between his work as a guitar figure in Wilco to his acclaimed shred-ability
level as a mind-blowing fusion icon, Cline has rightly earned his moniker
as the worlds most dangerous guitarist. Polar opposite in content
from his guitar gig in Wilco, Draw Breath is the heaviest guitar
statement yet from Cline. www.indiejazz.com
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RAY
SAPKO
The
Way Beyond Blue
(RS)
All
the right adjectives apply to the debut solo CD from Chicago guitarist
Ray Sapko. Sapko was the guitarist in the hard rock group Tantrum, who
toured with legends like Kansas, Rick Derringer, Ian Hunter and more.
Following his years on the rock circuit, Sapko earned his BA in guitar
and he puts his vast knowledge of the electric guitar to work big time
on The Way Beyond Blue. An excellent example of the guitar in
an all instrumental hard rock setting, the ten track CD avoids most
of the pitfall in recording an all instrumental rock album and then
some. Commenting on the 2006 CD, Sapko adds, The response to this
CD has been extremely positive from both those who are big fans of instrumental
music and those who are not. Hard rockers and jazz-rock fans alike
will get a jolt out of Sapkos electrifying approach to electric
guitar based instrumental rock. www.raysapko.com
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TOM
HEMBY
Chasing
The Wind
(Autumn)
Matt
McPherson makes great acoustic steel string guitars and you can hear
just how great they sound in the hands of Tom Hemby on his 2007 CD.
Chasing The Wind features a dozen Hemby original instrumentals
recorded in the studio. Hembys excellent guitar work and original
tracks are ably enhanced by his tasteful work on bass, drum programming,
synth, snare drum, organ and theres even a guest appearance by
guitar icon Phil Keaggy, who contributes a stellar electric guitar
solo. Some of the jazzier tracks, featuring Hembys clever string
arrangements, evoke some of Wes Montgomerys A&M work in the
mid 60s while the earthier, more acoustic sounding tracks are
a little reflective of Hembys label mate at Autumnthe equally
talented Bruce Gaitsch. Intriguing liner notes by Hemby are praiseworthy
of Matt McPherson, the master builder, whos guitar craft is put
to the test and passes with flying colors on this well crafted collection
of reflective, well thought out instrumental guitar music. www.autumnrecords.com
Attention Artists and Record Companies: Have your CD reviewed
in mwe3.com and 20th Century Guitar. Send to P.O. Box 630249, Little
Neck, N.Y. 11363-0249
Contact: rss54@mwe3.com
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Attention
Artists and Record Companies: Have your CD reviewed by mwe3.com.
Send to:
MWE3.com
CD Reviews Editor Robert Silverstein,
P.O. Box 630249, Little Neck, N.Y. 11363-0249
Copyright
©2000-2007 MWE3.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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