Hillbilly Pleasures

'Hillbilly Erotica' by Sir Richard Bishop. From 2026 on Drag City Records. Solo acoustic guitar improvisations, often frenetic. As I listened, I kept thinking: 'John Fahey on steroids/" The notes on Bandcamp calls it: "Imagined American music at its most gorgeous and violent."

The Search for the Turtle's Navel

From 1976 on vinyl. 'The Search for the Turtle's Navel' by William Ackerman. 

Solo acoustic guitar pieces. 

It led to a decade of seeking out additional records by William Ackerman and anything else produced by Windham Hill Records. Primarily the solo acoustic guitar and piano records. 

Good things come in three's, right? I was already a huge fan of guitarists, Leo Kottke and John Fahey when I first heard this. I thought, there had to be a third.

I smile at some of the song titles and notes on the back cover ....

'The Pink Chiffon Tricycle Queen' - "Proving once and for all that speed and dexterity are not enough."

'Slow Motion Roast Beef Restaurant Seduction' - "The woman across from you is moonlit and confessing something. Suddenly the flood comes."

'What the Buzzard Told Suzanne' - "Conveys the mood of terrible heat and concerns itself with how unwelcome enlightenment can be without ice cubes."

Sunday Morning Listening to Bert Jansch

The older I get the more I appreciate recordings from half a century ago. It's historical documentation!!

From 1966 and on vinyl. Covering traditional English folk tunes with incredible acoustic guitar playing by Jansch and John Renbourn. The only additional thing that could be asked for ..... liner notes explaining the origins of these songs.

And following up with more Bert Jansch on vinyl ..... His 1971 "Rosemary Lane" record!!! Found this many years ago in a used record store in Portland with a $2.00 sticker on it. A knowledgable person would be crazy to pass that up.

The Attic Tapes

Another Record Store Day observed and celebrated. My kind of holiday!!

So many special vinyl record releases for the occasion. And so many these days that I find myself knowing very little about. But John Renbourn is from my youth.

"Mastered from old tapes found in a friend's attic, this is a vintage collection of previously unreleased rarities and early works by one of the guitar's truly great innovators. The Record Store Day edition features five vinyl-only tracks and sleeve notes written by John shortly before his death in March 2015."

Ellis Paul

Beautiful!! No other words are needed.

My Kind of Christmas Music

My preferred choice for Christmas music ..... John Fahey's, The New Possibility. Reverantly performed solo acoustic guitar covers of traditional Christmas tunes minus the vocals. First heard when broadcast on the radio in the late night hours, one quiet Christmas Eve many years ago. I love the use of acoustic slide guitar on Silent Night.

Another alternative type recording of Christmas music that distances itself from the seemingly thousands of standard tunes is Sufjan Stevens, Songs For Christmas. Five discs, traditionals mixed with originals. Several originals that should be traditionals. If you've ever wondered if the pairing of Christmas music and banjo would work, you'll find the answer here.

There's also the song, First Christmas, by the late Canadian Folk singer, Stan Rogers. Previously discussed here.