Jazzwise
History Of Now is
the first release in five years from the highly innovative
and individual guitarist Preston Reed. An early disciple of
John Fahey and Leo Kottke he's developed into a genuinely
original instrumentalist with his concurrent melodic and
rhythmic lines and percussive two-handed attack on fretboard
and body. Yet Reed is far more than a man of mere
technique. History is evocative and vivid, with an
understated beauty and a Ry Cooder-like sense of
atmospherics in places. His recent collaborations with
Arild Anderson and others show a broader and more reflective
composer and interpreter than previous, yet brilliant,
acoustic-only explorations such as Metal and
Handwritten Notes.
"Hit The Ground Running" is fuelled with a wonderful,
orchestral rhythmic bluster and high-range melodic jangling
while "Signal Path" has an infectiously folky hand-patting,
hammer-on/pull-off groove. "Chord Melody" recalls the
harmonic warmth of Jim Hall which contrasts with the
dazzling funk-blues of "Corazon".
Jazzwise (November)
James McGowan