| Written - November
2010
Ok, I'll admit that I'm rather
partial to the talents of Mark Hill from over in the Maritimes
of Canada, but his breadth of skills in all genres of our Ohio
Fingerstyle Guitar Club style of guitar pickin (Chet
"pickin", Merle "floggin", Jerry
"clawin", and my fav - Lenny "jazzin")
simply puts him right up with the top three finger style
guitarists in the world. This album is "solo
guitar" in the extreme.
His latest CD release, "Styles,"
further emphasizes his brilliance across the many disciplines
and musicality of guitar playing - hence, the title of the album
"Styles" of perusing the hardwood fret board in an effort to
entertain. He exercises his skills in thumb style like
Chet and Paul Yandell (including I've Been Lucky written by
Paul,) several Jerry Reed claw tunes.
On one end of the spectrum he can
"thumbpick" with the best of them as displayed in a very Chet-like
version of Mr. Sandman - however, in the "lead break"
where most other recording guitarists "hire" a jazzman
to inject some counterpoint interest in the arrangement - Mark
breaks into an extremely proficient jazz line take that
borderlines Lenny Breau brilliance.
With Lenny in mind, on the other
end of the spectrum he plays a magical Lenny B style arrangement
of The Days of Wine and Roses - that will bring you to tears,
make you want to sell all your guitars, and find out where this
fella lives so you can buy a house next door. The man is
soooo good that he's scary.
I'll end by borrowing a paragraph
I wrote ending his last CD Review "a mark in time"
because after re-reading it, I can't say it any clearer:
Mr. Hill’s
playing is incredibly meticulous, clean as a bell, and on one
classy side - deceivingly simple-to-play “sounding” – and,
organically complex on the other.
However, I’ll warn the listeners to take heed and
“don’t try this at home.”
It is near heresy to compare any guitarist (new or old)
to our hero Chet Atkins within the CAAS circle of near
neo-Atkins fans – and, I’m not about to tread on that thin
ice with this review – and, I can’t base any of my opinions
on the subject by claiming “I knew Chet” because I didn’t
– however, I do know many of the talents that Chet felt
deserved to be considered “drop in ma’ office, anytime yer
in town” level – and, I’m sure if Mr. A was still alive he
would have loved Mark Hill's pickin’!!
Practiced, clean, sincere, complex, aggressive yet
restrained, and ALWAYS in control.
Never faster than he can really play.
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