| Reviews: Guitar Pieces |
| Minor 7th |
by Kirk Albrecht, September/October 2008
In this his fourth solo acoustic guitar CD, Jim Tozier serves up another tasty menu of fingerstyle delicacies. "Guitar Pieces" puts 17 mostly short cuts into a mix of always melodic, often bouncing explorations in DADGAD and CGDDAD tunings. Like most everything put out by Solid Air Records, the recording quality of the disc is impeccable, allowing Tozier's nimble fingers to shine.
"Six Mile Creek" alternates between a frenzied bass line and the melody, engaging the listener in musical movement. Many of the songs are rooted in Celtic guitar, and the influence of Al Petteway (who produced Tozier's second CD "Solo Guitar") is evident on several tracks, like "Coming Home," an almost waltz-like rhyme. "The Bridge at Poole's Mill" is steeped in a lush beauty with a surprise tapping twist at the end that morphs into "Owl at the Bridge" where Petteway joins in on lead guitar with some mighty tasty licks. Tozier shows he can not only deliver fine gentle songs, but also up-tempo numbers on "Song of the Chattahoochee," where his solid alternating bass line underscores the driving melody. "Tribble Gap" reveals a little more blues to the mostly green hues of the CD.
The longest track on "Guitar Pieces," "Memories Like Rain" takes the thoughtful listener along with Tozier to the place of warmth brought on by recounting those times that remain with us and bring a smile. In recounting some bitter memories, Tozier offers "Trail of Tears" as a dirge for the Cherokees who were forced from their land in his now home state of Georgia. It's a hauntingly sad yet beautiful melody. To end the disc, Tozier plays "Never My Love," sticking pretty close to the original, but it's a nice arrangement. If you like clean, thoughtful fingerstyle guitar, you can't go wrong with "Guitar Pieces."
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Minor 7th
by Hank te Veldhuis, July/August 2008
This award-winning acoustic finger-style guitarist who performs traditional Celtic tunes and original compositions inspired by his Irish heritage and his surroundings earlier on released
Celtic Guitar and
Solo Guitar, which both were well received by the press and his fans. His newest CD
Guitar Pieces is marked by a strong sense of melody and a rich, warm expressive touch. Jim plays mostly in open tunings to get his own expressive and intimate sound. As a creator of atmosphere he knows to absorb a listener during 17 tracks with a varied setup. "Six Mile Creek" has a steady groove with a fantastic melody line, just as "South of Nashville," "Tribble Gap," "Song of The Chattahoochee" written all in DADGAD tuning. Wonderful ballads like "Trail of Tears," "Coming Home" and "Memories Like Rain" are heart-warming. A typical Celtic tunes like "The Piper's Dream" complete this astonishing CD which will grasp any enthusiastic music and acoustic guitar enthusiast.
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