This page is place to come to find out about new releases of fingerstyle guitar music. When this site is notified of a new CDs being released, this page will announce it here with links to the artist web page where you can get more information, listen to samples, and/or links to where they can be purchased.
Keith HinchliffeIf you have a CD that has been released within the last year and would like to see it listed here (See example format here), send an email using the Send mail button in the menus.
Last update: Jun. 2, 2011
One of the most distinctive acoustic guitarists around, and certainly one of the most versatile, Sheffield-based Keith Hinchliffe received international acclaim for his much-broadcast album Carolan's Dream, and his second CD Islands was described by BBC Roots presenter Andy Kershaw as "an excellent album by a wonderful guitar player." Best known for his haunting arrangements of Celtic music, Keith has now released Ancient Music, a collection of Renaissance, Baroque and early Irish pieces re-imagined for the steel-strung guitar. It includes music originally intended for many different instruments, from the Elizabethan lutenists to Bach, Purcell and the early Irish harpers. As with his highly praised recordings of Celtic music, Keith's arrangements and playing are faithful to the original sources but also try to bring out fresh harmonic and expressive possibilities through the "harp-like" qualities of the resonant metal strings.
From reviews of Keith's previous albums:
" Hugely impressive and beautifully
evocative arrangements" - Rock 'n' Reel
" Fluid, sensitive and harp-like... A
fine, tasteful and skilful player" - Folk Roots
" First-class arranging and harmonic
design... Rich and atmospheric" - Living Tradition
" Ringing, harp-like texture"
Acoustic Guitar " Sublime feeling for melody"
- New
Folk Sounds " Lovingly recreates the sense
of the old tunes" - Dirty Linen
For more information about Keith's CDs and books, and for sound samples, reviews, contact and ordering details, please visit www.keithhinchliffe.com
Michael Garfield
The Body Electric
The Body Electric – a groundbreaking new collection of improvised live acoustic-electronic guitar loopscapes made in the new tradition of "acoustic hardware live PA" (ie, no software was abused in the making of this record; it's the most dramatically re-imagined solo acoustic guitar album Michael could conceive). The Body Electric is a multimedia experience – the download page includes links to three essays that expand on Michael's ideas behind the project (ie, the co-evolution of human and machine and the extension of the body into cybernetic orchestral prosthesis); three music videos (including a gorgeous rendering of the title track by digital pioneer Ken Scott's HARMONY visualization software); and a poster-sized file of the intense fractal cover artwork to lose yourself in while the music takes you for a ride."A KILLER musician...[The Body Electric's] a progressive, smart, and experimental journey that will make you view the acoustic guitar in a whole new light. Big ups to MG for doing something accessible, yet entirely original."
- Josh Smith, http://reevolutionmedia.com (Dallas)
Randy Ellefson
Serenade of Strings
&
The Lost Art
Guitarist Randy Ellefson has released his third and fourth instrumental guitar albums, Serenade of Strings and The Lost Art. Unlike his first two hard rock albums, Serenade of Strings is all acoustic while The Lost Art is classical guitar. Free mp3s and full streaming audio of both are available from www.randyellefson.com.Ellefson wrote the earliest songs on Serenade as a teenager in the 1980s and envisioned this all-acoustic album, but plans for it were cut short by a 1996 tendonitis injury that stopped him from playing acoustic guitar for nearly ten years. With songs from both before and after the injury, the delayed album gives an insight into how big a loss this was for him. The track-by-track remarks on his website detail the history of each piece.
The Lost Art has eighteen solo classical guitar pieces performed by Ellefson in 1995, shortly after finishing his Bachelors of Music degree from Catholic University in Washington D.C. The lone exception is the Loeillet sonata for guitar and flute; in 2010, Ellefson arranged the flute part for guitar and recorded it 15 years after the backing guitar track. It may be the only such recording of this piece. The Lost Art is a one-of-a-kind bonus release from Ellefson, whose tendonitis injury cost him the ability to play classical guitar, except for easy pieces like "Dee" by Randy Rhoads or his own "Menagerie", both from the Serenade of StringsSerenade of StringsThe Lost Art are available now via www.randyellefson.com, CDBaby.com, and other retailers.
Visit http://www.randyellefson.comfor free mp3s, videos, guitar tablature, articles, and the latest news on Randy Ellefson
Ben Woolman
Many Moods
Ben Woolman may be the next great thing in acoustic fingerstyle playing. He has a new CD called MANY MOODS that is simply solo guitar playing (no overdubs; no other instruments) and it is mind-blowing. This is the kind of playing that thrilled listeners when Leo Kottke, Pierre Bensusan, Alex de Grassi and Ed Gerhard first came along. To keep it interesting Woolman works in a tiny bit of blues (a Blind Blake piece), jazz and world, but primarily it is just hauntingly-beautiful Americana picking. Check it out and become a believer.
Ben Woolman
Website
CDBaby for CD
Anton Emery
Noone Lasses
Playing celtic melodies on the guitar that are usually reserved for the flute, fiddle, and bagpipes is no easy feat. But Anton Emery has managed to do so with grace and authenticity on his debut solo guitar album, Noone Lasses. Recorded in California during the spring and fall of 2009, Noone Lasses captures the subtle lilt and rhythm of celtic music, while giving the tunes a fresh voice on solo guitar.
Produced by guitarist Steve Baughman and engineered by Acoustic Guitar Contributing Editor Doug Young, Noone Lasses includes arrangements of reels, jigs, and a welsh tune, as well slow airs and an O'Carolan harp piece. It’s just one musician in the studio with his guitar, recorded in pristine sound quality with minimal processing.
“Anton Emery’s debut CD "Noone Lasses" has all the qualities of that rare album that one finds in an obscure record shop that instantly becomes and remains a lifetime favorite!"
Minor 7th Acoustic Music Reviews
Websites
http://www.celticfingerstyleguitar.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/AntonEmery
Kerry Kean
New River Guitarism
“New River Guitarism” is Kerry Kean’s second cd of fingerstyle guitar solos. With 11 original and two traditional tunes, it covers a wide range of styles and moods ranging from soft and pretty ("Drifting", "After the Harvest") to rapid-fire cascades of notes ("White Water", "Grandma's Typewriter"). Much of the music on this cd was inspired by the New River in West Virginia, and Kerry’s love of the outdoors and beautiful places shines through.
“With each listen it becomes clear that Kean possesses the ability to find the heart and soul of each of the varied styles presented on this collection…”
– James Filkin, www.minor7th.com/shorttakes12_09.htmlReviews, clips, videos and more at
www.kerrykean.com
www.myspace.com/kerrykean
Vin Downes
Skies and Openings
"Skies and Openings" is the first recording by fingerstyle guitarist Vin Downes. It is comprised of eleven original songs (sample) with influences of Americana, Blues, Classical, Folk and Jazz. It includes seven solo performances and four pieces with guest musicians Lois Carpenter on bass, Mike Fumento on drums, and Jeffrey Young on violin. "Skies and Openings" is the culmination of years spent exploring fingerstyle guitar. It is a mix of styles and moods in a pure acoustic setting.
Downes began studying guitar at the age of eleven. His early interests were in electric guitar, but this changed when he heard the music of Michael Hedges and Leo Kottke. He was immediately intrigued with the art of fingerstyle acoustic guitar. Downes went on to earn a degree in classical guitar performance and music education from William Paterson University. Along the way, he has studied classical composition, Indian tabla, and American roots music, while developing a love for jazz and all improvised music.http://www.vindownes.com
Vin Downes MySpace
YouTubeVideos
Vin Downes at CDBaby
David Barrett
The Dead Arm
This is David Barrett's fourth acoustic CD featuring new compositions on six and twelve string acoustic guitars, classical, resophonic, mandolin, and laud. All of the tracks are performed solo, except track 8, which is a multi-tracked mandolin tune. Album produced, written and arranged by David Barrett. Photography and design by Paul Reid.
Adam O'Connor
2 Head City
2 Head City is Contemporary Solo Guitar, un-fenced. It is unique, risky, unorthodox and beautiful. This music is a fusion of styles which are seldom found together on one album, in one tune or on one guitar. Adam O'Connor weaves musical ideas in a way that makes it difficult to categorize. The 12 original tunes make this album as much about the writing as it is about the playing. The cover shot of an oil refinery reflects the music within; fiery, shadowy, ugly and beautiful, intricate, precarious and brilliant.
People can listen to most of the tunes in full at http://www.myspace.com/adamoconnor1
Hear 3 others at www.adamoconnor.net
Buy a hard copy from:
http://www.acmemusic.com.au/ and soon on CD baby
Or download from iTunes by searching adam oconnor or 2 Head City
Adam Palma
Good Morning
Adam has worked as a session guitarist since 1998 having played with several of the best Polish jazz and pop musicians, singers, arrangers and composers, not to mention international artists such as Chris de Burgh and Hamish Stuart (Average White Band). His influences cover a wide variety of musical styles from rock to country, from acoustic fingerstyle guitar to jazz and from AC/DC to Frank Sinatra.
Although Adam claims he is a rock guitarist his skills are varied and diverse and in recent years has branched out into fingerstyle acoustic guitar. He has played acoustic at the Wirral International Guitar Festival and other guitar festivals in Europe. Recently his hard work was acknowledged by no less than the world famous acoustic guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel, who has invited Adam to take part in the most prestigious guitar event in the world: The Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) in Nashville in July 2009. This is a fantastic accolade for Adam and is indeed high praise and recognition from one of the true acoustic guitar masters.
Please visit Adam's website www.adampalma.net to find out more about his first solo album "Good Morning" and to listen to the samples.
Mary Flower
Bridges
Mary Flower, a 2008 Blues Music Award Nominee for “Acoustic Artist of the Year,” brings her uniquely personal vision of roots music to the most fully realized album of her career. On Bridges , the guitarist’s sound is technically dazzling yet grounded in the down-to-earth simplicity of early 20th century American music.
In unearthing obscure gems from the songbooks of 1920s and ’30s America to complement her own rootsy compositions, Flower explores and illuminates the complex relationships between Piedmont blues, ragtime, jazz, and old-time gospel music. Unconventional instruments such as piano, tuba, accordion, clarinet, mandolin, and saxophone flesh out the arrangements on 14 tracks that, taken together, reveal Flower to be capable of remarkable nuance — as well as more stylistic diversity than just about any other artist currently recording under the “acoustic blues” banner
"A luscious, lusty mix of rootsy styles, anchored by Flower's immense finger-style guitar technique and warm-as-honey-and-whiskey voice. Her meter-perfect guitar work is inventive, dexterous and rock solid. Her voice is as comforting as a winter quilt and effortless as a breeze."
—The Oregonian
