Flatpicking Guitar Magazine

by Chris Thiessen

 

David Grier: Evocative
Dreadnought Recordings 0901

 

Leave it to guitar mage David Grier to again confront our stolid preconceptions of what we think “David Grier” should be/play/sound like and remind us that whatever we may have thought, that’s not where he’s heading. Evocative presents ten original Grier tunes, ten fresh paths.

 

“Meditate,” the CD’s opening cut, starts benignly enough with an acoustic guitar riff that quickly steps out—accompanied by drums, keyboards, and electric guitar—into a tasteful electric elaboration reminiscent of the early 70s Steve Winwood and Traffic, a bit of modern-day Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys. In fact, that comparison becomes even more evident when the keyboards and electric guitar come to the fore of the tune about half-way through. But don’t get too comfortable with that characterization; Grier’s got way more tricks up his sleeve. “As It Rolls to the Sea” (the next cut) is more Grier-esque, an acoustic guitar ballad, but again supported by drums, delicious electric guitar riffs, and even banjo (courtesy of Noam Pikelny) that rise up as the tune progresses. (I had the opportunity to hear David perform an entirely acoustic version of this tune at Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp this year, and as good as that version was, this acoustic/electric version spins a new dimension to the tune.)

 

Next is the paradoxically named blues number “Road to Hope,” which brings Jeff Taylor (keyboardist extraordinaire throughout the album) to the front on accordion! His solo, which starts about half-way through the tune, spontaneously brings images of Parisian sidewalk cafes to mind. “Two Turns Home” moves us temporarily back into the familiar territory of guitar and fiddles, yet steadfastly evades the label of “fiddle tune” or “guitar tune.” It’s just excellent music overall.

 

“As Easy as Falling Off a Log” provides a respite for the musically confounded, and is probably the most characteristically Grier piece on the CD: a solo guitar and an almost languid execution that belies the tune’s complexity. But don’t get too comfortable: it’s followed by “Four Dogs Jogging” (a great name for a tune), probably the most rock ‘n’ roll number, but Scott Vestal’s banjo and Stuart Duncan’s fiddle deftly muddle this categorization. 

 

The three next tunes—“Teela,” “What a Way to Go,” and “High Atop Princess Cove”—are similar delights that defy easy categorization. Closing the album is “The End of a Good Day,” evoking (at least to this reviewer) the onset of evening after a warm Iowa summer day, the smell of cut grass in the cooling air, the dwindling light, the cicada’s song in a nearby tree. Your images may vary, but that imagistic variance is ultimately what this music is all about.

 

Evocative conjures yet another musical milestone (assisted by co-conspirators like banjoists Noam Pikelny and Scott Vestal; bassists Victor Wooten and Byron House; fiddlers Stuart Duncan and Andrea Zonn; pedal steel player Paul Franklin; drummer John Garner; and keyboardist/penny whistler Jeff Taylor) for an artist who constantly re-invents himself, always keeping one step ahead of our expectations.

 

I cannot imagine what David will do next, but I eagerly look forward to that project. For now, this CD is getting a lot of play on my iPod. And additional kudos as well for the “green” packaging for this CD!

 

Chris Thiessen - Flatpicking Guitar Magazine