One of the guitarists is Glenn Jones. He’s great. Here is the start of a commentary on”My Garden State” that appeared at Thrill Jockey, Jones’ label:
Glenn Jones is a unique voice working in the decades-long tradition of American Primitivism. What sets him apart from the many devotees to this style is the combination of expressive playing and technical skill, most significantly his inventive use of alternate tunings and partial capos. As anyone knows who has seen him perform, Glenn is a remarkable storyteller, and his songs reflect that talent. The songs on Glenn’s latest, My Garden State, are evocative and redolent, and serve as a testament to Glenn’s talent for conveying a wide array of emotions, many times in one song, without saying a word.
More commentary, from The Vinyl District:
Anybody making a serious attempt to communicate the artistry of Glenn Jones will inevitably utter the name of his fellow string-master John Fahey. Not only did the two collaborate, but a significant portion of Jones’ body of work falls securely into the American Primitive guitar zone, a tradition that Fahey basically defined through his own substantial, often astonishing discography and additionally via many of the LPs from likeminded players that he released on his own Takoma Records label.
Above is “Of Its Own Kind” and below is “Bergen County Farewell.”
NPR, Total Vibration and Thrill Jockey were used to write this post. Home page phone is by Tim Bugbee.
