Latest Releases
Guitar Maestro DVD
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Guitar Maestro Gordon Giltrap
DVD release for the tuitional "Guitar Maestros" Series featuring performances and conversations specially recorded for Sound Techniques in their Norfolk Studios in late 2006.
Performing with an astonishing array of guitars, this DVD showcases Gordons incredible talent and features stunning live performances including At Giltraps Bar, Lucifers cage and the ever popular Heartsong.
In conversation with Trevor Dann; Gordon talks about his amazing guitar collection, his tunings and his remarkable 40 year career.
View a short sample of Lucifer's Cage from the DVD here and Heartsong here
Available to buy online from 8th March 2007.
"Great video, superb audio and captivating content. The Guitar Maestros Series is essential viewing for acoustic guitarists and enthusiasts alike" Mick Taylor, Editor, Guitar Buyer Magazine.
The "guitar anoraks" among you may like to have a look at what goes on behind the scenes at the set up in Sound Techniques Studio here
WHAT DO THE MUSIC PRESS THINK ?.....
Visit the discography section Click here for more information and track listing, press comments on the series in general and to read a new review of Gordon's DVD by Dave Kidman April 2007 from the NetRhythms website.
WHAT DO THE PUBLIC THINK ?......
Review of the DVD by TIM BLIXT
It should come as no surprise to readers of this site that the reviews of Gordon's recorded work included on the site have been submitted by reviewers who are, to say the least, highly taken by the efforts of Mr. Giltrap. That said, in approaching the task of reviewing this latest effort from Gordon, I assure the reader that I did as much as humanly possible to divorce myself from the passion I have for the man and his music. To the extent possible I attempted to listen and view this product with the eyes and ears of a newcomer to Gordon's work. And with that said---I can only tell you that this is a brilliant work that very well may stand as the greatest single recorded testament to Gordon's work ( how's that for unbiased ?? )
First some of the basics. This disc is the eighth in a series of dvds, featuring the work of some of the most notable guitarists of our generation, released on the U.K. based Sound Techniques label. The format for these discs is that the artist performs for, and is interviewed by, a host in an exquisitely converted Coach House on the grounds of a privately owned estate near Downham Market in Norfolk. The Coach House has been lovingly converted, at no small expense, to a recording studio by renowned studio master Geoffrey Frost. By any measure, the Coach House is a state of the art facility delivering spectacular audio and video product. A warm blue background wraps the artist in a comforting back drop that enhances both Gordon and his incredible array of guitars.
In this case Gordon is interviewed by Trevor Dann, the veteran BBC broadcaster whose credits include working on Top of the Pops and his own Classic Gold Albums programme. His recent book about the life of Nick Drake, "Darker Than The Deepest Sea", has been very well received. Trevor shows both an interest in, and awareness of, Gordon and his music. Trev's questions and insights keep the show moving and elicit wonderful, witty responses from Gordon. Not only are we treated to a wonderful Gordon Giltrap performance, but thanks to Trevor, we learn a lot about Gordon and his creative process that the music itself does not reveal.
The audio track for this disc is a crisp clean stereo mix. Though an insatiable fan such as myself does mourn the lack of a 5:1 mix, this stereo mix more than supports the impeccable music being performed. The disc is broken into two parts. The first hour or so features Trevor interviewing Gordon about each piece he plays---eight in all. A second portion of the disc has Gordon performing ten additional "bonus" tracks without Trevor's help. The disc comes in at a very healthy 110 minutes of performance. Additionally, the disc is a two sided affair, one side playable on PAL systems and the other playable in the NTSC format.
And now, about the aforementioned performance. I hope it goes without saying that when an artist has achieved what Gordon has, an award winning career spanning some four decades, hit albums, hit singles, consistently successful tours, and the plaudits of fans, peers, and critics alike, it's a given that the guy knows his way around a fret board. Any Gordon Giltrap performance will have a number of opportunities for us fans to say "How the heck does he do that?" And those moments abound here. The camera work is superb, allowing all the anoraks to suss out exactly what each finger was doing when that note was played.
But jaw dropping technique is what could reasonably be expected from a guy who's been at this as long as Gordon has. What this disc has, in spades, is undeniable evidence that Gordon Giltrap is, very simply, one of the true melodic genius guitarists of his generation. Almost every period of Gordon's lengthy career is represented here--and what I like the best is that so much of Gordon's recent work is featured. I think it can be agreed that it is a rare artist who seems to be able to tap his/her creative well as richly in the fourth decade of their career as they were able to do in the first ten years. Gordon is just such an artist. Included in the first portion of the disc are fan faves such as ""On Camber Sands", "Appalachian Dreaming", "Down The River", and a single version of "Heartsong". (an expanded version of "Heartsong" appears in the bonus tracks section). In addition to the relatively new "Appalachian Dreaming", there are such recent gems as "Maddie Goes West", "Mrs. Singer's Waltz", "Kaz", and the extraordinarily beautiful "Simply Margaret". A particularly stunning version of the wonderful "Sallie's Song" is included in which Gordon coaxes sounds out of the old double neck that I don't know if even he knew were there! Additionally, a final bonus track is the amazing version of "Dodo's Dream" that Gordon has been featuring in concert recently. And yes, the essential "Lucifer's Cage", in all its' manic glory, is included here as well!
Of course no single document can adequately relate the full scope of a 40 year career. Gordon's stunning career is, thankfully, very well documented on both cd and dvd. Elsewhere on this site, you will be able to view no less than 34 cds of Gordon's work that have been produced over the years---28 of which are still available for sale. In addition to this dvd, there are two others, one of which includes a live cd as well. No single disc in this massive collection can be said to be the "definitive" Giltrap collection. In my humble opinion, however, this Guitar Maestro dvd comes as close as one disc will ever get to being "the one" all Giltrap fans must have as well as the one disc that can begin to show a newcomer what Gordon Giltrap is all about.
TIM BLIXT
Click the link below to purchase the DVD direct from Sound Techniques.
Performing with an astonishing array of guitars, this DVD showcases Gordons incredible talent and features stunning live performances including At Giltraps Bar, Lucifers cage and the ever popular Heartsong.
In conversation with Trevor Dann; Gordon talks about his amazing guitar collection, his tunings and his remarkable 40 year career.
View a short sample of Lucifer's Cage from the DVD here and Heartsong here
Available to buy online from 8th March 2007.
"Great video, superb audio and captivating content. The Guitar Maestros Series is essential viewing for acoustic guitarists and enthusiasts alike" Mick Taylor, Editor, Guitar Buyer Magazine.
The "guitar anoraks" among you may like to have a look at what goes on behind the scenes at the set up in Sound Techniques Studio here
WHAT DO THE MUSIC PRESS THINK ?.....
Visit the discography section Click here for more information and track listing, press comments on the series in general and to read a new review of Gordon's DVD by Dave Kidman April 2007 from the NetRhythms website.
WHAT DO THE PUBLIC THINK ?......
Review of the DVD by TIM BLIXT
It should come as no surprise to readers of this site that the reviews of Gordon's recorded work included on the site have been submitted by reviewers who are, to say the least, highly taken by the efforts of Mr. Giltrap. That said, in approaching the task of reviewing this latest effort from Gordon, I assure the reader that I did as much as humanly possible to divorce myself from the passion I have for the man and his music. To the extent possible I attempted to listen and view this product with the eyes and ears of a newcomer to Gordon's work. And with that said---I can only tell you that this is a brilliant work that very well may stand as the greatest single recorded testament to Gordon's work ( how's that for unbiased ?? )First some of the basics. This disc is the eighth in a series of dvds, featuring the work of some of the most notable guitarists of our generation, released on the U.K. based Sound Techniques label. The format for these discs is that the artist performs for, and is interviewed by, a host in an exquisitely converted Coach House on the grounds of a privately owned estate near Downham Market in Norfolk. The Coach House has been lovingly converted, at no small expense, to a recording studio by renowned studio master Geoffrey Frost. By any measure, the Coach House is a state of the art facility delivering spectacular audio and video product. A warm blue background wraps the artist in a comforting back drop that enhances both Gordon and his incredible array of guitars.
In this case Gordon is interviewed by Trevor Dann, the veteran BBC broadcaster whose credits include working on Top of the Pops and his own Classic Gold Albums programme. His recent book about the life of Nick Drake, "Darker Than The Deepest Sea", has been very well received. Trevor shows both an interest in, and awareness of, Gordon and his music. Trev's questions and insights keep the show moving and elicit wonderful, witty responses from Gordon. Not only are we treated to a wonderful Gordon Giltrap performance, but thanks to Trevor, we learn a lot about Gordon and his creative process that the music itself does not reveal.
The audio track for this disc is a crisp clean stereo mix. Though an insatiable fan such as myself does mourn the lack of a 5:1 mix, this stereo mix more than supports the impeccable music being performed. The disc is broken into two parts. The first hour or so features Trevor interviewing Gordon about each piece he plays---eight in all. A second portion of the disc has Gordon performing ten additional "bonus" tracks without Trevor's help. The disc comes in at a very healthy 110 minutes of performance. Additionally, the disc is a two sided affair, one side playable on PAL systems and the other playable in the NTSC format.
And now, about the aforementioned performance. I hope it goes without saying that when an artist has achieved what Gordon has, an award winning career spanning some four decades, hit albums, hit singles, consistently successful tours, and the plaudits of fans, peers, and critics alike, it's a given that the guy knows his way around a fret board. Any Gordon Giltrap performance will have a number of opportunities for us fans to say "How the heck does he do that?" And those moments abound here. The camera work is superb, allowing all the anoraks to suss out exactly what each finger was doing when that note was played.
But jaw dropping technique is what could reasonably be expected from a guy who's been at this as long as Gordon has. What this disc has, in spades, is undeniable evidence that Gordon Giltrap is, very simply, one of the true melodic genius guitarists of his generation. Almost every period of Gordon's lengthy career is represented here--and what I like the best is that so much of Gordon's recent work is featured. I think it can be agreed that it is a rare artist who seems to be able to tap his/her creative well as richly in the fourth decade of their career as they were able to do in the first ten years. Gordon is just such an artist. Included in the first portion of the disc are fan faves such as ""On Camber Sands", "Appalachian Dreaming", "Down The River", and a single version of "Heartsong". (an expanded version of "Heartsong" appears in the bonus tracks section). In addition to the relatively new "Appalachian Dreaming", there are such recent gems as "Maddie Goes West", "Mrs. Singer's Waltz", "Kaz", and the extraordinarily beautiful "Simply Margaret". A particularly stunning version of the wonderful "Sallie's Song" is included in which Gordon coaxes sounds out of the old double neck that I don't know if even he knew were there! Additionally, a final bonus track is the amazing version of "Dodo's Dream" that Gordon has been featuring in concert recently. And yes, the essential "Lucifer's Cage", in all its' manic glory, is included here as well!
Of course no single document can adequately relate the full scope of a 40 year career. Gordon's stunning career is, thankfully, very well documented on both cd and dvd. Elsewhere on this site, you will be able to view no less than 34 cds of Gordon's work that have been produced over the years---28 of which are still available for sale. In addition to this dvd, there are two others, one of which includes a live cd as well. No single disc in this massive collection can be said to be the "definitive" Giltrap collection. In my humble opinion, however, this Guitar Maestro dvd comes as close as one disc will ever get to being "the one" all Giltrap fans must have as well as the one disc that can begin to show a newcomer what Gordon Giltrap is all about.
TIM BLIXT
Click the link below to purchase the DVD direct from Sound Techniques.