02025-12-07 | Uncategorized
What happens when you give two guitarists the same rhythm guitars as a starting point for new music?
In July of 2025, the idea for a new project grew in my mind. It centered around the idea that there are infinite ways to cross a landscape and, similarly, there are myriad ways to wrap a melody around a rhythm. Given the same recorded guitar rhythms, and structure, how will what two guitarists create differ in the end? Stephen Duros and I decided to find out. We each created our own melodies, counter lines, and additional rhythmic elements, and made new pieces of music.
A few months later we each have a new album called Rhythm Maps. These are two pieces that started out with the same Map SD02 and became two very different pieces. You can click anywhere below to go to the album page on Bandcamp.
I have never heard of anyone else doing something like this. Have you? Please let me know in the comments. Enjoy!
02025-11-25 | Uncategorized
Today’s music tip is Opal, a pre-release track from the album Scenes From Above. Lovely, restrained guitar playing by Julian Lage.
02025-04-26 | Uncategorized
I love elephantear from the album Rain Poems and created a longer version of the piece:
02025-03-05 | Uncategorized
I discovered this album, which was released in 2015, while I was touring last month, and listened to it several times. The leader is Andy Sheppard – LINK to Wikipedia Entry. Born in 1957, he picked up the saxophone at the age of 19 and started gigging only three weeks later, which sounds crazy. Sheppard has a wonderful tone and I love his playing.
From the Wikipedia entry for this album – LINK:
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek notes “Surrounded by Sea invites the listener into an intimate, mysterious sound world. Sheppard’s band plays with discipline and restraint. Through extremely close listening, the players explore the mystery of melody — both plainly stated and implied — and its various thematic trails in inspired if laid-back dialogue”.
I think that’s a good description.
02024-11-29 | Uncategorized
This song has been stuck in my head for days:
Here is the great version by Ry Cooder and Manuel Gaban:
Here is a solo guitar version:
If you don’t have Apple Music you should be able to find these recordings on any other service.
