Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Various Artists: I Never Meta Guitar

Various Artists: I Never Meta Guitar

By Mark Corroto
October 14, 2010
View read count

There are no fans of the guitar in today's creative music—they are better described as fanatics, or devotees. But then the guitar has always caused listeners to choose sides. I'm a fan of Jimmy Page and you, Pete Townshend—or do you prefer

Wes Montgomery

guitar
1923 - 1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Wes Montgomery to my

Jim Hall

guitar
1930 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Hall.

John McLaughlin

guitar
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">John McLaughlin or

Pete Cosey

guitar
1943 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">Pete Cosey? Some of these debates have, thankfully, carried on for years.

With a new century comes new names, and allegiances are redrawn as new techniques are introduced and thankfully new sounds created. Clean Feed Records asked avant-guitar legend

Elliott Sharp

guitar, electric
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Elliott Sharp to curate an album of today's guitar improvisers and technicians, some familiar names like

Nels Cline

guitar, electric
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Nels Cline,

Henry Kaiser

guitar
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Kaiser, and Noel Akchote, and others that are less well-known.

The hottest name in jazz guitar circles these days is

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson—featured in bands led by

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Braxton,

Tom Rainey

drums
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Rainey,

Taylor Ho Bynum

cornet
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Taylor Ho Bynum and

Tomas Fujiwara

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Tomas Fujiwara, her Dragon's Head (Firehouse 12, 2008) has been heavily celebrated by critics. Her rapid-fire note twisting has become a signature, and can be heard on "In Two Parts Missing." The word "slippery" also applies to Finnish/American guitarist

Raoul Bjorkenheim

guitar
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Raoul Bjorkenheim, perhaps known best for his

Scorch Trio

" data-original-title="" title="">Scorch Trio sound, which blends the intensity of rock with flights of free jazz. Here, he hints at the stratosphere, but contains his rock with a rolling electric viola.

Michael Gregory

guitar
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Gregory is the only musician here who doesn't perform solo, his Danish trio performing a swinging blues piece. Other players add overdubs and effects to create the sense of multiple players. Chicago Underground guitarist

Jeff Parker

guitar
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Parker, for example, utilizes three guitars and varying effects and delays, to develop an understated and cerebral delivery of notes. Others also work with multiple instruments, such as

Henry Kaiser

guitar
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Kaiser's five acoustic and one electric amalgamation, and Jean-Fran?ois Pauvros' extended technique for two guitars.

Then there are the simple, no-effects guitarist

Scott Fields

guitar
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Fields and

Janet Feder

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Janet Feder, and the pure sound of

Brandon Ross

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Brandon Ross, with his banjo.

With I Never Meta Guitar , there are plenty of sounds to discover, from old and new favorite guitarists.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

In Two Parts Missing; Act As If Nothing Ever Happened; Blame It On The Tonkori; Migrant Song; Heater; I Told You So; Joanna; Study for Hairpin and Hatbox; Until Iago Whispered; Storyteller (Ornette Coleman); Blue Blue; Buzkashi; Little Creatures; Coiled Malescense; The Day Rauschenberg Met de Kooning; Telemetry.

Personnel

Various Artists

various

Mary Halvorson: guitar; Jeff Parker: guitar; Henry Kaiser: guitar; Jean- Fran?ois Pauvros: guitar; Janet Feder: baritone classical guitar; Raoul Bj?rkenheim: electric viola da gamba; Noel Akchote: guitar; Nels Cline: guitar; Brandon Ross: 6 string banjo; Mike Cooper: guitar; Michael Gregory: guitar Niels Pr?stholm: contrabass; Kresten Osgood: drums; Scott Fields: guitar; Kazuhisa Uchihashi: guitar; Mick Barr: guitar; Gunnar Geisse: laptopguitar; Elliott Sharp: Koll 8-string guitarbass, timefactor delay.

Album information

Title: I Never Meta Guitar | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Let's Live It Up!
< Previous

Retrieval Records: Treasures Lost an...
Next >

Various Artists Concerts

Sep 26 Fri

Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz 2025

Sandton Convention Centre
Johannesburg, South Africa

Sep 27 Sat

Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz 2025

Sandton Convention Centre
Johannesburg, South Africa

Sep 28 Sun

Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz 2025

Sandton Convention Centre
Johannesburg, South Africa

Nov 14 Fri

WDCB Live Broadcast: Cod Music Fridays @ Noon With...

College Of Dupage - Mac Room 140
Glen Ellyn, IL

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.