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Genre:
Blues: Acoustic Blues
Release Date:
1995
Albums you will love
D.B. Walker
Stage Road Blues
Blues: Delta Style
Elias/Nelson Jazz Guitar Duo
My Compliments
Jazz: Traditional Jazz Combo
Stories
Woody Mann
© Copyright-Greenhay's Recordings
(029739307242)
Record Label: Greenhay's/Rounder
SPECIAL: 10% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!
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It must be fun to have great chops, master numerous musical idioms and on top of it, sing-all at the same. Stories, if it were a book, would be found in every section of the library at eye level because it would be easy reading and a certain best seller. Of Woody Mann, John Fahey says, "I've never heard a more creative, or more musical sounding guitarist." From page one on, Woody's solo CD is a ubiquitous showcase for his talent as a writer, guitarist and vocalist.
Heading East is a vibrant flash of sound exemplifying Woody's mastery of the guitar, followed later by Lisboa, which is simply beautiful in a down home swaying 3/4 which makes you think of home, your lover, and the reason you listen to music. It is one of those songs you may not be able to hum by memory, but when you hear it again, it is as if you are in the song, there, nestled between the lines. It just makes you feel good.
Stories is indeed a tale-notes becoming sentences, phrases becoming chapters and songs as integrated as familiar characters. Woody's influences are well noted as a young disciple of Reverend Gary Davis and Lennie Trestano. But if they all of the same generation, Woody would have been a peer, true to the emotional side of music they exuded, playing from the soul, bridging divides in genres, cover to cover.
The Lieber and Stroller tune, I've Been Framed is great dialogue between Woody and his o wn subtext, "I told you so", guitar. While the lyrics "I always seem to get the blame" are not the plot of Stories, it serves as the perfect postscript, with Woody saying in effect, "This is my story and I'm sticking to it."
JEFFREY MEYER
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Ultimate guitar listening!
author: Simon
I heard Woody Mann on the radio last year and noted his name. The note got lost but I found it the other day and remembered that I was amazed enough to stop the car and write his name down.
I bought this CD and I must say, I'm not disappointed! That was a precious note I found! If you have any interest in guitars or guitar music, do yourself a favour and buy this. I don't think I've heard playing quite like it.
The album is predominantly blues in nature, but many of the compositions are played with the refinement of a classical piece and Woody adds flair to the licks which make it totally unique to anything I've heard before. How does he play 'Heading East'? I close my eyes and try to imagine him covering the fretboard but I am just am blown away! And 'Lisboa'... the most beautiful, lyrical playing... why ever sing when you can play as lyrically as this? Despite all the songs having some real uniqueness, it's never a confusing mix of playing styles. It all melds together fantastically!
I'm not so impressed with the vocals. While being in no way bad (really not bad at all!) I do think the quality of his voice doesn't match the quality of his playing... and I feel like the vocals detract my attention away from what I really want to listen to... namely the guitar. "Shhhh! I'm listening!"
Everytime I listen to it, I hear something new. Some art changes the way one looks at things and I don't think I'll ever listen to a guitar the same way again. I mean that in the best possible way.
Bravo.
Read more...
Ultimate guitar listening!
author: Simon
I heard Woody Mann on the radio last year and noted his name. The note got lost but I found it the other day and remembered that I was amazed enough to stop the car and write his name down.
I bought this CD and I must say, I'm not disappointed! That was a precious note I found! If you have any interest in guitars or guitar music, do yourself a favour and buy this. I don't think I've heard playing quite like it.
The album is predominantly blues in nature, but many of the compositions are played with the refinement of a classical piece and Woody adds flair to the licks which make it totally unique to anything I've heard before. How does he play 'Heading East'? I close my eyes and try to imagine him covering the fretboard but I am just am blown away! And 'Lisboa'... the most beautiful, lyrical playing... why ever sing when you can play as lyrically as this? Despite all the songs having some real uniqueness, it's never a confusing mix of playing styles. It all melds together fantastically!
I'm not so impressed with the vocals. While being in no way bad (really not bad at all!) I do think the quality of his voice doesn't match the quality of his playing... and I feel like the vocals detract my attention away from what I really want to listen to... namely the guitar. "Shhhh! I'm listening!"
Everytime I listen to it, I hear something new. Some art changes the way one looks at things and I don't think I'll ever listen to a guitar the same way again. I mean that in the best possible way.
Bravo.
Read more...