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FOLKTALES AND FUSIONS BACKSTORY
It was Greg Conroy who first nudged Steve in the direction of interpretive folks songs and Americana. Not unlike the great Charles Loyld and the Marvels with Bill Frisell’s approach to presenting simple folk songs with a jazz sensibility.
Also, adding to the ‘moment’ is that many of the recordings are first take, only takes, the way it happened. A record of time in creation and as with anything contemporaneous, captured in the moment —--as the great Jim Hall said’ “with warts and all.”
A few pieces have been fomenting on for years. As Steve put it: the “Fusion” Mr. G Stringie Thingie – Yah, G-String I know what you were thinking, and you are wrong. Mr. G is Maura Giuliani, a 17th century guitar virtuoso. I have played his etudes for years and got the idea to meld a few etudes with connective progressive fusion sections. It took 10 years to get around to recording the arrangement that was floating around in my head.
A/ttitude like Mr. G Stringie Thingie, comes from Baroque classical guitar etudes. A/ttitude as in Atude. In this case it's the Carcassi Etude in A that provides the basis for the expansion and intersections of Elizabeth Cotton picking, Chet Atkins sensibility, layered with bluesy guitar, and airy Lyle Mayes-esk solo section, finished off with a Beethoven-esk ending. Note: on the Bob Ponte, Chris Cheek and guitar Trio version, it’s a Phil Woods on Just The Way You Are vibe that Cheek’s Bari solo evokes.
Two long form pieces that include grooves and spontaneous statements We Shall Overcome and The Way Home share their shapes in respect to the spontaneous movement in the form of melodic arpeggios, sequences and drones created by the algorithmic intelligence (AI) of the Microcosm effects processor.
Microcosm is also a major factor in the glacial ambiance of Guitarscapes.
Songs included in the Folktales & Fusions developing body of work also feature in a few enveloping Earth Movies. Notably, "Princess and the Jester" set to the Jazz Clouds Earth Movie, and “Haze Country” set to the Aurora Inspiration Earth Movie. These works feature the expressive and melodious sound of world-renowned saxophonist Chris Cheek.
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