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Pierre Bensusan
As a teenager Pierre was "discovered" by banjo player, Bill Keith at a bluegrass festival in Switzerland; and subsequently played mandolin as his sideman. While the early years from nineteen seventy-four to nineteen eighty are well represented, the most space is given to the last three albums, from 1981 to 1994. Pierre Bensusan was born in 1957 in French Algeria and released his debut album "Près de Paris" in 1975, at the age of 17 and won Le Grand Prix du Disque at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland in 1976. He was also a Bluegrass musician, starting his career playing guitar and mandolin. Windham Hill recording artist George Winston said "Pierre is one of the truly gifted musicians of our time - he plays the guitar as if it was the very soul of himself. The emotionalism, the chords that go right to the bottom of me, his sounds are beautiful. Pierre is a musician who takes chances, and as such he is delving into many unique and previously unexplored techniques and sounds. I hope that you will take the time to discover his magic for yourself and then pass it on to someone else". We couldn't say it better ourselves. Click here for Pierre's current tour schedule.
Review by Ben Kettlewell
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This
long-awaited instrumental retrospective drawn from six
recordings spanning a 20 year period (covering his first six
albums on Rounder) cohesively presents evidence of
Bensusan's brilliance and influence upon two generations of
finger-style guitarists. A modern day troubadour and
romanticist, Pierre is a French impressionist who paints
with six strings. His music has inspired artists as diverse
as Suzanne Vega, David Crosby, Michael Hedges, and George
Winston, to name only a few. His is known as a master of the
DADGAD tuning. Pierre is an acoustic virtuoso who combines
sensibility with shadings of ethereal jazz, pop, ethnic and
classical melodies with a feel to transport the listener to
a warm, luxurious frame of mind. The result is a surprising,
humorous, groove-oriented CD guaranteed to make you grin.
"Nice Feeling" is a collection of stories in song of the
people and places that touch the heart. His unique approach
to the instrument was an amalgamation of many guitar styles
played with a unique harmonic sensibility . Guitarists
around the world have been influenced by Pierre's
distinctive playing. He has influenced many guitarists, but
is equalled by none.