The reason that the guitar is the most popular instrument these days is that it can be comfortable in a plethora of environs. Here are a handful…
Charlie Ballantine teams up with Amanda Gardier/as, Josh Espinoza/org, Conner Green/b and Josh Roberts/dr for some laid back and relaxed moods. Some rural electric guitar gets easy on”Old 
Hammer” and Gardier’s tender alto teams with some easy picking and grinning on the title tarack. Strumming strings and effects team u p with “Temptation” and a misty organ creates impressionistic moods on “Conundrum.” Except for the rocky “Roads” the pace is contemplative with pastels, suitable for framing.
Alex Goodman uses both acoustic and electric strings with a velvety teamof Michael Davidson/vib, Andrew Downing/b-cel, Rogerio Boccato/perc and the wordless voice of Felicity Williams, with drums by Fabio Ragnelli appearing on a few of the tracts. The pieces are intricate, yet melodic and flowing as Williams’ voice glows over the luscious “Acrobate” and the dreamy “Pure Imagination.” A read of Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Gigue” mixes vibes, cello and guitar in a playful unison while “Syle Brise’” is as delicate as a baby’s pinky. Lovely sounds and colors.
Mike Eldred leads a core team of John Bazz/b, Jerry Angel/dr and a group of cameo guests through some earthy rural sounds. His guitar and voice are rough and ready on shuffle boogies like “ Hunder Dollar Bill,” “Sugar Shake” and “Kill My Woman” wile his dobro takes you out into the cotton fields on “Run Devil Run.” A bit of Cajun and swamp moods come up on Bess” and a thunderous version of “Can’t Buy Me Love’ will make you think that Slade reunited. This guy’s got dirt underneath his fingernails!
Most intriguing is a meeting between guitarist Joe Driscoll and kora player Sekou Kouyate. The West African instrument sparkles along with a team of John Railton/b, James Breen/dr and Tim Short/perc, while Kouyate’s voice sounds like a third world version of Mark Knopfler on pieces like “Just Live” and Batafa.” The rhythmic pulse creates a restless undercurrent as the pairs of pickers mix picking and chiming on “Tamala” and “Barra” while “Bidaya” takes you to exotic lands of the Sahel Desert. A concert version of Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster” has the band doing a reggae fest with the strings in a party mood. Very creative!