GILBERT ISBIN PLAYS NICK DRAKE

REVIEWS

ACOUSTIC GUITAR, USA, issue 95, NOV 2000, (Gary Joyner)

With almost a dozen albums under his belt, Belgian guitarist Gilbert Isbin is an acclaimed fingerstylist whose music walks the line between classical and jazz styles. On this unique concept album, Isbin has chosen 11 songs spanning Nick Drake’s short career as the basis for rich guitar instrumentals. It is startling to hear songs like "River Man" and Three Hours in this new context. The absence of Drake’s plaintive voice allows the enchantment of his music to take center stage, and Isbin gives Drake’s airy and magical melodies a new sense of nobility.

DIRTY LINEN, JULY 2000, USA (TJM)

Gilbert Isbin, a master guitarist from Belgium, plays with subtle brilliance through all of these 11 songs.

ALL MUSIC GUIDE, USA

Rating: 4/5

WWW.ACOUSTIC GUITARWORKSHOP.COM, UK, 2001 (Steve Elliot)

The Belgian guitarist, Gilbert Isbin, a master of jazz fingerstyle gives us wonderfully oblique, subtle and hauntingly beautiful interpretations of 10 of Drake's songs.

RECORD COLLECTOR, FEB 2000, UK (Joel Mclver)

The album as a whole is deeply satisfying- an ardent tribute by one of the guitar's great masters.

FOLKER, MARCH 2000, GERMANY (S.BASHO-JUNGSHANS)

Isbin unfolds sensitive and virtuoso this melancolic- discerning playfulness, out of which wonderful melodies take shape.

ALL ABOUT JAZZ.COM, USA, 2000 (GLENN ASTARITA

In somewhat of a loosely based connotation, Belgian based guitarist Gilbert Isbin could be the European counterpart to America's legendary acoustic guitarist John Fahey. Don't deny yourself the opportunity to hear Isbin who is rapidly advancing to new heights with ambitious and fully realized projects such as "Plays Nick Drake - A Tribute to His Music". Highly recommended.r
rating: 4/5

WWW.GUITARNATION.COM, AUGUST 2002, USA

Gilbert's brilliant instrumental interpretations bring together a level of technical virtuosity with creative, inspiring passionate playing that is absolutely stunning.

LAGUITARE.COM, FRANCE, JAN. 2000 (CYRIL TORLAND)

Gilbert Isbin's interpretation is very sensitive and vibrant, and it glorifies the ten pieces on this disc, where folk hesitates between classicism and dissonance.

HHGI ONLINE GUITAR MAGAZINE, OCT 2000 (HOWARD HART)

Subtle, moving, and very inspired.

COLUMBIA RIVER READER, FEB.2000, USA (A. PATTERSON)

One of the continents most talented guitar players.

AMAZING SOUNDS, SEPT. 2000, SPAIN (ALEJANDRO HINOJOSA)

Gilbert Isbin, representing the feeling of many guitarists, has adapted a selection of pieces by Drake to his own style, as a homage and mutual collaboration throughout time and space.

VISIONS, FEB 2000, Germany (Oliver Usschman) Rating :11 on 12 points)

"Instrumental, sensitive, atmospheric, acoustic guitar music, which gives you a view into the soul of this genius. Isbin established a dignified monument to Drake".

ALTERNATE MUSIC PRESS, USA, FEB. 2000 (BEN KETTLEWELL)

The album highlights Isbin's range both as a composer, and interpreter, conveying perfectly, the spirit of Nick Drake's languid, relaxed, but passionate compositions. In summary it is both urbane and evocative, a melodic, quietly enchanting body of work that is as touching as it is refined. Enchanting!

In a letter from the Editor of Alternate Music Press:

It's great following your career, I think you are quickly becoming one of Western Europe's finest composers of eclectic jazz, and one of the best acoustic guitarists in any genre.'

COMPACT DE JAZZ BELGE, DEC. 1999 (PAUL DULIEU)

The result is a profoundly original CD, intimate, melancholy, and which we might think was completely improvised if it were not for the sensitive precision which(as always with Isbin) underlies his poetry. Superb.

JAZZDIMENSIONS.DE, GERMANY, MAY 2000 (C.PRANGE)

Isbin succeeds to evoke the tender guitarplaying of Drake, mingling them with colourful, rich chords, without trying to copy him.

IIAN CAMERON, author, musician, composer, accompanied Nick Drake on several occasions.

Gilbert has provided an intensely personal instrumental reading of some of Nick's work, which in keeping with how jazz is these days, both looks back a 'great tradition' but also highlights more local themes, not least the bleakness of the Northern European expressionism. An excellent CD.

RIVERSIDE JAZZ (Finland)

Olen niputtanut yhteen kolme varsin erilaista levyä, joita kuitenkin yhdistää akustisen kitaran keskeinen rooli. Ensimmäisellä levyllä nimeltä Gilbert Isbin Plays Nick Drake akustinen kitara on aivan ainoa instrumentti. Levyn nimi nostaa todennäköisesti mieleen kysymyksen, kuka kumma on tämä Nick Drake. Todennäköisesti myös Gilbert Isbin on outo nimi. Onneksi levyyn liittyy kansiteksti, joka vastaa näihin kysymyksiin. Nick Drake oli englantilainen laulaja/lauluntekijä, joka levytti muutaman LP:n 1960- ja 70-lukujen vaihteessa. Drake oli luonteeltaan autistinen ja hänen tiedossa olevat kymmenkunta keikkaa epäonnistuivat pahasti. Drake kuoli masennuslääkkeiden yliannostukseen vuonna 1974 vain 26-vuotiaana. Draken levyt jäivät hänen elinaikanaan lähes tuntemattomiksi, mutta kuolemansa jälkeen Drake on saavuttanut väärinymmärretyn neron kulttimainetta. Esimerkiksi sellaiset nimet kuin Tom Verlaine, Kate Bush, Paul Weller ja Morrissey ovat tunnustaneet saaneensa vaikutteita Draken musiikista. Nyt belgialainen jazzkitaristi Gilbert Isbin on levyttänyt yksin akustisella kitaralla Draken musiikkia. Levyllä on 11 kaunista kappaletta, joita yhdistää hauraan harras tunnelma. Levy on jälleen hyvä osoitus siitä, että valtavirtojen sivujuoksuilta voi tehdä kiinnostavia löytöjä.
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