LAURENCE JUBER "Guitarist" Solid Air Records

"Guitarist," Laurence Juber's latest release, nearly opens on a deceptive
note. "Green Kitchen," the second of 11 solo acoustic guitar performances,
is fitfully propelled by an alternating bass string pattern that suggests
the influence of Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. But the alternate tuning
hints at Juber's London roots and the kind of textured guitar work pioneered
by Bert Jansch and John Renbourn during the British folk revival -- the
sound that seems nearest to Juber's heart and fingers.


Playing without picks -- and without using his fingernails -- Juber has
developed a distinctive sound, at once sonically intimate and stylistically
expansive. Though he is still best known for playing alongside Paul
McCartney in Wings, he has released several acoustic guitar albums that
incorporate folk, pop, country and jazz influences. Alternate tunings that
produce a more resonant and ringing sound have become an increasingly
significant part of his technique along the way.

The moods are colorfully diverse and evocative on "Guitarist," with the
insinuating ballad "Liquid Amber" giving way to the jaunty ragtimey stroll
"Buffalo Nickel," and the playfully percussive "Catch!" offering a sharp
contrast to the shimmering arrangements of "Cannery Row" and "Love at First
Sight." All the tunes were composed by Juber, including "The 5:55," a
six-string homage to travel by rail, and "Blues for Now," a bent-note coda
to a disc that rewards repeat listenings.

-- Mike Joyce - Washington Post