Preston Reed - Six String
Storyteller
Epoch Times, Washington DC.
The possibilities of what
can be created with the guitar are endless, and Preston Reed
is here to prove it with a blend of blues, jazz, rock and
funk. Reed opens the door wide with his latest release,
"History of Now," in which he uses a unique approach to lead
the listener down a melodic path. He is a storyteller with
the guitar and utilizes every facet of it from harmonics to
the wooden body's percussive elements.
The album starts with a mellow meld of blues and jazz, "Dead
Cool," which would make a first-time listener wonder just
how many hands this guy has! Songs like "Woman in the Tower"
send out more reflective, mellow vibes that describe the
scene using harmonic imagery. After Reed lulls you into a
quiet state, he does not hesitate to turn up the energy and
get the feet tapping with songs like "Twang Thang" and
"Corazon."
Preston Reed's unique style allows him to work with a wide
range of sounds. He has a knack for blending colorful
elements with dramatic effects. "Franzl's Saw" is a fine
example. Halfway through the song, it sounds like he pulls
out the stand-up bass and turns out a climactic line while
he's still going with the slide on his other hand. "Halfway
Home" takes it down a notch and gives a sense of traveling
and of longing to get to one's destination.
Some may consider the album to be slow in places because
they know from his last album, "Handwritten Notes," that
Reed is capable of speed. But Preston Reed is beyond
speed-picking and blazing solos. He has a story to tell and
does it with instrumental allegory, using a variety of
styles and sounds&emdash;creating just plain fascinating
music for the listener to explore.
By Jeff Nenarella