Published on Mar 28, 2002
Full disclosure: I consider fingerstyle guitarist Larry Pattis
to be a friend. I’ve had the privilege of seeing him perform when
he was in my area with fellow guitarist El McMeen last year. I’ve
had the honor of having both men break bread at my house, followed
by an enjoyable session where we all talked about the philosophy of
music. (I have that audio tape somewhere; one day I’ll have to
transcribe it. It was a fascinating evening.) Rest assured, though,
this review is not influenced by our friendship. If anything, I
might be even a little more critical because of that fact.
In truth, though, Pattis’s latest offering,
Hands Of Time, is a disc that is hard to be critical of.
Continuing in the same tradition he followed with his debut effort
Random Chance, albeit with a slightly more Celtic flavor to
his playing at times than before, Pattis leaves no doubt that he is
on the cusp of becoming a major name in the field of acoustic
guitar music.
I once described Larry’s style of music as being more new age
than Celtic – and by “new age,” I was comparing him with such
guitarists as Michael Hedges and Doug Smith, two of the finest in
the genre.
Hands Of Time builds on this, as Pattis takes his Martin
hollowbody and absolutely wrings pure emotion out of it. From the
playful but inriguing strains of “Buddy Boy” (one of two songs
somehow related to dogs – nothing wrong with that, mind you) to
capturing the artistic discovery and joy of its destruction on
“Burning Man,” Pattis captures the listener’s ear for the entire
disc – making you wish that it didn’t end so quickly.
Granted, I was familiar with a number of these songs; when
Pattis was in Gurnee last October, he performed “Burning Man,”
“Buddy Boy,” “The Paths Of Swannanoa” and (following the tragic
attacks of September 11) “Homeland Suite” for a captive audience.
But despite my familiarity (albeit brief) with many of these songs,
each track has constantly been a journey of discovery; each time I
listen to them, I hear something new. (After spending an entire day
listening to nothing but this disc, that’s quite an
accomplishment.)
And yet, I will call my friend Larry to task on two minor points
of contention. First is the matter of closing the album with
“Ashokan Farewell,” a piece originally recorded for
The Civil War documentary on PBS. It’s a beautiful piece of
music that sounds even better on guitar than it did on fiddle, and
Pattis tries his best to put his own unique spin on this selection.
However, in my mind, he’s fighting an uphill battle; the version on
McMeen’s
The Lea Rig, on which Pattis guested, will always be
the definitive version. (Actually, that’s not quite true;
the version that McMeen and Pattis performed that night I saw them
almost had me in tears, it was that beautiful.)
The second minor point is the sudden halt to “Buddy Boy” – I
don’t know why, but it just doesn’t sound right to end this song
the way that Pattis does. (In all honesty, I can’t remember if this
is how it ended in concert.) Granted, I wasn’t crazy about that
sudden muted chord ending on “Burning Man” at first, but the more I
listened to it, the more I realized that it
was the proper way to end this piece. I’m still not as
convinced on “Buddy Boy”.
So why should you invest your money and time in
Hands Of Time? It’s quite simple, really – especially if you
have any love or respect for the guitar, from jazz enthusiasts to
head-bangers. Pattis is able to take a simple contraption of wood
and metal strings and make his guitar come alive with his music.
You’re not merely listening to a song being played on acoustic
guitar; you’re listening to a portrait painted in notes… and how
that portrait takes shape in your mind, only you can discover. I
know; I took that jouney no less than ten times within the first 24
hours I possessed this CD.
One side note to Larry, who I know is checking out this review:
As magical as your music is, there is something even more magical
about seeing you perform it live. Have you considered actually
having a performance filmed? Just a thought.
One day in the very near future, Pattis is going to become one
of the most respected names in the world of fingerstyle guitar,
right up there with El McMeen and Pierre Bensusan.
Hands Of Time is a musical document which proves that Pattis
is closer to that goal than even he might have imagined – and all
it takes now is for the right breaks to fall his way. For Larry’s
sake, and with all respect to McMeen, I hope they do – ’cause they
couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
For more information or to order this CD, please
visit
Larry’s site.