Night Birds

Description

Ed’s debut album, originally released on Reckless Records (vinyl), now on Virtue. Ten pieces solo guitar, one duet.

Includes:

1. Duet
2. Crow
3. No.11
4. Spike #2
5. Lost Highway
6. Si Bhig, Si Mhor
7. No. 7
8. The French Lady
9. Suite
10. Night Birds

• Ed; six and twelve-string guitars

Produced by Ed Gerhard

Reviews

The Boston Globe
Thursday, January 14, 1988
Many acoustic instrumentalists seem to begin their ideas with a hot lick. They embellish, introduce variations, return and fade. The result often seems more about the artist’s fingers than the listener’s ears. From the opening happy dance of “Duet” to the dark bottlenecked cry of the closing “Night Birds,” however, Edward Gerhard stands clearly behind his musical themes, letting them rule his technique. The result is a lovely, lyrical debut album, full of memorable melodies and music that leads the mind to wander. There are some florid moments, full of quick-trick trills and finger tricks but even then the lines are long, controlling the instrumental. In the elegiac jazz-blues “No.11,” one pictures a lonely pianist in some late night sad cafe, lost in the memory of busier times. Gerhard’s careful, shining treatment of O’Carollan’s “Si Bhig, Si Mhor” is filled with ancient love stories. Gerhard does not write instrumentals – he writes songs only a guitar can sing. — Scott Alarik

SING OUT!

Edward Gerhard’s Night Birds will most probably please any fan of the guitars. The album is straightforward: a well-placed, varied palette of texture and mood, ranging from the playfulness of “Duet” and “Spike 2”, to the English-style guitar and counterpoint of “No. 7,” to the slide playing of “Night Birds.” Gerhard’s playing is clean and precise, yet fluid and lush. One of the many strengths of this record is Gerhard’s inventive use of tunings, which is partially responsible for the variety of color from one composition to another. Whatever influence he draws from is weaved into a larger idea. Gerhard’s approach is consistent — a strong melodic sense and agility and grace inn execution. All of the compositions are originals with the exception of O’Carolan’s, “Si Bhig, Si Mhor,” which Gerhard stamps with his own rich voicings and style. Gerhard also does a splendid job as producer of this album, as does engineer Steve Burton. It’s hard to believe that this is only Gerhard’s first recording; but it is evident that he will prove to be an artist of lasting importance. — KE