John Fahey - "The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album" (1968) - Takoma Records
Hello Friends,
We've got a little bit of a unique one on the Holiday Turntable tonight: a solo guitar instrumental album by American folk artist John Fahey. Minimalist to be sure, Fahey's style combines avant-garde arrangements with a traditional country-blues style of steel string guitar picking. The resulting music has a way of sounding both old and new at the same time. (Fahey's style was termed "American Primitivism" in the late 50's. Besides Fahey, the most famous proponent of this style is guitarist Leo Kottke.)
The bottom line is if you enjoy well-played Christmas music on an acoustic guitar this record is a must listen. (Also, we can't be positive, but this might be the first acoustic guitar Christmas album ever. Couldn't find any examples of this style of music before 1968!)
Released on Fahey's own label, Takoma Records, it remains the best-selling release of his 40 year recording career. Its really good from start to finish with the triumvirate of Side One's "Auld Lang Syne", "The Bells of St Marys" and "Good King Wenceslas" being the record's high point!
RATING: 4.5 gathering winter fuels out of 5
is known as American Primitivism.
This is another
We've got a little bit of a unique one on the Holiday Turntable tonight: a solo guitar instrumental album by American folk artist John Fahey. Minimalist to be sure, Fahey's style combines avant-garde arrangements with a traditional country-blues style of steel string guitar picking. The resulting music has a way of sounding both old and new at the same time. (Fahey's style was termed "American Primitivism" in the late 50's. Besides Fahey, the most famous proponent of this style is guitarist Leo Kottke.)
The bottom line is if you enjoy well-played Christmas music on an acoustic guitar this record is a must listen. (Also, we can't be positive, but this might be the first acoustic guitar Christmas album ever. Couldn't find any examples of this style of music before 1968!)
Released on Fahey's own label, Takoma Records, it remains the best-selling release of his 40 year recording career. Its really good from start to finish with the triumvirate of Side One's "Auld Lang Syne", "The Bells of St Marys" and "Good King Wenceslas" being the record's high point!
RATING: 4.5 gathering winter fuels out of 5
is known as American Primitivism.
This is another
