Grin and Barenberg It
by Joe Weisberger
click to enlarge
It’s been a good year for one of acoustic music’s most
supple and melodic guitarists, starting with a Grammy nomination for a tune
from the 2007 release (When At Last) that marked his return to full-time
music-making and ending (almost) with an appearance on jazz bassist Charlie
Haden’s back-to-his-roots Rambling Boy, on which Barenberg demonstrated a
deep affinity for the elegant simplicity and flow of pre-electrified country
styles. While Barenberg shines in any context, the trio seems an especially
good one—his mid-90s album with Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas remains a
classic—and the current lineup, featuring bassist Viktor Krauss (who
appeared on When At Last) and fiddler/guitarist/singer Luke Bulla is
exquisitely sensitive to nuance and context, capable of finding just the
right points of contact with and departure from the earlier group.
Thu., Dec. 18, 9 p.m., 2008
Thu., Dec. 18, 9 p.m., 2008
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