Guitar Uncovered
Jim Earp
In his own notes to this CD, Jim Earp says: "My passion of late has been arranging vocal-based material for guitar" and that passion has certainly paid off. This wonderful collection of stylishly played songs is one of the most melodically enjoyable guitar CDs I have heard.
Jim Earp has the technique to make his playing sound effortless, but he also has a rare melodic sense that he uses to virtually sing through his guitar. Melody is always front and center, without any loss of interest in accompaniment. This man plays like a well-balanced ensemble! His playing is consistently full and rich, so much so that my only minor qualm is that more breaks in the texture would be nice. But this minor quibble should not distract from the fine playing on the CD.
The album gets off to a promising start with an enigmatic beginning that plays with the chord progression and gives hints of the melody before resolving into a swinging groove for a memorable interpretation of Eleanor Rigby. The melody is all there, as are the most memorable parts of the string accompaniment, but Jim Earp has managed to translate the song into a very guitaristic version. Credit has to be given to Joe Rathburn for the great arrangement, but it is Jim Earp who does a terrific job of bringing it to life here. This is a thoroughly engaging interpretation, right up to the very last, very cool chord.
Next comes Moondance, a great original arrangement that I mentioned in my review of the My Favorite Martin CD as one of its highlights. It is nothing short of a joy to hear it again, and I know that a lot of guitarists are going to be testing their ear on lifting this one!
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head is a slower and more straight-ahead arrangement of a classic tune. This is an excellent example of Mr. Earp's ability to shape his playing to the tune much like a vocalist would.
Kiss From a Rose is another lovely ballad that makes the most of the DADGAD tuning. Jim Earp varies his accompaniment from bare octaves to rich chords, weaving an ever fuller tapestry of sound that never overpowers the simple beauty of the melody.
You Are So Beautiful is another straight-ahead ballad, played simply but effectively. The capo on the second fret gives the song a lighter feel that suits its mood perfectly.
A great surprise comes with a change-up in tempo. You Can't Hurry Love sounds as if it were written for solo guitar, so convincing is Jim Earp's arrangement. Again judicious use of the capo pitches this song at the optimal range for the tune to shine.
Banks and Braes is a traditional Scottish tune, played here in an arrangement by Tony McManus. Mr. Earp plays this song without affectation but with obvious feeling.
Sunflower River Blues presents a new soundscape with its open C tuning that stretches the low end of Mr. Earp's Martin guitar. While the lower strings anchor the tune with a solid bass line, the melody dances out over a shimmer of chords that make the most of the open strings.
When I first listened to this CD, I was definitely not expecting the Allman Brothers to show up, but then on came Little Martha. This Duane Allman song sounds great as a solo guitar tune, and the open D tuning lets the melody ring out and even leap up into harmonics when Jim Earp takes a mind to. Once again the melody is the star of the show here.
Definitely, the biggest surprise of this whole CD is the oustanding version of Gold Dust Woman that Jim Earp arranged along with Greg Campbell. If arranging such a well known song with so many layers of Lindsey Buckingham's guitars on it would seem daunting to most guitarists, the solution here follows the other arrangements on this CD: be true to the melody, set the mood, keep all of the important musical parts, and make sure it sits naturally on the guitar. Oh yeah, and play it perfectly too. This track is a highlight of the CD. The ending is a lot of fun too (name that tune!).
The Water Is Wide follows as another straightforward beautiful meditation, with its timeless melody set like a priceless gem in understated counterpoint to the accompaniment.
The CD ends with Jim Earp's first recorded duet, with guitarist Tom Boyer, appropriately You've Got a Friend. The second guitar adds a wonderful richness to the texture without cluttering or adding undue complexity.
In summary, this is one of those rare guitar CDs that will appeal as much to non-guitarists as to guitarists. Jim Earp plays so musically that you can forget that this is a guitar CD and just enjoy it as music. Of course, if you do play the guitar, there is a lot to learn from this CD, and I am sure that I am not the only one who will be listening closely to pick up some of Jim Earp's great arrangements.
You can buy your copy at Acoustic Music Resource. (http://www.acousticmusicresource.com/product_info.php?products_id=5426)