About This:
This cd of fingerstyle acoustic guitar music features a variety of tunes from bittersweet lyricism to funky blues. Fluid playing and a beautiful recorded sound make this latest cd from Dorian's acoustic catalogue a joy to listen to. minor7th.com says: Musical chops are born of time and woodshedding, and then playing and more playing...Dorian Michael has chops which are all over his latest solo acoustic guitar effort, "Sycamore Creek". He is at ease in any number of musical genres which he reveals over these twelve tracks. Six originals are joined by six standards from the worlds of jazz, blues, and traditional music. It takes an understanding of the music to pull off a solo acoustic version of "Black Orpheus" by Luis Bonfa, but Michael does it well, keeping the groove with chordal movement while ringing along the melody in single note phrases. Also tasty is the Jimmy Van Heusen classic "Here's That Rainy Day" played with just enough douleur and panache to capture its various moods. The title cut cascades as Michael makes use of the entire fretboard. The power of fingerstyle guitar is brought to life on "Deep River Blues" as Michael carries multiple voices at once on the blues standard. "Manitoba Moon" is a dreamy nightscape, while "Uncle Al's [Backyard]" is a sassy, braying beast of a blues powered by Michael's excellent chording and lyrical leads... Dorian Michael isn't as well known outside the western U.S. as his playing deserves. Discs like "Sycamore Creek" could well change that. © Kirk Albrecht