Album Notes

A series of compositions for solo guitar whose content calls upon diverse musical vocabularies ranging from blues and jazz to choro and samba. The compositions employ contrapuntal and polyphonic techniques and forms traditionally associted with classical music. Each movement stands on its own as a complete composition; however, when heard in the context of the multi-movement works that comprise this CD, the movements unfold and relate to each other like chapters in a novel.

Critically-acclaimed composer/guitarist Ken Hatfield has performed extensively as a solo artist and with his ensemble at such prestigious venues as The JVC Jazz Festival, The Knitting Factory, The Classic American Guitar Show, and The North Wales International Jazz Guitar Festival. He has also performed and/or recorded with Charlie Byrd, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Grady Tate, Bob Cranshaw, Harold Maeburn, Marcus Miller, Kenny Kirkland, Dom Salvador, Marlena Shaw, Joao Donato, Lew Tabakin, Charles Aznavour, Maurice Hines, and many others. Ken's broad compositional experience includes ballet scores for Judith Jamison, The Washington Ballet, and Maurice Bejart's Ballet of the 20th Century, as well as TV and film scores, including Eugene Richards' award-winning documentary "but, the day came," and numerous jazz compositions, chamber pieces, and works for classical guitar.


“Hatfield’s music. . . consistently defies conventional labeling. . . . melody and consonance reign supreme in Hatfield’s work. . . . both personal and eloquent. . . . Ken continues to mature as a unique voice on his instrument.”--excerpt, Jim Fisch review of Explorations for Solo Guitar in 20th Century Guitar Magazine, “The Jazz Box,” October 1999

“I like the compositions, especially the sonata, a major undertaking, very well executed. The playing is damned good too.”--Charlie Byrd