Arty Hill And The Long Gone Daddys - Another Lost Highway

Arty Hill And The Long Gone Daddys -Another Lost Highway
2011, Arty Hill

Arty Hill is well-known insongwriting circles, with songs of his recorded by the likes of Jason & TheScorchers, the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band, Marti Brom and the Sapphires, butHill is a pure performer as well. Drawing crowds from his home base inBaltimore to Austin, Texas, Hill takes honky-tonk country to a new level. Thistranscendence is abundantly clear on the latest effort from Arty Hill And TheLong Gone Daddys, Another Lost Highway.

Another Lost Highway soars, and the reason becomes apparent in the opening track.Hill explores the pure joy of music in "Roll Me A Song", blendingrockabilly, blues and the sort of exuberant pick work usually reserved forbluegrass circles. "Roll Me A Song" isn't just a song, but a missionstatement that describes what is to come. "Mae Dawn" is a love songto a call girl, full of the hope and tragedy that seems like it should becliché but somehow is not. Hill recounts time in detox in "OmahaICU", wrapping a nifty arrangement around a harsh subject painted insubtle undertones. Hill gets back to a love of music on "King Of ThatThing", an ode to a pedal steel man. The six-string guitar work here is sosubtle and refined you'd think that Hill was channeling Chet Atkins.

"Another Lost Highway" isa classic-style country trucker's lament. Hill has constructed a wonderfulmelody here, and a joyously feckless violin dances and fills thecounter-melody. Rock and country blend on "Big Drops Of Trouble",featuring, once again, some seriously notable guitar work. Hill puts onsomething of a clinic here, and the guitar players out there will be dissectingthe song for hours. Hill actively works to nullify heartbreak on "12 Pack Morning",in a classic bit of country pique, before moving into "HalfwayHouse". This is a great tune that bears the essence of Johnny Cash. Anentertaining number, Hill again reminds listener of how good he is with asix-string in his hand.

"Breaking-Up Party" is asolid bit if blue country with a healthy dose of optimism woven inside.

Infidelity is the subject of "Victoria's Secret Is Safe With Me", asolid story song that's perhaps a bit trite, but nonetheless entertaining."Blackwater Wildlife" is a danceable honky-tonk party that breaks outinto fits of raucous rockabilly. You won't be able to get this one out of yourhead. Another Lost Highway closes with "The Last Time I'll Ever GoAway", a sad tale about a travelling man who gains the road but loses hisfamily in the process. When push comes to shove, he realizes that what he'slosing isn't worth what he's gained, and in an unlikely turn in country music,he gets a second chance. This positive lift at the end is perfect closure foran album that turns expectations on their heads.

Arty Hill And The Long Gone Daddyshit new heights on Another Lost Highway. Rather than an apex, however,the album suggests a band continuing to rise. Hill is a masterful songwriterand storyteller, and he is surrounded by first class musicians. Another LostHighway was checked along the way by illness, death of a band member andarguments with Hill's former record label, but you'd never know it from the endproduct. Another Lost Highway is utterly brilliant.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Arty Hill at www.artyhill.com.

           CD                        MP3                        iTunes


Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.

Ricky Skaggs - Country Hits: Bluegrass Style

Ricky Skaggs - Country Hits: Bluegrass Style
2011, Skaggs Family Records

What makes a musical legend?  Perhaps you could start with being the head of an eight-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Instrumental Band of the Year (Kentucky Thunder).  Somewhere in there you could add fourteen GRAMMY Awards, 8 ACM Awards, 8 CMA Awards, and have twelve consecutive albums receive GRAMMY nominations.  Or perhaps it would take no less than someone such as Chet Atkins declaring that you personally saved country music.  Somewhere in there your persona will take on a life of its own.  So it is for Ricky Skaggs.  Skaggs seems to never make a wrong move musically, but his latest album is a real treat.  Country Hits: Bluegrass Style revisits his country hits of the 1980's and early 1990's, putting a bluegrass spin on some of Skaggs' most requested songs. 

Skaggs sets off with an incredibly catchy and danceable take on "Heartbroke".  The instrumental work beneath the surface is absolutely superb, and the entertainment value is high.  Skaggs sails through the vocals in an easy-going fashion.  "Honey (Open That Door)", one of Skaggs' most requested songs, is done up in classic country style, with guitar work Chet Atkins himself would be proud of.  "Cajun Moon" blends old school country and Zydeco in a classy arrangement you'll find it hard to shake.  Skaggs sounds a lot like Hank Williams on the Flatt and Scruggs penned "Crying My Heart Out Over You".  Sweet and full of sorrow, Skaggs creates a masterful arrangement decorated with amazing vocal harmonies.  "He Was On To Something (So He Made You)" shows Skaggs' more subtle side on guitar, in a sweet arrangement that washes over you like water.

"Highway 40 Blues" is a sweet homage to life on the road where Skaggs and his band find a moment of instrumental perfection.  This leads into the virulently catchy "Uncle Pen", a celebration of country music with vocal harmonies that will send chills down your spine.  Skaggs takes listens for a brilliant, high-speed romp on "Country Boy".  Anyone who has ever slung a guitar or banjo over their shoulder will be absolutely in awe of the instrumental work here, which blends speed, precision and musicality and takes the listener to dizzying heights in a true "WOW" moment. 

Skaggs begins winding down with the classic-style country ballad "I Wouldn't Change You If I Could".  This sweet rendition is memorable; reverent to the original but with more of a home grown feel.  "Don't Get Above Your Raising" is a catchy and fun mid-tempo number; fun fluff that you can dance to without working too hard.  Country Hits, Bluegrass Style closes with "Somebody's Prayin'", a sweet number steeped in the blended history of gospel and country.  Skaggs' unadorned voice lends to the simple beauty of the song, and is the perfect to say "until next time."

Rather than simply drop a compilation of recordings his ardent fans already have, Ricky Skaggs makes the classy choice to re-interpret his biggest country hits in bluegrass style.  For some of the songs presented on Country Hits: Bluegrass Style the jump isn't so large, but Skaggs breathes new life into old songs and in the process reminds us all why his is one of the most revered names in country music.  Don't be surprised if Country Hits: Bluegrass Style becomes the 13th consecutive Skaggs album to be nominated for, and ultimately brings home his 15th GRAMMY Award.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.rickyskaggs.com or www.myspace.com/rickyskaggs.  Country Hits: Bluegrass Style is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Robert Henry – 12 Nocturnes And A Waltz

Robert Henry – 12 Nocturnes And A Waltz
2010, Muuz Records

Robert Henry makes the phrase “Award Winning pianist” almost passé.  A gold medal in no less than four international competitions, Henry is considered the complete package as a performer (technique, showmanship, style).  Robert Henry earned a Doctorate in Piano Performance from the University of Maryland, and in 2009 was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award.  He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2002, and is currently a Steinway International artist.  Henry also makes a point of engaging in social causes as well.  Henry coordinated the “$100,000 Hurricane Katrina Relief Tour”, raising $108,000 from concerts presented around the US, for which he received a Distinguished Service Award in 2006.  In 2010, Robert Henry released his debut album, 12 Nocturnes And A Waltz, featuring the works of Chopin, Grieg, Liszt, Stanchinsky, and Chet Atkins, among others. 

Henry opens with Chopin’s “Nocturne in D-Flat Major, Opus 27, No.2” in a gorgeous display of dynamics and emotion, underwritten by perfect technique.  Henry brings out elements of tension and sadness, and also a sense of expectation.  Respighi’s “Notturno” has a melancholy, dream-like aura.  Henry’s lyric style is poignant and full of beauty.  “Notturno” is among the prettiest performances on the album; sublime in the subtlety of Henry’s hands.  “Libersträume, Notturno No. 3” is powerful and full of life.  Henry brings Liszt’s opus to life, contrasting grand, theatrical moments with pianissimo passages that are gorgeous.  Henry plays this like he wrote it, as if the passages were born from his own heart and mind.

Grieg’s “Nocturne, Opus. 54, No. 4” is lovely, dark and a touch sad.  Henry brings out the lyric qualities of the piece in blue passages that are palpably emotive.  Henry breaks out in grand style in Chopin’s “Nocturne in B Major, Opus 62, No. 1”, displaying gorgeous piano runs.  Moving on to the powerful and vibrant second movement, Henry shakes out the cobwebs with powerful dynamics and a theatrical flair that perfectly matches Chopin’s original vision.  “Nocturne (Homage To John Field), Opus 33” is a well-crafted piano interpretation that is prone to fits of aural chaos.  The main theme is pretty, but Henry takes listeners along the path of Barber’s variable musings with a combined sense of reverence and glee.

Henry increases the voltage in Fauré’s “Nocturne In E-Flat Major, Opus 36”, a pretty and nuanced piece infused with a swelling sense of drama and cascading, dream-like movements.  Henry’s work is gorgeous and powerful, distinctive in its lyrical sense yet refined.  Henry sticks with Fauré for “Nocturne In B-Flat Major, Opus 37”, an equally pretty composition, yet more tame both in intent and energy.  Henry next tackles John Field’s “Nocturne No. 4 In A Major, H. 37”, displaying brilliance for interpretation and a rare sense of musicality.  Fields’ composition is a fluttery piece streaked with dark undertones.  Henry manages to bring out the worry lines in the music, subtly painting emotions between the lines.  Alexei Stanchinsky’s “Nocturne” is dark, rueful and sweet.  Henry takes the sad and longing reminiscence and makes it his own in a virtuoso performance full of palpable place and emotion.  Henry closes with his own arrangement of Chet Atkins’ “Waltz For The Lonely”.  Henry is both reverent to the original and creative in his transposition of one of Atkins’ finest works to piano. 

Robert Henry is a treasure; the sort of talent who comes along once or twice a generation.  While the awards and recognitions speak volumes, you have to hear Robert Henry play in order to truly get how good he is.  For what it’s worth, Twelve Nocturnes And A Waltz is definitive proof; this is the sort of recording that becomes more revered over time.  Henry’s technical skill combined with his sense of lyricism and personality allow him to create magic at the piano.  If you’re new to classical music, your collection should start here.  There may not be a brighter young light in classical music than Robert Henry.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5) 

Learn more about Robert Henry at http://www.roberthenry.org/.  12 Nocturnes And A Waltz is available as a CD only from Amazon.com.

Tony Savarino - Guitaring

Tony Savarino – Guitaring
2010, Naked Ear Records

Tony Savarino is a renaissance man among guitarists, moving from musical style to musical style without question or pause.  Something of a regional legend, Savarino has played with almost anyone who’s anyone in the Boston music scene.  His credits include names such as Dale Bozzio, TM Stevens, The Dents, The Rudds, The Montgomerys and Alto Reform School, to name a few.  Savarino has been featured in Guitar World, Guitar Player For The Practicing Musician, the Boston Globe, The Noise and Soundcheck.  After years of playing with and/or in support of others, Savarino steps out on his own with Guitaring, a collection of ten instrumentals and one vocal track that show off Savarino’s range and distinctive talent with an axe in his hand.

Guitaring opens with the eccentrically fabulous honky-tonk guitar work of “Barrelhaus Gutbucket Chicken Pickin’”, with Savarino exploring the distinctive country sound using jazz forms.  There’s some pretty mean Hammond organ work going on in and behind the scenes here.  Savarino doesn’t waste any time in flooring listeners.  You’ll understand early on that you’re in the presence of a virtuosic talent.  “Take One” pairs the guitar and xylophone in a brief duet with a great jazz feel and a strong rhythm section.  “Jericho” is an inspired early rock instrumental that shows the nascent roots of surf guitar struggling to be born in the wash.  Savarino manages to recreate that moment where one style morphs into something new and wonderful and presents it here as if it’s first happening before your very ears.   “Rialto Ripples” is a frenetic, if brief, side trip that’s more like an unfinished idea than a completed piece.

In spite of its name,”Blues For Bb (B Flat)” is more of a jazz/blues hybrid than anything else, and finds Savarino once again counting off paces with a Hammond Organ.  Savarino, who seems to excel in any style he touches, comes particularly alive in this musical marriage, seeming to feed off the organ sound to create magical moments on the guitar.  Savarino picks up an acoustic guitar for “Freight Train” and digs into a blues/roots style that is initially without form.  Savarino explores the musical territory before settling into a rhythm, showing off some wicked guitar work in the process.   “Deep Blue Day” is a dreamy legato rumination that’s dressed in heavy reverb, and is probably the most mundane work on the album. 

Savarino channels a bit of Les Paul on “Holiday For Strings”, playing in a pizzicato style that’s entertaining and humorous.  There’s almost a mechanical quality to the main theme of the song, but Savarino fills the spaces in between with some wonderfully jazz-inspired play.  “Russian Roulette” sounds like it comes directly from a 1960’s spy thriller, blending 1960’s surf rock with a bachelor pad style that’s moody, furtive and full of energy.  “Early American” features the sort of pick work that would make Chet Atkins proud.  The Joe Maphis-penned instrumental is made to look like light work by Savarino, but any of the guitar players out there will tell you this is not an easy piece to tackle.  “Christine’s Tune (AKA Devil In Disguise)” is the only vocal track on the album, featuring Adja Snyder in a solid vocal turn.  The Gram Parsons cover has a classic country feel to it.

Guitaring is undoubtedly a solo guitar album, but what makes it work so well is that Savarino has surrounded himself with first class musicians, and Savarino has the sense to make this an ensemble album rather than a vanity piece.  Guitaring is the sort of album you can’t quite put down, particularly if you’re a guitar player yourself.  You’ll find yourself mesmerized by Savarino’s technical brilliance, but it’s the heart that Savarino brings to each and every song that seals the deal.  Guitaring might just be the best rock instrumental album of 2010.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Tony Savarino at http://www.tonysavarino.com/ or www.myspace.com/tonysavarino.  Guitaring is available as a digital download from Amazon.com, CDBaby and iTunes.

Murray Flint - The Journey

Murray Flint - The Journey
2010, Murray Flint

Murray Flint was called to the guitar like many teenage boys. Strapping on the six string and emulating rock n roll heroes comes naturally to some, and Flint spent sixteen years with the guitar as a major part of his life. Unfortunately tendon pain got in the way and in 1991 Flint put the guitar away for good, or so he thought. Eight years later on vacation Flint came across a guitarist playing Fingerstyle guitar, ala Merle Travis. This style didn't appear to put the sort of pressure on the fingers that had caused Flint so much pain years before, and he made a point of seeking out instruction and trying to learn this new technique. A few adjustments later Flint had found his way back to his first love. Twelve hard working years later Flint is a regular performer for corporate events, receptions, private parties and the like. Now Murray Flint makes the next leap of faith: an album. The Journey was released in July, and features an inspired set of eight instrumental pieces that might make you wonder about the dreams you've left behind.

The Journey opens with the frenetic fingerstyle of "The Matrix". Flint flashes dexterity and speed that are mind boggling in a shot across the musical bow that's certain to gain your attention, keeping it simple in melody and development but more than compensating with an awesome display of technical skill. "Breeze Blues" is something of a jazz/blues hybrid with a bid of William Ackerman-esque ambience thrown in for good measure. Flint weaves a sordid and sorry tale here in the strings, evoking a modicum of theatricality and an intense, lovely melody in the process. Occasionally Flint breaks out in a riff that soars like a voice leaping out of the instrumentation, a sort of exclamation point that quickly resolves back into the wave-like form of the song.

Flint offers a big nod to his idol Merle Travis with "Travis Pickin" while treading lightly in the direction of Django Reinhardt. Indeed, there's almost gypsy flair to this tune, and Flint imbues it with all of the energy and sprightly glee you might expect. "The Journey" is more of a contemplative noodle, with Murray Flint growing the melody in expository passages, pausing now and then as if to collect his breath. "The Journey" opens with a sense of uncertainty, as if undertaken on newly minted feet. In time these baby steps become the hustle and flow of life, the contemplative derivations of middle age and ultimately the spiraling upward of a life on the verge and then passing beyond always returning to a central theme that is both vibrant and comforting.

On "The Bohemian" Flint provides both a walking bass line and a mildly jazzy progression where melody and harmony merge and blend like water and wine. The piece is a pleasant diversion that could easily serve as incidental music in a film. "Highway Pickin" is a brief snack that's more about speed and accuracy than development but is a fun sidebar nonetheless. Think of it as the musical equivalent to an amusement park ride. "Mythic Morning" greets listeners on a fade-in, as if Flint has captured a sample of the music he hears in his mind without cutting it re-arranging it in any way. The song has a "soundtrack of life" feel to it, complex in its course and gentle in feel, and fades back into the ether from which it emerged. Flint bows with "Penelope", a sweet and gentle musing that rises and falls in gentle arcs, fading into the twilight at album's close.

As with many artists, Murray Flint spent a lot of time going nowhere before he found a modality that suited him. The discovery of the fingerstyle method of guitar playing was a eureka moment that has been twelve years in development. Flint has spent that dozen-year cycle developing the technical skill to match the passion and touch he plays with. The musical sensibility on The Journey may not be the most complex, but Flint imbues each passage with heart, and has the technical proficiency to make complicated choices with simple lines of melody, opening up a rhythmic landscape that is only limited by Flint's imagination. The Journey is a very solid effort that's great for a relaxing night at home, but offers enough ear candy to become part of the conversation and not just part of the background.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Murray Flint at http://www.murrayflint.com/.  The Journey is available as single track downloads only on CDBaby and iTunes.