FEATURE: NEKO CASE
Singer-songwriter Neko Case talks tenor guitars, the power of language, and writing from the point of view of a tornado. [More]

FEATURE: THE FINGERPICKING STYLE OF REVEREND GARY DAVIS
Learn Davis’s syncopated Piedmont guitar style and powerful, inspirational approach to blues, gospel, and 1920s jazz. [More]

PRIVATE LESSON: TYLER GRANT
The 2008 Winfield flatpicking champion traces part of his winning style to classical training. With audio. [More]

FEATURE: NEW GEAR 2009
The latest guitars, accessories, and gear that will soon hit your retailer’s shelves—as seen at NAMM. With video. [More]

NEW GEAR REVIEW: PAUL REED SMITH TONARE GRAND
Famed maker of high-end electric guitars introduces an innovative flattop acoustic. With video. [More]

NEW GEAR REVIEW: COMPOSITE ACOUSTICS CARGO
Carbon-fiber construction and compact size result in a travel guitar that can stand up to the rigors of the road. With video. [More]

NEW GEAR REVIEW: ACOUSTIC IMAGE CORUS COMBO AMP
An inventive, American-made amp with smart controls, rich detail, and efficient bass response. With video. [More]

EILEN JEWELL, Sea of Tears
Listening to Boston-based Eilen Jewell’s smashing new album (her third) will transport you—sometimes to a country roadhouse, sometimes to a timeless smoky bar with a chanteuse steeped in sophisticated languor. Jewell’s soprano is artful and self-assured, and with her stylish songwriting and smart lyrics (“The only thing that moves is the laundry on the line / And a dusty dog that bites, just to pass the time” she sings on “One of Those Days,” one of nine originals), you’d never guess she’s only in her 20s. But Jewell’s smartest move is her backup band—Jason Beek (drums, harmony vocals), Johnny Sciascia (upright bass), and Jerry Miller (acoustic, electric, and steel guitar)—whose interplay and arrangements are a perfect fit for this rootsy rock, R&B, and rockabilly. Jewell’s understated delivery can be a little unvarying—she should pump up the energy more often, as on “I’m Gonna Dress in Black” (with echoes of “The House of the Rising Sun”)—but her nonchalance only serves to highlight the masterful guitar. Miller combines Claptonesque rock with straight-up country, sophisticated jazz and blues stylings, and flourishes of everything from chicken scratching to surfer vibes, providing an extra sheen to an already glittering jewel of a CD. (Signature Sounds Recordings, signaturesounds.com)
—CÉLINE KEATING

MATTHEW BARBER, Ghost Notes
Although Matthew Barber has some of the trappings of the typical indie singer-songwriter—such as the hushed voice with sometimes lax enunciation—his music owes much to the California sound of the ’70s, from the loping “Easily Bruised” to the country rock of “One Little Piece of My Love,” though he’s equally adept at crafting spare, delicate acoustic ballads about love and loss. The Toronto native has wisely avoided overproducing these songs, and his band (Dean Drouillard on guitar, Kieran Adams on drums, Paul Mathew on bass, and Jesse O’Brien on piano/organ) shows tasteful restraint, allowing Barber’s expressive voice to carry the songs. Refreshingly, Barber avoids obtuse lyrical ruminations, instead opting for a direct emotional approach, a tack that makes Ghost Notes an engaging album that deserves a wide audience. (Outside Music, outside-music.com)
—MARK SMITH

For more CD reviews, go to AcousticGuitar.com/playlist.

JULY 2009: Feature lesson with Bruce Cockburn; a history of C.F. Martin and Co.; reviews of the Takamine Limited Edition 2009 and UltraSound Pro-250 amplifier; and music to the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” and Led Zeppelin’s “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do?”

AUGUST 2009: Elvis Costello talks about his new album, which was produced by T Bone Burnett; six 12-string guitars reviewed; interview with Justin Townes Earle; reviews of the DPA 4099 clip-on microphone and Daisy Rock Bubinga Butterfly; music to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and the Sharon Isbin/Edward Flower take on “The Drunken Sailor.”

SEPTEMBER 2009: Learn how to start playing other acoustic instruments like mandolins and banjos; Lloyd Loar’s legacy; reviews of the National Triolian and tenor guitars by Martin and Blueridge; Radiohead’s “Karma Police” and the classic ode to the Summer of Love, “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers in Your Hair).”

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