PEGGY WELTY
~ GUITARIST ~
THE ARTIST & THE DISC
~
Peggy Welty's CD "Guitarist" is a collection of songs by the
Masters of various styles and genres. A mostly acoustic CD, but Peggy goes
electric on a couple of songs.
Peggy is an articulate and wonderfully diverse solo
guitarist. Her music is calming, and at the same time stimulating. Her
love of any, and all beautiful music is evident in the songs on her
CD. Mixing songs from entirely different styles, and even different time
periods. This gifted player takes you from Jimmy Page's "Rain Song" to Hoagy
Carmichael's "Stardust" to Bach's "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring" to Randy
Rhodes "Dee" to "The Peanuts Theme" and ....OK you get the point.
Peggy is able to take songs that simply don't belong together
and make it sound like it's the only way it could be. Peggy's song choice
is unique indeed. But it's her playing that drew me in, heart and soul. I'm
not sure which she captured first, but she got them both.
On the more strict classical songs, her playing is disciplined,
but with a deep beauty. A free/natural vibe replaces the all too mechanical
feel of many classical performers. She's a great classical player with a
soulful delivery. Her cover of Page's "The Rain Song" and the late great
Randy Rhodes "Dee" was a surprise. I don't know what surprised me the most.
The fact that Peggy knew these two pieces, or the fact that a player of such
lovely music would deem them worthy. I know both Jimmy and Randy would be
honored at the job here. Maybe they'd be just a little envious too!
She covers several Standards on the disc like Stardust and Georgia. Perfectly
capturing the spacious feel of Stardust and bringing a different meaning
to the song Georgia for me. Having heard Georgia done so many times so many
ways, this could be the first time I've really heard it. A few songs are
bound to get you moving too. "Deep River Blues" and "Bonaparte's Retreat
/ Turkey In The Straw" will get your toe tapping. Who knows it could spread
and you'll be moving your body. If one of those tunes don't get you moving,
then the cover of the Duke Ellington song "In A Mellow Tone" will. If this
one doesn't get you moving something, check your pulse cause.......Jack
You Dead!
Listening to the "Guitarist" CD you can't help but sense Peggy's
love of Life, God and Music. And this can't help but be carried over to the
listener (i.e. me). At different points in the CD I just can't help but smile,
being overcome with a sense of joy.
If you live in the Dayton area, then get down to see her live.
If you don't live in the area....you could move! I know that I would just
love to see Peggy play some of these songs live!
"An Incredible Fingerstyle CD From
A Passionate Guitarist, Whose playing
Goes From Playful To Disciplined To Ssssmokin".
click
to go to Peggy Welty's Site Now...
THE TRACKS
if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about
(and who does?)....check out the samples below.
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The CD opens with "Squirmy's Song" An original song that Peggy wrote
for her son James. That's one lucky little guy! It's a classically influenced
song that sounds as though it could be used as a lullaby. In her liner notes
Peggy wrote that she put her son to sleep with the songs of Ricky Nelson.
So maybe this was written to lull him to sleep. I know I'd be fighting sleep
just to keep her playing....
TRACK #2 "Stardust" This timeless Hoagy Carmichael song holds
a special memory for me. As a small child in the mid 60's, I remember a cartoon
on television that was drawn and painted in watercolor. So all the drawings
sort of blended together. And the whole thing was synchronized to "Stardust".
Peggy not only brings back the memory of the music, but the colors. Creating
the depth, width and space, of the original. Keep in mind peggy is doing
this solo, with no accompaniment. She can't rely on another instrument or
player to create a mood or fill a space. It's all peggy, and it's all good.
I have fallen in love with this song all over again.
TRACK #3 "Deep River Blues Revisited" On Peggy's arrangement
of this Doc Watson song, we get to hear her do some very hot country blues
picking. A red hot cooker that boils over! If your a fan of country picking
this song is for you. If not this song will convert you.
TRACK #4 "Prelude To The 1st Cello Suite In D" The first classical
song on the CD is a Bach composition. A very disciplined execution with a
very natural feel. Here you can hear Peggy's immaculate technic as she adds
all the little nuances that make the piece breath.
TRACK #5 "Sails" A heart warming, no make that breath taking take
on the John Hall (a.k.a. the band Orleans) song. I've heard this song by
Orleans, John Hall alone and country guitarist Steve Wariner. But when Peggy
plays it here it becomes somehow magical. Taking me to a different place
each time I listen to it. This track soothes my mind, body and soul...Beautiful
Man!!
TRACK #6 "The Rain Song" Yes
that's right the Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) song amidst these great names.
Keep in mind that, as with the song Stardust, the overall vibe/feel of this
song was created by three uniquely talented guys with a gazillion dollars
worth of equipment. And this is just Peggy and her acoustic. That said, I
think this is a wonderful version of again an already pretty song, brought
to full beauty in the hands (and strings) of Peggy Welty. She maintains that
dreamy feel with a perfect dynamic display. Stripped down like this the song
takes on an even more dreamy state.
TRACK #7 "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring ~ I Saw Red" The second Bach
composition.
TRACK #8 "Linus And Lucy - The Peanuts Theme" What can I say here?
A song that lives in all of our hearts. I must say a much more intricate
song than I thought.......I love it!
TRACK #9 "Bonaparte's Retreat/Turkey In The Straw" A hot bluegrass
country picker that I think is familiar to us all. Ouch! very hot......
TRACK #10 "Georgia" Here Peggy
masterfully pays tribute again to Hoagy Carmichael with a song many people
associate with Ray Charles. I'm one of those people that know's it mainly
by Ray Charles, so I'm going by Ray's rendition. Peggy slows the tempo a
bit, making it more of a Jazz tune. As I stated above in the CD review. I
really feel that I've heard this song for the first time here. I'm used
to bopping and shouting along with Ray. But this wasn't the bopping , or
shouting version I was used to. This was the heart and soul exposed to me
for the first time. I Found This Song Mesmerizing!
TRACK #11 "Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia Op.27, #2, Adagio ~
"Moonlight" Sonata" A soothing Beethoven composition with a
very light feel.
TRACK #12 "Spanish Fandango" Peggy plays Chet Atkins' arrangement
of the Standard, a song with a minuet timing.
TRACK#13 "Dee" A classically charged
song that the late great Randy Rhodes (guitarist for Ozzy) wrote for his
mother. For many of us this was Randy's shining piece. It was his first step
outside of ozzydom and heavy metal , as he planned to go back to school.
So the original version of this track is close to many hearts including mine.
Thank You Peggy for including it. I know every time you play it, Randy's
looking down smiling.........
TRACK #14 "April Breeze" A song I didn't know, but it's a J. Steele
song. A beautiful song that sounds kind of zepplinesque at a few points.
Here again Peggy uses dynamics masterfully to help tell the
story. Ahhhhh...magical...man.
TRACK
#15 "In A Mellow Tone" Peggy's Playing on this hip jazz piece is
tight, almost snapping. This is one of those struttin' moments...I gonna
strut right into the Fifty Grand Club! And tell 'em I'm setting it up for
everybody, because I'm cool like that. Yea, that's how this one makes me
feel. Peggy absolutely jams out this very hot Duke Ellington number, so much
that you don't even miss the band. She's got it covered.
TRACK
#16 "Three Nickels And A Dime" A great cover of the
Rick Lynn Gregg song. And the only track on the CD to include vocals. Peggy's
voice is sweet and innocent, sounding much like Michelle Shocked. A great
singalong, happy upbeat track to end the disc with.
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