Album Notes

For those who know John Shannon through his collaborations with such diverse cutting-edge artists as Sonya Kitchell, Pyeng Threadgill, Hiromi and Haale —and through his own evolutionary instrumental group Waking Vision — his debut solo album American Mystic is sure to be an ear-opener. Having earned a stellar reputation as a team player by injecting his sweeping, panoramic electric guitar vistas into everything from country rock to avant-garde jazz, John Shannon now displays several hitherto unexplored facets of his considerable talent: modern solo folk singer, songwriter and vocalist with a delicate, virtuosic touch on acoustic guitar.

Throughout American Mystic’s 10 songs, the intimacy and universality of Shannon’s songwriting is exposed via his feather-light whisper of a voice. He toys with the timing in his phrasing so that a word might arrive after a slight delay or be extended into the next chord change, and his intricate, closely miked, layered guitar lines—largely acoustic, with some electric guitar texturing—wrap around and complement those words, merging with them seamlessly.

His ethereal, contemplative songs are one-on-one, personal narratives. Beginning with “Forgiveness,” the album’s opening track, Shannon sets up a template that he continues to explore more deeply with each new song as the album unfolds.