I thought it might be useful to post on this page reviews of
concerts I've seen, films, CDs I've discovered, and products I find useful. Hope you enjoy
them!
Faith Meets Talent: Amazing
Grace, a New CD from El McMeen
When faith meets talent, great things happen.
In his new CD, Amazing Grace, El McMeen brings to bear strong
personal religious convictions on a varied selection of Christian music—from
classic hymns to contemporary worship tunes.
And the result is a blessing for the listener.
For those who have it, faith in Christ is a powerful and
complex force. It is a source of
great joy, of great sorrow, and, at times, of both simultaneously.
A man of deep religious conviction, El succeeds in capturing and
presenting musically the many facets of faith, from unbridled joy in the Lord,
to serious reflection on the profound mystery of His death and resurrection.
El begins the CD with a rollicking medley of two Christian
favorites—“Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “I Saw the Light.”
Both are given a rockabilly treatment, complete with thumping bass lines,
blues licks, string-slapping percussive effects, and a conclusion that includes
an impressive run up the keyboard. A
similar approach is given to “Resurrection Power.” In this piece, El gives
greater attention to the bass line, strategically muting and un-muting the lower
strings to achieve an effect not dissimilar to the stripped-down country-rock
sound characteristic of Johnny Cash’s original backup group, the Tennessee
Three.
Providing an emotional midrange are gentle and reflective
pieces that exude peace and serenity. The
title song, “Amazing Grace,” is a beautiful blend of traditional and
unconventional approaches. Among
the latter are some nicely placed minor overtones, a variation in the upper
register, and an ending that is almost itself a variation.
Unexpectedly, this group includes “Onward Christian
Soldiers.” With this piece, El
creates an interesting tension by countering the song’s martial theme with a
gentle and reflective execution. The
bass line here is used to good effect, providing, at times, a counter melody.
Other songs in this mode include two lovely waltzes—“Angel Band”
and “In the Garden”—which illustrate the extraordinary sensitivity of
El’s right hand technique.
Another medley—“Once to Every Man and Nation/Joshua Fit
the Battle of Jericho”—blends both joy and reflection. In a minor key, the first piece is dark and brooding,
befitting the momentous choice between good and evil that every man and nation
ultimately must make. The triumph
of good, however, immediately follows in a sprightly version of
“Jericho,” the end of which suggests the battle itself, with a
warring repetition of a single phrase. The
piece concludes with a beautiful harmonic riff, at which other guitarists will
marvel.
Among so many wonderful arrangements, choosing the standout
piece is a difficult task, but “Were You There” will surely be the candidate
of many, particularly Christian, listeners.
El captures the poignancy of the hymn’s timeless meditation on
Christ’s crucifixion with restraint and simplicity, letting the melody speak
for itself.
Throughout this CD, El’s fans will recognize and new
listeners will appreciate the trademark elements of El’s technique:
among them, lower register variations, Celtic-style ornaments, and
harmonics where they are least expected (and therefore most effective).
And long-time listeners will delight in some new elements—such as the
banjo-like frailing effect, tremolos, and rasgueados employed in “Thank You,
Lord”—all calculated to derive from the acoustic guitar the most in tonal
variety and depth of expression. And
all will profit from El’s liner notes, which offer some history and lyrics,
providing listeners unfamiliar with the pieces an emotional and thematic context
for the music.
In terms of maturity, taste, variety, and technical
execution, Amazing Grace is clearly among the best of El’s CDs, if not the
best. In Western culture,
Christianity historically has inspired the finest art and music. With “Amazing Grace,” listeners are assured that when
faith and talent meet in the musical expression of a master performer, this
result still can be achieved.
Amazing Grace is available for purchase at El’s
website, www.elmcmeen.com.
Meadow Run: A Masterwork
from Clarelynn Rose
Clarelynn Rose is clearly one of the premier steel string
acoustic guitar soloists/composers playing and recording today.
Steeped in the music and technique of past masters, Clarelynn
nevertheless has a distinctive and original voice of her own—a voice that
comes through loud and clear on her new CD, Meadow Run.
Her impeccable technique and innate and unerring musicality make this CD
one of the best discs of this or any year.
Playing in the tradition of such “golden age” steel
string artists as Alex de Grassi, Clarelynn has a gift for creating immediately
likeable (and memorable) melodies. For
example, “GuiGui (The Turtle and the Salmon)” juxtaposes a predictable
underlying chord structure with a lovely and unpredictable melody.
The tension between the two works perfectly, as do a slight shift in
tempo midway through the song, interesting variations in the upper and lower
registers, and well-placed harmonics. While
the variations stray from the main melody, Clarelynn keeps the listener anchored
by perfectly timed repetitions of a very distinctive and addictively definable
phrase.
Other songs whose melodies tend to stay with listener
include the aptly named “The Honey Song,” whose harmonies have a density and
sweetness appropriate to the song’s title, a lovely and sensitive arrangement
of “South Wind,” a traditional tune given new life in this arrangement, and
the strongly melodic “Dust Dance,” whose swirling triplets drive the piece
forward and carry the listener along.
In addition to lovely melodies, pieces based on intriguing
dance rhythms are also showcased on this CD.
“West Wind” is a light and lilting tune, despite the driving and
relentless cascading effects that give the piece its character. “Headlands”
is another song based on triplets that, nevertheless, exudes gentleness.
And “A Jig for John” is a veritable master class in the genre,
utilizing a drone, harmonics, pull-offs, hammer-ons, string slaps, and other
rhythmic effects.
Going beyond the traditional steel string acoustic guitar,
Clarelynn brings a bit of musical history to this disc by performing an original
piece on a 13 course baroque lute. With “White Roots,” which subtly evokes
the mood of the 17th century by echoing the familiar harmonic
structure and overtones of the music of the era, she achieves an almost
organ-like quality by using the lower registers of the instrument to full
effect. The characteristic drama of baroque music is satisfactorily provided
through a judicious use of appropriate dynamics.
Fans of alternate tunings will not be disappointed in this
disc. In addition to such familiar
tonal arrangements as drop D (“Phoenix”) and low C (“Headlands” and
“The Road to Roberton”), Clarelynn is equally adept at composing and
performing in a number of less well-known configurations, to which she has
attached such whimsical names as Doorbell, Elk, Asea, and Tuning in 3D.
Both students and experienced guitarists will appreciate the fact that
the tuning for each piece is clearly identified on the liner notes of this very
attractive CD package.
Listeners and players alike will be instantly attracted to
this recording. From the first
track, Clarelynn establishes her distinctive style—mercurial yet controlled,
improvisational, yet carefully crafted—and carries it through to the end.
Her musical instincts are always right on target, and her technique is
dazzling. The highest compliment I
can pay her is that after listening to this CD, I feel like playing the
guitar—like Clarelynn Rose.
Meadow Run is available now and can be purchased at www.HeartwoodMusic.com.
Testing the Limits of Tradition:
El McMeen’s The Soul of Christmas Guitar
Having long resisted the pleas of his many fans, El McMeen
has finally relented and produced a very fine album for Christmas.
As one might expect, however, The Soul of Christmas Guitar is not
typical holiday fare. Aimed more at serious reflection than at festive celebration,
El’s new CD forgoes Santa, Frosty, roasting chestnuts, and winter wonderlands
in favor of a collection of familiar carols that focus on the true meaning of
the season.
The key to El’s intentions can be found in the CD’s
title. Through his typically
innovative approach to arranging, El attempts to—and succeeds in—getting to
the soul or the essence of perennial favorites ranging from “Angels We Have
Heard on High” and “Silent Night” to “What Child is This?” and “Away
in a Manger.” Along the way, for
additional flavor, he weaves in a few less familiar pieces, such as “Sleepy
Little Town” and the profoundly beautiful “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep
Silent.” In all, the collection
artfully showcases not only the emotions of the season, but its icons as
well—the Christ Child, the magi, the angelic hosts, the worshiping shepherds.
But the bright glow of the nativity is tamed and controlled by darker
hints of mortality that give this CD a serious and reflective tone not found in
many others.
But, of course, the music itself is paramount and, as
usual, El does not disappoint. Through
innovative variations, unanticipated harmonic directions, and technical
“surprises,” El transforms these familiar melodies into new creations,
giving listeners the impression that they are hearing them if not for the first
time, then at least in an entirely new way.
The trumpet-like harmonics that open “Bring a Torch,
Jeannette, Isabella,” for example, signal a fresh approach to this familiar
tune. El delivers on the promise by providing spirited jig-like effects,
interesting bass variations, effective sustained harmonies, and a splendid
glissando-like ending. “Silent
Night” utilizes octaves in an interesting way, and subtle echoes throughout of
the carol’s first phrase in the middle and lower registers provide a beautiful
unity and, at times, a round-like effect.
Positioned against “Once in Royal David’s City,” “We Three
Kings” is given a haunting, almost mournful treatment suggesting not only the
solemn majesty of the magi, but also the profound mystery of the epiphany, a
mood set off by the major/minor key contrast of the two pieces.
But perhaps the most interesting aspect of El’s CD is the
jazz-like, almost improvisational nature of some of the arrangements.
“What Child Is This? (Greensleeves),” “Silent Night,” and
“Bring A Torch” particularly contain impressive, seemingly improvised
variations and/or interludes in which El effectively riffs on the main themes,
takes them in new harmonic directions, and seamlessly returns to the basic chord
structures. On the one hand, these
flights of imagination are paralleled by other “happy surprises”
throughout—harmonics where one doesn’t expect them, triplets and other
ornaments that add spice, and unusual inner voicings that tie together melody
and bass in new ways. On the other
hand, comparatively straightforward arrangements such as “Come, Thou Long
Expected Jesus” provide balance and keep the CD solidly grounded in tradition.
Long-time fans of El (and I count myself among them) will
recognize that he has visited a number of these pieces before on CDs such as Of
Soul and Spirit and The Lea Rig, but listeners need not fear that the
tunes on this CD are in any way a rehash of previous recordings.
In every way, these are fresh and original reappraisals, and those lucky
enough to own a complete set of El’s CDs will delight in comparing the
arrangements and in assessing his direction and development as an artist over
time.
During each Christmas season, music lovers are confronted
with a glut of holiday CDs, ranging from the ultra conservative to radical
departures from the norm, but few rise to the level of The Soul of Christmas
Guitar. Based in tradition, but
not afraid to test its limits, this CD is steeped in holiday spirit, but at the
same time provides a musical experience worth having at any time of the year,
which, in this reviewer’s opinion, is a rare and welcome combination.
The Soul of Christmas Guitar is scheduled for
release in October 2004 and will be available for purchase at El McMeen’s
website (www.elmcmeen.com).
The Passion of the Christ:
Was So Much Suffering Necessary?
Like so many other Christians, my wife and I recently went
to see Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Viewing the film is not an easy experience.
As portrayed in the movie, Christ’s suffering is intense and
relentless—almost beyond our capability to comprehend it—mitigated only by a
very brief scene at the film’s conclusion where the resurrected Christ is
seen, His nearly pulverized body fully restored.
And then there is Mary’s agony as she views the progressively brutal
torture of her son, the delight the Roman soldiers take in inflicting it, her
mopping up of Jesus’s blood in the courtyard where He had been literally
flayed by the torturer’s whip, her kissing His bloody foot as He hangs in
inexpressible anguish, nearly dead, on the cross.
In discussing this film with others who have seen it,
several questions inevitably come up: Why
was such suffering necessary? Why
would any father subject his son to such an incredibly high degree of agony?
What possible outcome could be worth such a price?
These are questions that go to the heart of our faith.
They are also questions raised by nonbelievers as evidence that no loving
God could ever permit such things to occur. And they are questions that are deserving of answers, or, at
least, of an attempt to find answers. Let’s
make that attempt.
Why was such suffering necessary? Man was the culmination of God’s creation, the ultimate
manifestation of His creative force. God
saved the best for last. Man
appears only after the creation of light, day and night, the firmament, the
waters, the dry land, vegetation, the planets and stars, marine life, birds, and
the beasts of the earth. God is
pleased with His creations and calls all of them good.
But as a preacher I once heard pointed out, only after creating man in
His own image and likeness and giving him dominion over all things, does God
deem His creation to be very good. And
it was very good. And it shortly
went incredibly bad.
Very soon, man’s complicity with evil corrupted God’s
work. How highly offensive this
must have been to the Creator! As
the author of all things, God had options.
He could have wiped His best creation off the face of the earth and
started from scratch. But His
creation was very good, and He was not about to abandon it.
He could have simply forgiven man his transgression.
But while infinitely merciful, the living God is also infinitely just.
And blanket forgiveness would not be justice.
He could have simply compelled man to reject evil and to worship Him.
But God gave man choice for a reason.
He did not want the obedience or the worship or the love of a bunch of
automatons. Nor would we. In
a sense, God’s only option was to somehow rescue His creation. So, at the moment man’s disobedience took place, God
implemented His plan for redemption.
But what would God’s justice require?
What could possibly satisfy a grievous offence against an omnipotent and
holy God? Obviously, nothing could
satisfy it, at least, nothing that man could ever do.
God knew this from the start, but, as part of His creation, He had
implanted in man a moral sense—an instinctive perception of right and wrong.
Man knew he had sinned, and his moral sense compelled him at least to
attempt to make it right through sacrifice and through adherence to other
aspects of the law. But time and
again, such attempts were doomed to fail. No.
Mankind could not ever hope to redeem itself.
Ultimately, the satisfaction of God’s justice would require a greater
sacrifice offered by a being fully His equal:
the sacrifice of His Son.
So Jesus was the only being capable of satisfying the
Father’s justice. But why the
brutality, the excruciating agony? There
is something of a dilemma here, and it goes to the heart of the mystery of our
faith. Jesus, as God, could not
satisfy the Father’s justice. God
cannot atone for a sin against God. God
cannot suffer by virtue of His being God. No, the sin was man’s, and man had to atone for it.
But that was impossible. The
only way the Father’s justice could be satisfied was by God becoming man and
suffering as man deserved to suffer for man’s offence against God.
We can never fully understand this, but there is a beautiful logic here
that we can understand. The next
time we are tempted to sin, we should bear in mind Christ’s agony as an
indication of just how offensive sin is to God and how seriously He takes it.
Finally, there is the question of worth.
One is tempted to say, “OK, I understand as best I can why Jesus had to
suffer and die to satisfy the Father’s justice, but am I worth it?”
We have very little sense of our own worth, and many of us, do in fact
feel worthless. This sense of
worthlessness has spawned an industry in the mental health area.
Proofs of this attitude abound. Because
we feel worthless, we poison our minds and abuse our bodies in all sorts of
ways. Why?
It’s a classic ploy of Satan. The
enemy wants us to feel worthless so that we will reject God’s love and
forgiveness, as well as His gifts and promises of an abundant life.
Satan wants us to feel worthless so that we will give up, despair, and,
because we feel we are deserving of nothing good, embrace evil as our only
alternative.
But does God think we are worthless?
We are His last and best creation. He
offered his only Son to save us. Obviously,
we are worth a great deal in God’s eyes, more than we can ever imagine or
fully comprehend. We may not be
worthy, but we are not worthless. God
values all of his creation, but man especially.
In Luke 12:6-7, Jesus tells the crowd gathered to hear Him, “Are not
five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before
God?…Fear not therefore: ye are
of more value than many sparrows.” We
can never fully grasp how much God values us, but we have the Lord’s
assurance, through His words and especially through His actions, that He does.
Suffering, sacrifice, justice, value.
For me, The Passion of the Christ brought all of these issues into
focus. I’m not saying I fully
understand all of these things. Nobody
does. But attempting to understand them provides a perspective that
at least begins to explain why Christ’s awful, yet wonderful suffering was
necessary.
El McMeen Breaks Out!
No, not in a rash, unless it’s a rash of creativity, exuberance, and
virtuosity. El McMeen’s new CD,
“Breakout,” is aptly named for the new musical directions and
experimentation that enrich this recording.
Fans, however, need not worry that El has abandoned his roots.
Widely known as the foremost guitarist-interpreter of Celtic music and
exponent of solo-guitar lyricism, El is not likely to abandon these strengths
any time soon, if ever. And both
are prominently represented here. What
he has done, however, is go beyond those boundaries—to break out, so to
speak—by including in this CD a more generous sampling of original tunes and
pop music arrangements than ever before and by exhibiting a greater urgency in
his playing than we’ve come to expect from El and his typically lyrical style.
Those coming to this CD expecting to hear El’s trademark
Celtic and hymn tune arrangements will not be disappointed.
And even here, El “breaks out” by revisiting some previously recorded
tunes and updating them to reflect his current musical sensibilities.
The beautiful Star of the County Down, for example, appears here as a
waltz, hornpipe, and jig (compare to El’s version on Solo Guitar Serenade). And the normally sprightly Carolan’s No. 179 is recast here
as a slow and reflective love song (compare to El’s version on Irish Guitar
Encores).
Other “traditional” music highlights include MacDonnell
on the Heights/Hector the Hero, a powerful tribute to the victims and heroes of
September 11; a haunting and lyrical rendition of Greensleeves; an arrangement
of Shenandoah, a tour de force in which El uses just the chordal
framework of this well-known tune to showcase his considerable improvisational
skills; and Give Me Jesus, a beautiful gospel song that reinforces El’s
affinity for and extraordinary ability to render hymn tunes into classic
solo-guitar arrangements.
While each of these pieces represents El at his best, a
standout in this category is the extraordinarily difficult Turf Lodge, a
Scottish pipe jig, the performance of which would strike terror into the heart
of any guitarist. El, however,
carries this piece off flawlessly, demonstrating the virtuosity that lies behind
all of his playing, but that really shines through in this showcase piece.
(I’ve seen El perform this piece live, and believe me, there is no
studio “trickery” going on here!) El
claims to have been ruminating on this piece for 17 years, and after listening
to this astonishing performance, one can easily see why.
The remainder of the CD most clearly presents El in
“breakout” mode as composer and arranger.
El’s original tunes are surprisingly and refreshingly different from
anything previously heard from him. The
driving Le Mans suggests the urgent and breathless quality of a high-stakes
race. Song for Sheila, dedicated to
El’s wife of more than 30 years, is a tender and lushly romantic piece worthy
of comparison to the best romantic themes.
And Breakout, which gives the CD it’s title, has an immediately likable
melody that increases in appeal as El takes it through a characteristically
virtuoso development.
Arranging pop tunes is not a new endeavor for El, but the
quality of the arrangements here—and the choice of songs—raises these pieces
to the breakout level. A big fan of
“Motown,” El seamlessly combines three classics—My Girl, Stand by Me, and
It’s the Same Old Song—into a medley that not only does full justice to the
originals, but also, as in the best of arrangements, transforms them into
something new and uniquely original. And,
with the delightfully unexpected Over the Rainbow, El has instinctively
recognized a lyrical quality perfectly suited to the solo guitar and treats this
well-worn film score tune with a sensitivity and delicacy that makes it seem as
if we are hearing it for the first time.
Perhaps the highest compliment that I can pay to this CD is
that I immediately liked every track, and that with each listening, the depth of
El’s accomplishment continues to unfold and yield more and more pleasure and
more and more to explore and appreciate. El
considers this CD a watershed event for him; I completely agree.
You’ll want to get this one, and listen to it many, many times.
I can assure you that even in the largest CD collection, this disk will
never gather dust. It’s a classic
sure to be listened to again and again for many years to come.
Breakout is scheduled for release the week of June 10,
2002. At that time it will be
available for purchase on El’s website (www.elmcmeen.com)
and, soon thereafter, on Amazon (www.amazon.com).
Larry Pattis Hits New High with Hands of Time
The boundless energy of a rambunctious puppy; the evening
mist swirling along the edges of a wooded path; carefree childhood pleasures,
such as Saturdays at the movies or afternoons at the playground—these are just
a few of the images conjured up by the pieces on Larry Pattis’s new CD, Hands
of Time.
As he did in his first CD, Random Chance, Pattis
forges strong links between his music and his life—the experiences and people
that stand out. So, in a sense, his
CDs are musical diaries. I mean
this, however, in the best sense. One
doesn’t have to make these connections to appreciate fully Larry’s
beautifully composed and meticulously executed steel string, acoustic guitar
solos. But those who follow his
liner notes while listening to the songs on the CD enhance their experience
through an additional layer of meaning, a richer texture that results from the
metaphoric implications of Larry’s sometimes Haiku-like commentary.
Larry is one of the fortunate few composers to whom
beautiful melodies come naturally. Yet,
while his music is grounded solidly in the best melodic tradition, it never
panders to the predictable. The
well-developed themes of the sprightly “Buddy Boy,” for example, culminate
in a melodically unexpected ending. The
same is true of the chord progressions of “The Paths of Swannanoa”—they
hint at the familiar, but are not quite what one would expect. Other examples are the tempo variations in “Underfoot”
and “Free Fall” and the dramatic highs and lows of “Burning Man.”
Like the best composers of popular music, Larry consistently adds
interest by leading us down well-trodden paths and then pointing us to
unexpected destinations.
Even the most beautiful collection of melodies, however,
can become tedious if careful attention is not given to variety.
In this regard, Hands of Time also shines.
Each piece on the CD has a very distinctive feel that sets it off from
the others. “Non Pareil,” for example, is wistful and evocative; the
title piece has an almost classical feel; the use of fifths in “Underfoot”
and “Burning Man” bring to mind traditional Celtic music; the suspensions in
“Through the Eyes of a Child” create a lushly romantic mood; the formal,
dance-like quality of “Going for Baroque” is punctuated by a humorous
quotation from a well-known film score. Add
to this a well-considered balance between major and minor keys and a judicious
use of the upper and lower registers to highlight melody, and the result is a CD
that is consistently satisfying and never boring.
As one might expect, Larry’s technique here is flawless.
Like the best guitarists, he wrings nearly every effect possible from his
instrument—bends, slides, hammer-ons/pull-offs, harmonics, alternate tunings,
cross fingerings all collectively assert the uniqueness of the guitar while
adding considerable interest to the melodic content of the pieces.
Coupling this with a finely tuned sensitivity to dynamics and rhythmic
variations, Larry presents each piece as a well-rounded package combining strong
melodic content with his considerable technical prowess and interpretive
abilities.
While each piece on Hands of Time has much to
recommend it, two, I think, stand out: “Homeland
Suite” and “Ashokan Farewell.” A musical response to the events of September 11th,
the three vignettes that comprise “Homeland Suite” are quintessentially
American in the almost indefinable sense that one would apply such a phrase to
the music of Copeland or Ives. Floating
through these pieces are echoes of traditional American melodies, never fully
realized, but more evocative for that. This
piece is a significant achievement and invites the listener to return to it
repeatedly. The American theme is
picked up again in the achingly beautiful “Ashokan Farewell,” a contemporary
piece (and the only “cover” on the album) that somehow manages to capture
the authenticity of the civil war period. While many artists have recorded this song, I think Larry’s
treatment is among the best.
With Hands of Time Larry Pattis has brought his
playing and compositional skills to a new and higher level.
There is a complexity here that results from what one might call the
organic unity of the complete package—composition, execution, production, and
commentary. I can’t recommend
this CD too strongly. It will enjoy
a prominence in my acoustic guitar CD collection for some time to come.
Hands of Time is available for purchase at Larry
Pattis’s website: www.larrypattis.com.
El McMeen and Larry
Pattis in Concert, April 21, 2001
On Saturday, April 21, solo fingerstyle acoustic guitarists
El McMeen (http://www.elmcmeen.com) and
Larry Pattis (http://www.larrypattis.com)
kicked off their Spring Tour 2001—A Guitar Odyssey: Celtic to Contemporary—at a house concert in West Orange
New Jersey. As the name implies, the concert is split fairly evenly between
El’s arrangements of traditional music and Larry’s more contemporary
originals. It concludes with a few
duets that meld the two styles and showcase the considerable skills of both
players.
Long a favorite artist of mine, El begins his portion of
the concert with a number of arrangements of tunes by the blind Irish harpist
Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738). Before
his set is over, however, he spices up the mix with a beautifully integrated
medley of hymn tunes, an original piece, and an arrangement of George
Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun.”
To achieve the unique sonorities, suspensions, and
overtones that define El’s style, he plays exclusively in Low C tuning (CGDGAD).
A variation on the more common DADGAD, Low C enables El to fully exploit
the altered tuning for its harplike effects—low bass tones against sparkling
highs, ringing tones achieved by playing consecutive notes on different strings,
and beautiful dissonances resulting in part from the G/A combination at the
second and third strings. El, who clearly “owns” this tuning, also takes full
advantage of the ability it gives the guitarist to focus on melody.
At a time when the fingerstyle acoustic guitar scene seems to be
dominated by players who highlight “gimmicks” or flashy technique for their
own sake, El remains firmly grounded in the melodic tradition.
El can demonstrate awesome technique when he needs to, as he does on the
extremely challenging “Carolan’s Concerto.”
But with El, melody is paramount; technique is there to support it.
As intended, Larry Pattis is the perfect complement to El.
Whereas El focuses on arrangements of traditional music, Larry offers
eight original pieces in his set. While
El supports his instrument on his right thigh, Larry plays in traditional
classical position. El wrings every
possible effect from a single tuning; Larry offers a variety—Open G, DADGAD,
and the E sus tuning achieved with the aid of a partial capo that frets only
three of the six strings.
Larry's compositions are intelligent and satisfying.
Unlike much contemporary song writing for steel string acoustic, which
too often features a few themes loosely strung together, Larry’s pieces have
an integrity that comes from careful attention to thematic development within an
overall cohesive melodic framework. Like
El’s, Larry’s playing is lyrical (“Big Mountain Sunrise”), sensitive
(“Random Chance”), expansive, and brimming with enthusiasm (all selections).
His playing is also extremely clean, facile, and evocative of a variety
of moods. Moreover, I’ve never
heard a more adept approach to the use of harmonics.
Also like El, Larry avoids gimmicks.
He uses to the full extent the “bells and whistles” available to
guitarists—harmonics, bends, hammer ons, pull offs, and slides, for
example—but only when there is a compelling musical reason to do so.
While virtuoso playing is important, concerts where
performers fail to “connect” with the audience often fall flat.
This is not the case with El and Larry.
Both men radiate warmth and friendliness, which is strongly conveyed in
their remarks between songs and their willingness to interact with the audience
before, during, and after the concert. Those
remarks also provide context for the music—the personal experiences that
supplied the inspiration for Larry’s numbers, and the historical background of
El’s offerings.
Additional details regarding the Guitar Odyssey tour are
available at the performers’ websites (see above), where you can also purchase
their CDs and books. I strongly
recommend seeing El and Larry while they are on tour. The intimacy of the settings (many are house concerts) offers
an unparalleled opportunity to get “up close and personal” with two of the
finest players you’ll ever encounter.
El McMeen Breaks New Ground
Fans of guitarist El McMeen will find his new CD, The
Lea Rig, to be both familiar and groundbreaking at the same time.
Familiar elements include El’s exclusive use of his trademark tuning
(low C), a selection of tunes by blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan, a hymn
tune treatment, a couple of medleys, and a few pop tune arrangements.
Where El breaks new ground is in joining forces with other musicians (a
whistle player, a fiddler, and another guitarist) and in providing listeners
with a rare original composition and a warm and earthy vocal performance.
I must confess that when I saw the words “and friends”
on the CD cover, I braced myself for possible disappointment.
Too often, when soloists—even great ones—turn to ensemble work, the
results can be less than satisfying. As
if overcompensating for the needs the group, otherwise brilliant soloists
sometimes manage to turn out bland ensemble arrangements that in the worst cases
deteriorate into New Age mush.
This is not the case here. El’s work on this CD with fellow guitarist and touring
partner Larry Pattis, whistle player Bob Pegritz, songwriter and fiddler Kate
MacLeod, and composer and harmonica player Steve Black is first rate.
Each arrangement is meticulously worked out (no mindless chord strumming
here) and each is executed as a true collaboration that clearly highlights the
unique talents of each artist. In
fact, in the best of these pieces, each part, if listened to separately, could
stand up as a superb solo performance.
Ensemble highlights include “The Shearing’s Not for
You/Bogie’s Bonny Belle”, where whistle and fiddle combine with El’s
guitar to produce a beautiful chamber music effect supported by lovely
harmonies; the stately and measured pace of “Bridget Cruise, 3d Air”; and
the plaintive harmonica work that perfectly complements El’s vocal on “West
Virginia Moon.” Equally
satisfying are El’s duets with Larry Pattis (“Mo Giola Mar,” and the
beautiful “Ashokan Farewell.”) Clearly
El and Larry enjoy a kind of psychic link that gives them an uncanny ability to
anticipate and follow through on each other’s musical ideas.
Never strained, their duets are complex harmonically and tightly knit
structurally. An entire CD of El
and Larry playing together is certainly on my wish list.
El’s CDs always contain a generous sampling of
O’Carolan tunes, and The Lea Rig is no exception.
Executing these songs with the verve and skill we’ve come to expect
from one who is among the foremost O’Carolan interpreters, El turns in
virtuoso solo performances of the extremely demanding “Carolan’s
Concerto,” the exuberant “Carolan’s Receipt/Morgan Magan,” and the
delicately beautiful “George Brabazon, 2d Air,” which has something of the
endearing and enduring quality of a baroque minuet.
As on previous CDs, El’s pop tune arrangements transform
the sometimes trite into the nearly always special. Here, Bruce Sprinsteen’s “Sad Eyes,” George
Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun,” and the old Supremes hit and Motown
anthem, “Stop in the Name of Love” provide variety and pleasant surprises as
El’s characteristic treatment takes these familiar melodies in new directions.
With the latter piece, for example, El turns the Motown sound on its ear,
delivering instead a relaxed and almost jazzy ballad.
El’s original tune, “High Ground,” makes one wonder
why he doesn’t do more composing. According
to El’s notes, the “eerie atmosphere of tension and release” that
permeates James Brady’s book about the Korean War (“The Coldest War”)
inspired this song. But one
doesn’t need that information to appreciate the shifting tempos and
contrasting modes that El employs in creating a similar atmosphere with notes
rather than words.
I’ve always liked El’s hymn tune arrangements, and
they, like the Carolan tunes, appear frequently on his previous CDs.
He concludes this album with a hauntingly beautiful arrangement of “Let
All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent.” Dark
and brooding, the melody is stripped down to its essential elements and
punctuated at crucial points by bell-like harmonics.
Only about a minute and a half long, this arrangement is a jewel and a
perfect close for the CD.
While El’s CDs have been consistently high in quality, The
Lea Rig stands out for its variety in ensemble playing and solo work.
With this collection, El has challenged himself to achieve ever-higher
standards. Having listened to him
more than meet that challenge, I eagerly look forward to the arrival of his next
CD.
The Lea Rig can be purchased at El’s website:
http://www.elmcmeen.com.
Elegant Tern Soars
Having hosted this website for a number of years now, I
have come into contact via email and in person with many fine guitarists.
Some of these have recorded CDs, and, among those artists, some have been
kind enough to provide me with copies. While
virtually all of these recordings have great merit and much to recommend them,
some stand out as truly superior. That
is the case with a wonderful CD I have been privileged to listen to over the
past few months—Clarelynn Rose’s fine piece of work entitled Elegant Tern.
Like the marine bird that serves as the inspiration for the
title of this CD, Clarelynn’s music soars to great heights of technical and
emotional excellence. From the
drone-like Celtic feel of the title song, with its series of extremely
interesting rhythmic variations, to the beautiful sustained harmonics of
“Pacific,” this is a guitarist’s CD that will be equally enjoyable to the
non-player as well.
Performing with an ease that belies the technical
difficulties of the arrangements, Clarelynn is clearly a master of a variety of
alternate tunings, some of which even devotees might consider esoteric.
Examples include the “Thundercloud Tuning” (CBEbGCD) used on “Sound
of Thunderclouds” or the “Modified Doorbell Tuning" (EADEAE) used on “Su Lu
(Sweet Dew).” More mainstream
tunings, however, are also well represented.
Open D, for example, which Clarelynn characterizes as “Tuning in
3-D,” is used to great advantage on two pieces—Monk’s Gate/I Saw Three
Ships” and “Pacific.” To her credit (and this is something I encourage all
recording guitarists to do), Clarelynn lists all of the tunings she uses by
song. In this way, aspiring artists
can not only listen to her work more intelligently, but also try their hands at
these tunings for themselves.
Standout pieces on this CD include “Sunshower,” with
its beautiful harmonics and ringing string effects. “Monk’s Gate/I Saw Three Ships” offers a very
interesting interpretation of the Christmas classic buttressed by a satisfying
use of upper and lower registers and a jig-like application of hammer on’s and
pull off’s. In “Damnation
Trail,” Clarelynn impressed me exceedingly with the subtlety of her playing,
particularly in her use of the bass line, which ranges from pedal tones to
statement of the theme.
If I have any criticism at all of this CD, it would be
that, occasionally, the underlying chord structures of Clarelynn’s
compositions are a bit too predictable, and, at times, the tunings themselves
are exploited to the detriment of melody.
But these are minor points.
Clarelynn is clearly a very gifted artist, and I recommend this CD
without reservation. In a world
that, at times, seems dominated by mediocrity, Clarelynn’s very large talent
is worthy of every guitarist’s support. And
I suspect that her work will appeal just as strongly to non-players as well.
Elegant Tern is available for purchase at www.heartwoodmusic.com.
Another of Clarelynn’s CDs, The Redwood Sidthe, is also for sale
at this website. I think you'll like both.
Please e-mail me with any comments at:
(See home page).
