Toulouse Engelhardt, Mind Gardens

For contemporary acoustic guitar soloists who have established their own distinct style of playing, we can think of Gary Lucas, John Fahey, Leo Kottke and Ralph Towner. All have laid down their own original turf to create vibrant music that to varying degrees draws upon folk styles, country blues and/or classical guitar influences.

To that list we can add Toulouse Engelhardt, based on his recent solo album Mind Gardens (Lost Grove Arts 1008). "13 Novelties of Space, Time and Contemplation" is how the album cover describes the music. It fits. Other than one duet for guitar and alto flute this is an all-solo affair.

Toulouse plays six- and twelve-string guitar with the sort of flourish one expects of someone worthy of such lengthy display. I like the way he voices chords especially. He gets some beautiful, bright, resonant sounds by doing such things and it is great to hear. He can also pick out very well on chords-melodies in interesting ways that may remind a bit of Kottke but as an extension, not a copy.

It is music that washes over you in most pleasing ways, yet for the guitar conscious he is doing something that's worth attending to. Check out his nice version of the Shaker hymn "'Tis A Gift to Be Simple" if you want to hear his very creative way with something familiar.

This is good. Very, very good. Acousticians take note!

Toulouse Engelhardt, Toulousology, Definitive Guitar Soli, 1976-2009

Toulouse Engelhardt was one of the somewhat lesser-known artists in the Takoma stable of acoustic original post-folk guitarists back in the day, but he was good. He is good. Lost Grove Arts (1007) wisely has seen fit to put together an anthology of some of his best solo work on acoustic 12-string and a tad of the electric on Toulousology.

It's a very handy way to get to know Toulouse's stylistic universe. He sometimes sounds more like Kottke than Fahey. But then again he mostly sounds like himself.

There are original sounds, some very nice open-tuning picking and a good cross-section of moods and modes.

Based on this compilation he deserves a wider exposure. If you like a good acoustic blast of fresh air, here you have it.

Rich Osborn, Giving Voice, Guitar Explorations

In the tradition of solo acoustic guitarists like Fahey, Kotke, and the others who flourished in an earlier day, Rich Osborn dedicates himself to making starkly acoustic original music with a improvisational feel but at the same time an attention to form. This is to say what he is up to on his album Giving Voice (Free Range Ranga 0001).

There's an Indian classical influence at times, open tuning musical sonorities, an attention to acoustic sound as sound, some modified picking, and a spacious ambiance.

Since new age has come about after the heyday of Fahey and his cohorts, and the influence of the latter's guitar playing has had an effect on that music, one sometimes wonders about the fine line between something ambient and mellow and yet with artistic integrity, whatever that means, and things that lack that.

But if you listen enough to Osborn's album, you affirm that what's going on is beyond new-age noodling and into the integral zone.

He has a voice and it's a good listen. Nothing more need be said.