This month…a new free piece, a new publication, new projects, and some recommendations.
*Open this newsletter in a new browser so you can see embeded video.
Free Piece
This month's free piece is in the key of C and uses a capo at the third fret. It has a singable melody that weaves that in and out of open position chord shapes. There are three short sections that provide a contrast in mood and color. I hope you enjoy listening and playing it.
Guitar Chamber Music Press is publishing two short solos of mine. "The Temporary Waltz" & “Old Photos” will be available soon and comes in standard notation only. Video performances can be found on my YouTube channel.
If you play classical or fingerstyle guitar, and read standard notation, please check out Guitar Chamber Music Press. They offer a variety of original music and arrangements from a number of incredible composers/performers, all presented in beautifully printed scores.
Things in the Works…
Masako
I recently recorded a guitar track for Masako's newest album which she is currently recording with Tom Eaton and Will Ackerman at Imaginary Road Studios. This is a big honor for me, because I have been a huge fan of her work for many years now. Stay tuned for more details.
Duets with Denis Turbide
I have a couple of new duets in the works with Canadian guitarist Denis Turbide. Our first two duets, released in September and August, have garnered about 150,000 streams and 270 playlist adds on Spotify alone. Our duet “New Beginning” was also just picked up by SiriusXM Radio and added to the rotation on the Spa Channel. Denis and I are a real good match musically…and personally…so look for many more duets from us in the future. Thanks for your support on these releases!
Top Secret Mystery Project…
I'll just leave this next picture here so you can scratch your head and wonder what exactly is going on, and why on earth am I holding an electric guitar. *Gasp!*
I'll just say that Liz Linder is an amazing photographer and human being. My musical cohorts and I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with her.
You'll know more about this not so top secret project in early 2024…
New Solo Singles
I have a few more solo singles that I will be recording and releasing throughout the remainder of the year. I am recording all of this stuff at home now. I send my tracks directly to Tom Eaton where he mixes and masters them at his studio, Sounds & Substance. This process seems to be working very well, considering my staggering lack of technical abilities with home recording.
Keep your ears and eyes out for those.
Recommendations
“Where's the Craic?” is a wonderful film that explores music in County Sligo, Ireland. It is beautifully shot, with tons of world class musicians playing traditional Irish music as well as just about every other genre of music. This film tries to answer the question “why do so many people in Ireland play music so well?”. You can purchase this over on Vimeo. Here's the trailer.
I recently discovered the British singer/songwriter Chris Brain just in time for his newest release Steady Away. If you are a fan of John Martyn, Nick Drake, and Bert Jansch, then you will love Chris' work. Check him out.
This recording of Gerald Garcia's Celtic Airs and Étude Esquisses is fantastic. John Holmquist's performance is spectacular.
That's all for now. Thank you for your continued support and for reading these newsletters. See you in November.
