Gert de Meijer Acoustickled 2002 Acoustic Music Records.

Gert de Meijer s first album Behind the Dunes was a great success.

Now a year later he has already his second album Acoustickled out.

Gert has many influences in his guitar style from Leo Kottke and some

influences of Michael Hedges, but his music is never das dark as Hedges

his music. He has created his own style which has unique elements.

The whole sphere on the album is rather relaxed and real calming.

Air and Sea reflects a lot of percussive elements on a nice melody.

Cross the River is a very intimate composition which is well done.

Faheys Retreat shows his admiration for John Faheys music.

Your in My Veins is one of my favorites, just as Time Stealing as

here he demonstrates his best compositions in attractive  melodies.

Gert de Meijer has an unique approach to fingerstyle guitar, even Leo

Kottke praised him for his music, and Kottke knows something about

acoustic guitar playing. This album is a must have album for the real

fingerstyle guitarists.

Bridge Reviews.

Isato Nakagawa Tree Circle   2003 - Acoustic Music Records

Isato Nakagawa is fingerstyle guitarist from Japan , he travels

and tours with Ed Gerhard, Jaques Stotzem, Don Ross and other

famous acoustic guitarists. Tree Circle is Isato s third album.

Most dedicated fingerstyle guitarists will surely know Isato but

he has not reached yet in Europe that status of well known artist.

In Japan and surely for all insiders in acoustic guitar music Isato

is an inspiration off many guitarists. He has his own unique style

and he performs at the highest level, he is a master in open chords,

flageolets, arpeggios and swinging bass lines. On Tree Circle he

has 13 beautiful tracks in his intimate style. Lien Yun St. is a wealth

of beautiful landscapes he creates in an intimate setting. Tree Circle

has a nice serene feeling and nice melody lines. If you compare his

music you refer to Jaques Stotzem, Dough Smith and Don Ross.

Especially his ballads sound like Don Ross his best works. My own

personal favorites on Tree Circle are Bali, Wind Valley and The

Sprinter as these compositions are very strong and a unique melody

in a nice melancholic ambiance. Isato Nakagawa his music surely is

compatible with the best acoustic guitarists in the world. Surely I hope

to hear him playing on a stage here in Europe as his music is magic.

Bridge Reviews.

Ulli Bögershausen Private Stories Laika Records 2003

Ulli Bögershausen is a well know fingerstyle guitarist from

Germany. He tours with Ed Gerard, Jaques Stotzem, Peter

Finger and other acoustic guitarist in Germany and other

countries. Also he is known for his educational books with

notes and tablature which are very useful or any student.

He has made many albums and he just finished Private

Stories. There are 12 tracks on this album with a cover

of Stevie Wonder and a version of the well known Besame

Mucho. Ulli Bögershausens music has divers influences

as well classical as Spanish and fingerstyle guitar are on

this new album. Secret Story the first track of this album

is played with depth and beauty. Steam is a track with

some Celtic influences and Ulla has an intimate setting

with arpeggios on a theme you can let your fantasies go

freely. Herbstallee is a composition with a nice melody

with arpeggios and nice bass lines. You can say that Ulli

has a very attractive way of arranging and composing, his

melody lines are well structured and his timing is well.

If you are a fingerstyle guitarist you surely love this album.

Axel Schultheiss    Departure   Acoustic Music Records

Axel Schultheiss is a German acoustic guitarist which with Departure

now has his third album just released on Acoustic Music Records.

Axel is a very creative acoustic guitarist, who uses electronic equipment,

to create fascinating landscapes with his guitar. With loops, dubbing and

delays he knows to create musical, eruptive and sensitive compositions.

With rhythmic melodic patterns he often creates a sound, which is close

to the New Age music. As you listen to the whole album Departure you

constantly feel you are on a musical journey in fascinating landscapes.

Sometimes you think you hear a whole orchestra is playing and you are

constantly crossing borders in framed pictures. Axel his guitar technique

makes him able to create as well Spanish as classic or bluesy sounds.

His guitar sounds refreshing and yet warm with a light sound. The Secret

is a composition with deep basses on a melodic repeating pattern.

Snowland  is a very intimate reflective composition, which leads to a nice

calm feeling on melancholic music. Resuming you can say Axel Schultheiss

captures the listener in 8 refreshing compositions in beautiful sceneries.

Axel Schultheiss album will certainly attract the pure acoustic player as

the New Age music lover and certainly creativeguitarists. This album

Departure will surely impress any music lover.

Jim Volk  Blue Wheels and other Guitar Favorites

Henk te Veldhuis

Jim Volk born in 1962 in Chicago is a very versatile fingerstyle

guitarist and singer/songwriter who gets this talent by a big

dose of diversity in guitar styles and a beautiful fascinating

voice. Blue Wheels the firstcomposition of this album, is a

tremendous groovy track with an enormous atmosphere

anda technical high standard playing, which reminds one

tothe Hedges style, but Jim Volk even overrules this great

guitarplayer withhis emotional and technical aspects. On

Book of Change Jim Volk projectshis engaging texts to the

cycles of life with a voice that captures one entirely,while

he plays his guitar with a mix of diverse eastern scales,

on an embossing melody line. Without doubt you hear

influences of Jimmy Page, Pierre Bensusan,Don Ross and

Django Reinhardt. But Volk manages to create his own

style and sound. On Mistress of the House Volk shows his

diversity in guitar styles in jazzy chord arrangements with

a touching lyrical melody line. On Sliderman you hear his slide

guitar technique with a repeating melody line with additional

percussion with makes this composition very groovy. Circles of

Lives opens with penetrating flageolets. The atmosphere which

Jim Volk creates with his guitar playing as well with his voice

has an enormous chemistry with the listener. Jim uses dubbing

with his slide guitar. On Found you finding Me you hear the

influences as well of Leo Kottke as John Fahey. On Lifting the

Rib from the Waves you hear eccentric eastern scales on slide

guitar in a style which reveres to Alex de Grassi. Again the

melody line is very absorbing. Engraved in my soul this fine

composition starts with graceful overtones and an Oriental

atmosphere, where Jim Volk uses his melodic voice to fully

capture the listener in his interactive way of performing.

The Lion and the Geese, a very intimate composition also

using the slide guitar. Justanother Train Song starts with

whistling train sounds, on which Jim plays extraordinary

slide guitar in a capturing composition. On Re-Tuning Volk

uses again his extraordinary acoustic guitar playing in an

absorbing melody line. Jim Volk is such a versatile guitarist

as a singer/composer who apparently can cover all guitar

styles and at the same time fascinates with his interactive

guitar playing as well as with his voice. Jim has the talent

till the end of this album Blue Wheels to capture the listener

in fascinating guitar playing and knows to create a sphere

where many guitarist will dream off. Jim Volk has such a

talent he is not easy to label.

Bridge Reviews