Guitar Emporium

The 21st December - the shortest day of this year - the Winter Solstice. The merging of two pieces - Daybreak - using Rob's Hybrid Guitar and Dusk - recorded this year. Support the show

From a recording in 2002 called On a Winters Night - a folky version of Dulce Jubilo and I Saw Three Ships - for guitar and bass. Support the show

Trivia question - how many kilometres is the sun away from us ? Its sounds quite a lot - and although we have nothing to complain about compared to many countries I'm complaining. Today ( the 15th )when I put this tune up its -6C - and the heatings not working. Huge sympathy for the people who really are suffering.  Support the show

Five tunes this week from around the world: French carol, Huron Carol ( Native America) Maninitas ( Mexico ), The Zither Carol ( Czech ) Susan and Catherine ( France I think ) . Another medley . Support the show

The Calliope - the final piece for Young Jazz Band from the 5 pieces of The Fairground Suite.  The Calliope is a steam organ that plays loud tunes to draw people to the Fairground. The Great Dorset Steam Fair, which we used to visit when the children were young had these - powered by Steam engines playing repetitive tunes all day and throughout the evening if I remember rightly. I'll put all...

A trio version of this lovely tune - an upbeat way to finish the week. Support the show

The title track from a 2004 recording - Phases - midi guitar, acoustic and electric bass in there somewhere.  Support the show

A rather doom laden version from about 2003. However cute Raymond Briggs wonderful drawings and stories were they always had an underlying current of something more scary. Even the gentle tale of the Snowman doesn't really have a happy ending. I remember how sad it felt at the end of the story. Walking in the Air. Support the show

Always with me , Always with you is a great instrumental piece from Joe Satriani's 1987 album  Surfing with the Alien. I borrowed the idea for this piano  tune - Always - that is influenced by his wonderfully sentimental rock guitar playing - also his amazing playing. There is no amazing playing here just my usual relentless attempt to get to the end of the piece without falling off the keybo...

Out of Nowhere is a 1979 album by Joe Egan- the other half of the band Stealers Wheel with the late great Gerry Rafferty. The track Back on the Road seems a reluctant admission that he was back touring at a time when maybe he no longer wanted to be - I don't know - anyway thats how it seemed. I'm not touring but I'm back on the road at a time when I no longer want to be -  I should...

I'll put up three Christmas Medleys coming up to Christmas Day - One today - the next on the 18th and the third on Christmas Day.  Here is a group of 5 tunes recorded in 2004 on a beautiful Jimmy Moon steel guitar: The First Nowell, Ding Dong Merrily on High, Angels from the Realms of Glory,  Here We Come a Wassailing,  Hark the Herald Angels Sing.  Support the show

Stephen Lane's compositions around Christmas themes are really enjoyable to play . Here is his take on the Winter Idyll idea. The Sussex Carol appears in the central section and some lovely serene chords introduce and conclude the piece.   Support the show

No.4 in the suite of five pieces for  young jazz band- the Fairground . One of the rides that's  easy to do and doesn't cause too much stress - The Waltzer - a family favourite.  not a waltz but a 123-123-12 rhythm that's kept within the acoustic guitar and then used as a basis for the rhythm that supports it.  Support the show

The Paraguayan guitarist and composer Agustin Barrios take on the Christmas Season - from the Rico Stover collection of Barrios pieces.  Support the show

A harmonica led version with a guitar solo at the end arranged by guitarist Steve Marsh I believe . Support the show

The third piece from "The Fairground" - One theme going round and around - hence the Carousel - Merry -go-Round. This is a piece for a young jazz band . The piece was intended to be learned with no music notation. A simple theme repeated between instruments and a repeated pattern for the brass section. Room for improvisation around pentatonic minor and blues scales. Support the show

Winter arranged in about 2004 for steel guitar group. Why steel guitar group ? I have no idea - it may be it was what I had around at the time. Completely unsuited - but there you go -  thats what came out.  Support the show

One of my favourite Christmas tunes. This version uses the late Bert Jansch's accompaniment to give a nice folk feel to the piece .  Support the show

A re-mix of what is effectively a piece using the add9 chord so wonderfully used by the band the Police on tracks like Message in a Bottle and Every Breath you Take.  Support the show

A piece for 4 piece rock band this tune is paired with On the Way Out from earlier in the week. Lots of REM type rhythm and a bit of borrowed chord sequence from Oasis and their early tunes.  Support the show

A Christmas season to look forward to as covid free as we have been since it all started. I'll put a sprinkling of Christmas tunes up as we go along- trying hard not to overdo it . Have a good Advent ! Support the show

Finally got to re-mix this one with a proper balance - its taken a remarkably long time for such a simple piece. Support the show

I first played this piece a long time ago when I knew it as Spanish Ballad. I think everyone else knows it as Romanza. Recorded on Robs Hybrid Guitar.  Support the show

A re- mix of a recent tune - my vocals are notoriously average and require quite a lot of boosting to bring them over any other recorded instruments.  Support the show

Two pieces for 4 piece rock band - this one and its partner On the Way Back . I'll put the second one up once I've had the opportunity to re- mix it . Its a bit on the rough side. This will wake you up on a Sunday morning.  Support the show