My latest release, “Sketches from Memory”, actually brings together four discrete collections of recordings.
They are:
Guitar on a Train
These pieces pay homage to all those guitarists in the 1960s and 70s who took the train to London, seeking fame and fortune. Some did, some didn’t but many of them did make and record great music while they were there.
Sketches from Memory
These pieces are largely autobiographical and recall scenes remembered from childhood days. I choose to try to capture the mood of those vignettes through music.
The Dartington Collection
These were written during a week’s stay at Dartington in the summer of 2011. The seven pieces were written at the rate of one a day. Each piece would be sketched out in the morning and tidied up during the afternoon. They have been a staple in my performing repertoire since that time.
English Folk Tunes
I don’t listen to or play much traditional folk music, but there are some great tunes in the canon that I think are worthy of musical exploration. Some of my favourite songs feature unusual/unconventional metres and tonalities and rhythms and phrases which take interesting twists and turns. My approach has been to leave these melodies relatively unadorned, with some minimal harmonies implied. More abstract, semi-improvised sections have been added which develop further the prevailing moods of the songs.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some reflections on each of these collections. In the meantime, you can preview them using any of the links below:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/sketches-from-memory/1439315477
https://open.spotify.com/album/2TaYf8M4NXZETOGgGKMo7L?si=_gekXqeSSse5BvZ7nbY9Ww
david ashworth 