CD Reviews

Thumbsing

Dirty Linen - folk and world music
October/November '05 #120

Richard Gilewitz has always been adept at combining flashy technical playing and strong, lovely melodies and making music that you don't have to be a guitar fanatic to enjoy. His latest recording is full of those sorts of tunes. "Wazamataz", "Pete's Feet", and the title track show a command of his instrument as well as compelling melody lines. He also covers a couple of classical pieces plus Michael Hedges' "Layover", John Renbourn's "The Hermit", and John Fahey's "Sunflower River Blues". He finishes with a re-recording and rearrangement of a piece from an earlier recording, "Dirt To Dust", that in its six-plus minutes shows how inventive of a guitarist he can be. A guitar album for people who don't like guitar albums. -- JL

FAME Reviews
by Mark O'Donnell
for the Folk and Music Exchange

Do you miss the late great John Fahey? Does it seem like Leo Kottke simply does not come around to play for you much these days? Are you wondering who will lead the 6 and 12 string guitar in this new millennium? Friends, I have seen the future and his name is Gilewitz. Richard Gilewitz. After his impressive CD debut, Voluntary Solitary, the eclectic and imaginative Synapse Collapse, and the positively elegiac interpretation of The Music of David Walbert, Gillewitz has issued his fourth work on CD, Thumbsing, and it will give hope to all who are concerned about the questions raised above.

On Thumbsing, Richard Gilewitz evidences the range of his talent and the breadth of his influences. Influences first: Fantasia is one of several pieces that draw upon classical influences (this having been written by Alonso Mudurra) and allows Gilewitz to feature his remarkable facility in adapting a gut string piece to steel strings — a challenge that in other hands could go easily awry. Prelude for Lute piece by Bach follows and is handled with ease here, in spite of its complexity. Layover, a beautiful Michael Hedges piece, Gilewitz makes his own. Gilewitz takes on Elizabeth Cotton's Freight Train and makes it sound almost as if he is playing it on a hybrid hammered dulcimer/banjo. John Renbourn's The Hermit has Gilewitz doing so much on the fret board, including ringing harmonics, that you wondered if he overdubbed it (he did not). Finally and influentially, there is a nod to the master, John Fahey. Outside of Kottke, no one has a better feel for a Fahey tune than Gilewitz. Fahey's Sunflower River Blues is done at a stately pace allowing the listener to float down that river with a few Gilewitzian flourishes that make the song new again. An obstreperous individualist like Fahey would appreciate the homage while recognizing the creativity that has been newly brought to the tune.

The real delights here though are Gilewitz's own pieces. The first and title track, Thumbsing, might, before listening, be thought of as a novelty number as it is played entirely with the thumb (surprise!). Upon listening though you hear a rhythmically quirky number that keeps you initially off balance before drawing you in with a Kottkesque melodic line. Have You Ever Seen A Rainbow At Night? is reminiscent of Gilewitz's remarkable work with the classical music of his mentor, David Walbert. Here Richard takes what he has learned from Walbert and extends it in what is perhaps the prettiest tune on the disc. The aggressively melodic Dirt To Dust is a long standing Gillewitz favorite. Someday aspiring guitarists are going to being playing this in homage. Another Kottke influenced piece is Gilewitz's Wazamataz. It was first presented as part of an all star tribute to Chet Atkins and half way though you can hear the Chet influenced picking combining bass and treble runs. Sarah Natasha is Gilewitz's tribute to his young niece. This is not a lullaby as it is rhythmically complex and percussive in a way that would not facilitate the child's sleep — this is a good thing that the youngster will appreciate in the days to come. Special thanks should be given to Pete Mote, or rather his feet, as they inspired two tunes here which give a sense of joy that is infectious. With Pete's Feet and Daughter of Pete's Feet, walking tunes both, one could skip, hop, do a couple of cartwheels, jog along a bit and hike through hill and dale quite happily. My wife swears by them.

Thumbsing will not be easy to find in your hometown record store (presuming that you still have one), but it is easily found on the web. Gillewitz is an inveterate touring artist and hearing the music is one thing, seeing the man perform is quite another and well worth your while. Gillewitz shares with his mentors the deep sense of humor that between songs has you thinking and laughing at the same time. The titles of his own compositions give you some sense of this. Richard Gillewitz will lead us in this new millennium! Remember you heard it here first!

Edited by: David N. Pyles
Copyright 2003, Peterborough Folk Music Society.
This review may be reprinted with prior permission and attribution.

Helium
by Sherrill Fulghum

This artists' approach to writing music is as unusual as his playing style. Teacher, author, guitar player, and storyteller Richard Gilewitz is often referred to as the strangest man in acoustic music today.

Gilewitz studied Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Alabama and even tried the traditional day job for a while, but the pull of the love for music was too strong. For the past 25 years Richard Gilewitz has been touring all over the world spreading his musical views and tales to fans. Along the way Gilewitz has shared the stage with Kenny G, America, Taj Mahal, The Indigo Girls, the Little River Band, and Marie Muldour.

Gilewitz' approach to writing is that each note is an individual and a group of notes is a society. On his album "Thumb Sing" Gilewitz takes it a step further with each song being its own entity thus providing an album of 13 original and cover tunes where no two tunes are the same. While some musicians carry around gadgets that are like a band in a box; Gilewitz takes his six or 12 string guitars and creates a concert on a guitar all while telling tales so fantastic and wild that they could only be true.

"Thumb Sing" is one such concert. But without the wild stories. Gilewitz opens the album with the title track, a piece he plays using only the thumb on his right hand in a down stroke (strumming) motion. Also among the varying styles of tunes Gilewitz plays a Bach Prelude and the cover tune "Freight Train" with the capo (sometimes referred to as a cheater) on the second fret giving the guitar a sound somewhere between a mandolin and a banjo.

In the hands of Richard Gilewitz the guitar becomes an instrument used for much more than strumming chords.

The Tampa Tribune - "Spin This"
Friday Extra - March 26, 2004

Richard Gilewitz may be an acoustic guitar wizard but he doesn't jealously guard his tricks. In fact, he lists the key and tuning for each song in the liner notes of this, his most recent CD. But that bit of information will get the novice player only so far. And that's where Gilewitz's magic comes in.

The sounds of Thumbsing are so lush, so rich, it's simply amazing that they were created by two hands dancing across a set of wires. Gilewitz's own compositions stand beside those by Elizabeth Cotton, John Fahey and J.S. Bach for an entertaining set that is testament to the Floridian's phenomenal talents.

Curtis Ross

Taunton Daily Gazette - February 19, 2004
by Charles Winokoor - Gazette Staff Reporter

Fans of acoustic fingerstyle guitar should take note of "Thumbsing", the fifth, and latest, CD release from Florida-based Richard Gilewitz.

In a program made up of roughly half originals and half covers ranging from John Fahey to Johann Sebastian Bach, Gilewitz shows why he is now recognized as one of the leading practitioners of the art of steel string solo guitar performance.

Playing both six-and 12-string guitars live with no overdubs, and using a number of different tunings and capo placements (all of which he unselfishly identifies in the CD booklet), he not only impresses one with his seemingly near total command of contrapuntal thumb-and-finger interdependence, but with the openminded nature of his musical tastes.

The original "Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow at Night?", has a melodic bump that recalls Paul Simon's gentle and haunting ballad "Old Friends," whereas "Daughter of Pete's Feet," played in open D tuning, includes a dose of gutsy slide that Gilewitz manages to weave in with seamless grace. The following number "Pete's Feet," is a country blues complicated enough to keep any Jorma Kaukonen fan entranced.

One of my few criticisms is of his rendition of Michael Hedges "Layover," an homage to that late acoustic wizard; the articulation is just too bunched and crowded. But when Gilewitz jumps into "The Hermit," his tribute to John Renbourn, the pull-offs and bell-like muted harmonics combine to create the sensation of breathing.

The pieces by Bach and de Maudarra are brief - and probably wisely so, considering the controversy that playing such period pieces on a "folk" as opposed to classical guitar invites.

But it is Gilewitz's original songs that have the most lasting effect: I love the Celtic flair and almost constant wet, buzzing sound he gets on "Sarah Natasha" (made possible by open C tuning). On the closer, "Dirt To Dust," his handling of the 12-string displays a rugged virtuosity not unlike that of Ralph Towner and a willingness to explore outer boundaries, as evidenced by his use of string tapping to create a ghostly finale.

The recording quality of the CD is warm and crisp, but it also has enormous presence, so much so I had to lower the volume level early on to avoid any inadvertent comparison to AC/DC.

Gilewitz will be at the Mozaic Room Coffeehouse at the Avon Baptist Church for both a guitar workshop and concert on March 13 and for the acoustic guitar aficionado who doesn't bother to show up for at least one of the two, the loss is yours.

mwe3.com

Described as ‘a thumbprint of instrumental singings from the guitar’, Thumbsing is the fifth CD from Inverness, Florida-based 6 &12 string acoustic guitarist Richard Gilewitz. Featuring seven originals—along with six interesting covers including a Bach lute piece and tracks written by Michael Hedges, John Fahey and John Renbourn—Thumbsing portrays Gilewitz as a modern day acoustic guitar innovator willing to take chances yet just as eager to point out where it all started from. A guitarist with considerable might and mastery, Gilewitz has shared the stage with guitar greats such as his mentor John Fahey, as well as Leo Kottke, Steve Morse, Adrian Legg and John Renbourn. Anyone familiar with those acoustic guitar legends will be equally intrigued by the noteworthy insights Gilewitz brings to the guitar world.

Bridge Guitar Reviews
by Henk te Veldhuis
March 2004

Based in Florida, USA, Richard Gilewitz has played in many countries at several festivals. Now his fifth album Thumbsing is out. His style is a mixture of styles which combines influences of blues, folk, classical and traditional music. His inspiration comes from guitar players as John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Richard Thompson and Taj Mahal. Richard plays as well standard as open tunings in a noteworthy way. The album features seven original pieces by Richard and six contrasted covers including a 16th century piece composed by Alonso Mudarra. When you listen to Thumbsing you hear a variety of guitar techniques. Thumbsing the title piece has a formal melody line with the bass line as a guide. Have you Ever seen the Rain is a very intimate ballad with solid structures. Fantasia, original a harp piece from Alonso de Mudarra now adapted by Richard in a skilled way in a modern approach .Layover, an impressive ode to the late Michael Hedges performed in solid techniques. Prelude for Lute from J.S Bach, is well executed by Richard in a soulful ambiance. Sunflower River Blues is a magnificient ode to John Fahey. Sarah Natasha, played in open C has this profound feeling reminding me of the style Michael Hedges used to play, Richard impresses one with his own unique catching style. Dirt to Dust a 12 string composition in open G has a qualified melody line played with touching deep basses. Richard Gilewitz has found a superb balance by playing skilled techniques in a wide range of styles in a rousing own signature.

Rambles.net

This artist's approach to writing music is as unusual as his playing style. Teacher, author, guitar player and storyteller Richard Gilewitz is often referred to as the strangest man in acoustic music today.

Gilewitz studied computer science and mathematics at the University of Alabama, and he even tried a traditional day job for a while, but the pull of his love for music was too strong. For the past 25 years, Gilewitz has been touring all over the world, spreading his musical views and tales to fans. Along the way he has shared the stage with Kenny G, America, Taj Mahal, the Indigo Girls, the Little River Band and Marie Muldaur.

Gilewitz's approach to writing is that each note is an individual and a group of notes is a society. On his album ThumbSing, Gilewitz takes it a step further with each song being its own entity, thus providing an album of 13 original and cover tunes where no two tunes are the same. While some musicians carry around gadgets that are like a band in a box, Gilewitz takes his 6- and 12-string guitars and creates a concert, all while telling tales so fantastic and wild that they could only be true.

"Thumbsing" is one such concert. But without the wild stories. Gilewitz opens the album with the title track, a piece he plays using only the thumb on his right hand in a down stroke (strumming) motion. Also among the varying styles of tunes Gilewitz plays a Bach Prelude and the cover tune "Freight Train" with the capo (sometimes referred to as a cheater) on the second fret, giving the guitar a sound somewhere between a mandolin and a banjo.

In the hands of Richard Gilewitz, the guitar becomes an instrument used for much more than strumming chords.