Guitars Two - Philip Catherine

( Naar de Nederlandse vertaling)
I love to introduce you to a great album by Philip Catherine, one of Europe's most important guitar players. I received his latest album, titled Guitars Two, released early this year. It is his first solo album and that makes this album very special, as I remember Philip always playing in small groups. A few weeks after he had finished his last recordings for this album I heard him playing at the International Jazz Festival in Middelburg, May 2007 with his trio featuring Philip Aerts on bass and Mimi Verderama on drums. During this concert he played some solo pieces he had recorded for this album, using a pre-recorded guitar fragment, he had recorded on stage in the first part of the tune and replayed it as a second voice in the second half; so in fact he played a duo with himself !! A great concert ..... Last Friday, the 11th of July 2008, I heard him at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam .The audience liked it and were listening as quiet as a mouse, although regarding the background noise outside the Yenisei.

I remembered those solos from that concert, which impressed me, when I listened to this solo album. The use of effect pedals and over-dubbing, like in Toscane, Pourquoi and Marc Moulin On The Beach has been done in a way that it never harms the music - the tunes are balanced and I found this album great to relax. I liked Bois le Baron and Merci Philip the best, and I learned that Philip made a great album with this Guitars Two.

It is his first solo album, although he made an "almost" solo album in 1975, titled Guitars, but a few tunes were with John Lee, Gerry Brown and Charlie Mariano who happened to be around.

I found a fragment from January 2007 in which you can hear Philip Catherine in his own studio playing solo guitar, experimenting with his own "taped" guitar sound. A great opportunity to hear this unpretentious guitar player, who played with all major jazz stars, solo-in-duo, in his own studio.

The 2007 Philip Catherine Guitars Two album (FDM 46050 369152), the first solo album of this 65 years young guitar player, should be in each collection !! A must have !!

The photos of this blog were made at the International Jazz Festival in Middelburg, May 2007. You can find the Dutch translation at Philip Catherine - Guitars Two

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl