2007 Dreadnought Records (#0701)
Review by B. Hough, www.cbaontheweb.org
Have You Ever Been To England, High Atop Princess Cove, As It Rolls To The Sea, Road To Hope, The Old Spinning Wheel, America The Beautiful/Yesterday-Medley, Red Haired Boy, The End Of A Good Day, Redwing, Killing Me Softly, Crossing The Cumberlands/Old Ebenezer Scrooge-Medley, Bonaparte's Retreat, Randy Lynn Rag
David Grier is one of the few guitarists who can sit in front of an audience and spin a magical web of enchanting guitar music and punch-goofy jokes without having to sing a song or rely on a band. He is simply, a superb guitarist, with a command of melody and phrasing that twists and turns through his own original songs and a selection of fiddle tunes and popular songs. He merrily tells the story of his friend’s reaction to his misunderstood question, “Have You Ever Been to England?” and he launches into the song, a minor-key reel that has flourishes up and down the neck done cross-picking style.
David recounts several encounters with ladies in the audience. One of them asked him, “was that a real song or did you make it up?,” and another demands, “play something I know so I could see if you’s any good.” His “made up songs” include “As It Rolls to Sea,” and “Road to Hope” that have tender melodic flows that roll out of David’s deep, robust 1946 Martin D-28. While he would never want “Red Haired Boy” to be his signature tune, he has arranged a full, multi-leveled version of the fiddle tune with embellishments around the basic melody. His medley of “America the Beautiful” is combined with “Yesterday,” and the two tunes generate an enthusiastic audience response. “Killing Me Softly” is full of lush, harmonic runs and bass notes combined with treble riffs that make it hard to believe there’s only one guitar playing. Bill Monroe fans won’t be disappointed in his version of “Crossing the Cumberlands” that rumbles and moans, or “Ebenezer Scrooge” a later Monroe song with swirling themes and counter melodies. Simply a delight!