Album Notes

Liner notes by John Abercrombie:
Solo Guitar is one of the most, if not the most challenging of tasks. Nowhere to hide is a phrase that comes to mind immediately. No bassist, drummer, piano player or horn player to blend with or play off of. Solo, means solo! All alone! Just man and instrument. (Oh, I forgot the Microphone). To do this is indeed difficult, but to do it on an old 1939 Gibson archtop guitar, recorded only with a mike and no extra goodies like reverb/delay, etc., is really taking a big risk.
Another phrase that comes to mind, is: “Bare Bones”. Nothing but the basic essentials. It also takes a great Leap of Faith.To me, that means more than confidence, or a sense of assurance, but an actual state of mind, that allows this to happen. I think, that I’m making myself clear, about how I feel about this!
Joep Van Leeuwen (my friend and colleague for many years now) makes this Leap of Faith, in the most Musical way! Like his influences (Joe Pass and Jim Hall), he doesn’t merely fill all the spaces, but rather approaches playing solo, as if there might be a rhythm section somewhere inside, and responds accordingly. Not feeling compelled to fill all gaps, he’s able to dialogue with himself, change or substitute harmonies or even just play the melody, without
any chordal embellishments as in the lovely version of Sometime Ago. In this case, just the single note melody is enough (less is more) to state his case. This way draws the listener and the player into the music. You must listen more carefully, and in doing so, something beautiful is revealed. (Continued in CD - booklet).