Album Notes

DAVID WIDELOCK-JAZZ GUITARIST

A versatile guitarist who is at home with jazz, latin, free improvisation, funk and rhythm and blues styles, David has been performing in the Bay Area since the early 70's. Famed Brazilian guitarist Luis Bonfa called David "a giant of the 12-string..one of my favorite guitarists". He studied jazz guitar with Warren Black in Portland, Oregon, and improvisation with pianist Art Lande in Berkeley, California. He has performed with Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Woody Shaw, Art Lande, Mark Isham, pianist Jon Jang, and the Bay Area Jazz Composers Orchestra.

A resident of the San Francisco Bay Area since 1969, David led his own trio for many years, as well as performing in the Lejimda trio, which played at the first Bay Area Loft Jazz Festival in 1978. He also worked with Bamboo, which featured Mark Isham and bassist Bill Douglass.

David has toured Europe numerous times. In 1979 he appeared at the Essen, Germany, City Festival with the trio Lejimda, and his 1985 tour included an appearance at the Fribourg Music Festival. Also in 1985 his first album, "Too Many Vitamins", was released on Beegum Records. A trio recording, the LP featured David's compositions. In 1988 he was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Music Fellowship, resulting in a quartet collaboration with pianist Jon Jang. The first duo record with Matt Brubeck triggered a 1991 European tour, followed by a 1992 European tour with the Brubeck Family Project.

As a composer David is the author of over fifty jazz tunes for small ensembles. He has also written three pieces for large ensembles. "Sun Song" was premiered at the first performance of the Bay Area Jazz Composers Orchestra in January 1988. "Echoes" was premiered by B.A.J.C.O. in spring 1989. "The Jolly Blue Giant" premiered in July 1990 and was partially funded by a grant from the American Music Center.


INTERVIEW WITH LUIS BONFA
GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 1997 (BRAZILIAN EDITION)

Question: which guitarists are your favorites today?

Answer: ...There are some high caliber lesser known people in America that are underrated. This is the case of David Widelock, a giant of the 12-string guitar...

"...the fusion oriented pieces of David Widelock...were gripping in their rhythms and rich in harmonic and melodic ideas and brought modern jazz to a heightened level of quality."
Bonn, Germany

"The Trouble With Fribbles...offer[s] well-crafted arrangements, free improvisations, and harmonic gambits, while demonstrating his skill at styles ranging from pop and jazz, to blues and Latin. Fans of solo guitar will really find a lot to enjoy here; Widelock has spent a lifetime honing his craft, and The Trouble With Fribbles is really a rousing showcase for this talented string man. Highly recommended.'

Guitar 9