It’s very cool when the music you listen to at home and /or in the car comes from people that you know. This winter I’ve bought or received some CDs created by members of the Guitar Noise community as well as from people who have contacted me through Guitar Noise. And I’d like to share my thoughts about some of them with you.
First up is Fingerstyle Collections, a disc of 13 single-guitar instrumental arrangements performed on either the classical or acoustic guitar. Joe Hempel has crafted together this wonderful disc of ten songs, arranged for the solo fingerstyle guitar (he plays both classical and acoustic). His arrangements are spare and elegant, allowing the songs to captivate the listener with their melodies and harmonies.
The song selection itself is both eclectic and interesting. There are songs dating back to the Renaissance (before the guitar as we know it today came about) as well as music composed for movies (the Jurassic Park Theme) and video games (Breezy and Kids Run Through City Corner, both from the Final Fantasy series). Joe has done quite a few of these arrangements himself, not to mention composing Magic Castle (one of the CD’s best tracks), and he has a great instinct when it comes to letting the songs speak for themselves. Fingerstyle Collections is quiet, thoughtful and contemplative and the CD’s strength and beauty is in its slow, peaceful mood.
Joe’s CD, available at CD Baby, is an excellent disc for those looking for beautiful, understated solo guitar music to help them put aside the cares of any day. It’s not only getting regular rotation at my home, I’m also eagerly awaiting his next venture.
Joe is also going to be gigging in support of his CD. It’s the first gig he’s ever done, so I figure that if you’re in the Cincinnati region, you might want to drop by and give a fellow Guitar Noise community member your support. Joe will be at the Borders Book Store at 5873 Deerfield Boulevard in Mason Ohio (phone – (513) 770-0440) on Saturday March 27th at 8 PM. If you can, stop by and say hello from me!
March 3rd, 2010 @ 3:00 pm
Dave,
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, and for supporting me. I know you are a busy guy and I am honored that you took time out to support the music.
Thank you my friend!
March 3rd, 2010 @ 6:24 pm
It’s my pleasure to do so. Especially since I’m enjoying the CD so much!
Hopefully things will calm down here enough so that I can do more of these reviews, too. There are two more Guitar Noise members CDs – a jazz standards done on classical guitar by Art Hodges (no relation) and Steinar Gregertsen’s tribute to Jimi Hendrix, done on slide and lap steels – that are just as amazing in different ways.
I can’t help but feeling that I’m pretty lucky to fill my day to day work with such great music.
Peace
March 4th, 2010 @ 2:58 am
Hey Joe, great work! Nice to see your music is getting out. Keep it up!
March 17th, 2010 @ 11:26 am
What can I say, but well done and…Rock on!
June 8th, 2010 @ 1:13 am
Thanks for the kind comments everyone! I’m working on Re-Mastering this thing now that I have a bit more knowledge of frequencies in relation to the brain/ear etc. I appreciate all the kind words!