Ben Woolman, Many Moods

BEN WOOLMAN

MANY MOODS

If you enjoy great guitar playing, let me call your attention to an outstanding new CD I recently heard -- MANY MOODS by Ben Woolman (benwoolman.net).

Woolman is a master of solo acoustic steel-string guitar instrumental music played fingerstyle. What makes this type of playing extraordinary is when you hear three separate things happening simultaneously on one guitar without overdubbing. Only the elite can do this, and usually only for short passages within a piece because it is so difficult. Your ear will hear the lead guitar part (the melody line) and the bass part fairly easily. But on close listening you will hear, at times, either a cross-rhythm or counter-melody in between the first two parts. It is fairly amazing.

But even more importantly, these mostly-original compositions are very listenable and melodic regardless of his incredible guitar skills. This is fine music that will appeal to anyone who loves solo acoustic guitar picking.