John Danley Canvas & Rhythm (JCDP-1 John C. Danley Publishing) John Danley's latest CD is an instrumental landscape painted by a guitarist with a richly diverse musical heritage. This is one of those rare recordings that is immediately accessible, and gets better with the repeated listenings it invites. Danley performed the entire album on a Taylor dreadnought 6 string guitar with no overdubs. By the tone, I would guess that it's a model 810. (Editors note: great taste in guitars, John!) Rosamond Finley accompanies John beautifully on violin on two cuts, 'Paxil Eyes' and 'The Art of Time.' Josie Phelan lends a haunting electric cello counter-melody on the piece, "Baba Ganouj." There is also one song, which includes some very tasteful percussion, 'Atama,' features Paresh Sheth on the tabla drums. Danley describes himself as an experimental, fingerstyle guitarist . On Canvas & Rhythm, his third independent release, the "experimental" touch appears as John incorporates a normal household paintbrush to add percussive sounds to the guitar while simultaneously creating colorful melodic patterns and distinctive rhythmic harmonies. Great examples of this unusual percussive paintbrush technique are aptly demonstrated on tracks 2, 3, 7, and 12. This is an all instrumental album comprised of twelve compositions, which cover a broad palette of picking and chording styles, ranging from moving ballads to aggressive percussive melodic structures, incorporating unorthodox guitar techniques and upbeat fingerstyle picking. Danley draws his inspiration from many sources, which include classical guitar, flamenco, and bluegrass. He possesses the finesse of great eclectic fingerpickers like Leo Kottke and John Fahey, mixed with the inventiveness of stylistic innovators like Steve Tibbetts, Michael Hedges, and Stanley Jordan. Nearly every piece presented on Canvas & Rhythm effortlessly combines technical mastery with innovative artistry. Besides his three solo albums, John is a regular contributor to National Public Radio, a performing artist, and a composer of independent film music. Three of the songs from this album have been featured on NPR's All Things Considered radio series. Canvas & Rhythm is a new benchmark for fingerstyle virtuosity and, in my humble opinion, a must-have for all fingerstyle guitarists. Danley's chops are guaranteed to astound you, ...his compositions are meaty and musical, and the production is meticulous and impressive. Fans of acoustic music will find this CD immediately accessible. Danley has found his own voice. Highly recommended! Review by Ben Kettlewell information: email: johncdanley@yahoo.com websites: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/danley2 http://members.tripod.com/JohnDanley/ http://www.mp3.com/JohnDanley

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