There are certain guitarists who make me sorry that I gave up the instrument in college in order to waste my time in going to school to become a doctor. I had to make a decision how to spend my time, and I had to put my Martin D18 aside since the investment of time to sound like Django Reinhardt couldn’t compete with 19 units of class every semester. Ahh… the paths we take.
Guitarist Robin Nolan is what I would have LOVED to have sounded like if I decided to pursue the alternative path. He’s got a wonderful Hot Club of France touch to his stroke, as evidenced by swinging pieces such as the title track and a deliciously tasty take of “Sweet Georgia Brown.” Yet, hints of guys like Eddie Lang peep out every now and then, and even better, he sounds like he’s imbibed 70s guitarists like Frampton, Townsend and Page (when they went acoustic) with some intriguing chords and harmonies on pieces such as “Ravi,” the Zep composition “The Rain Song” and Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain.” But make no mistake, even with thoughtful ballads, his corpuscles circulate in swing, and he gets the temperature cooking on flamenco flavored “Pacquito” or even the sauntering “Snow.” The tracks are simple in that it’s just a collection of duets, but that’s what makes the music sound so immediate; you feel like you’re IN the music. I already want to hear what he can do next. Get him out to LA!