Guitar Emporium

Taken from the Phases experiment with midi guitar and various other effects. Flat nines are the chords used within part of the sequence. The recording dates from 2002 and was originally up on the Live365 radio station theguitar. Support the show

Choro in F is the full title of this piece. Written for the set with Tony( saxophone) and Lekan( hand drums) - it was an opener which allowed them both to improvise around the basic idea. I quite like the basic idea. Up beat and light for a Monday morning.  Support the show

The 'Little Hop " dance of the late Renaissance is a very short piece for this Sunday Morning. A duet with Wendy recorded in about 1997.  Support the show

If I've got this right Bagnoli is a tiny district in Tuscany where my middle son Robert lives with his wife Marri. It is close to Sasseta where Marri's Mother lives and about an hour from Pisa. In remoteness terms Bagnoli is about as remote as it gets. a beautiful place. This is a reflection/improvisation around our very short visit there.  Support the show

The song of the thread spinner. A tremolo type piece from the Paraguayan Agustin Barrios. I first heard it played by the American guitarist Liona Boyd. My rendition comes from about 1997. - on cassette - so a bit noisy. Apologies.  Support the show

I enjoy the "natural" times of day- dawn, daybreak - the dawn chorus - but also dusk and the less frenetic dusk chorus with the birds version of evensong. I have always enjoyed working with the flute- its one of the few instruments that when played well doesn't overpower the acoustic guitar. This is a simple duet for the two instruments. Support the show

I think Anthony Phillips was a founder member of the band Genesis. I found a book of his pieces in a music shop in the 1980's which I didn't get around to playing for years. This piece is lovely (sorry for the hiss - its off an old cassette tape) . The book of music was called Eight Pieces and the track was recorded on vinyl as part of an album " Private Parts and Pieces" I eve...

The dance is everything with this piece - and I can't dance . But I hope you can imagine the enjoyment this piece is meant to convey. One guitar starts, a second replies and then they play together all the while with the rhythm of the dance underlying the chord sequences.  Support the show

The title does not mean to suggest "take" - as in the meaning "steal " - I suddenly realised that it could be easily misinterpreted. Its a real rough and ready demo - we'll have a look at it again in the coming weeks. Support the show

The title is really because a lot of the ideas within this tune come out of an album of the same name by the band America. This same album also started me listening to John Martyn - as the band took his song Head and Heart and did their own version. Some great acoustic guitar playing and during a period before the band became very established.  Support the show

The title track of a whole load of recordings put together on a CD this Summer. Playing around with different tunings but all with the same theme. Really looking at bringing the recordings I've made over the years together and cataloging them all - for no other reason than just to make sense of them all.  Support the show

Optimism - a wonderful thing - the whole glass half full notion seems a really good way of going about things. This tune was originally written when I played in a teenage band called MCC. They released one album called Thursdays Child - I don't think this track made the cut ! The album must be a collectors item by now. Anyway the song has stuck in my head and I recorded it this summer.  Suppo...

The title taken from Bruce Hornsby's great song - the stunning piano playing I so wish I could get anywhere near - maybe another lifetime. Support the show

Near to Granada, in Andalusia, close to the mountains, Saleres is a beautiful old village    of narrow streets. This short piece is a reflection on the beauty of the area. Taken from a collection called 2hands guitar for students. Support the show

I've missed a few days - sorry about that. The financial markets in the UK clearly had a knock on to my bank who didn't like the look of the amount of money going out of my account. Back now - and once again thank you for listening. Todays tune is one of the 4 themes I keep coming back to. The introduction uses a "gated effect" on an acoustic guitar used in a Madonna single rou...

A new cycle of the podcasts begins today. If you're still out there and you're still listening - thanks very much. The music I put up is a continuing mixture of old and new from about 1997 until the present day with perhaps more emphasis on the newer tunes and arrangements this month.  It Ain't Right - starts the cycle. I generally go on about the small injustices - because thats my...

Taken from a collection of pieces written for two guitars and published under a title of 4 Hands Guitar Music, Old Friends is a sentimental tune celebrating those Friends who become long established and always around for each other. I told you it was sentimental. Support the show

From a collection of recordings done this summer using the CGDGBD tuning. The song was recorded on my laptop and refers to the various ways of earning a living as a musician when the going gets a bit tricky.  Support the show

Matins , Laud's and Vespers- the three major rounds of daily prayer. Matins was the morning prayer. Lauds and Vespers will follow .... Support the show

From 2020. A rather forlorn reflection on "luck"- or the lack of it- But it is a Monday . Support the show

I always thought when people said " he listens to 80's music" that was me - its not I'm a child of the 70's in particular ( almost the 60's). So here you see the take on Mason Williams Classical Gas- which I played to destruction when I was young - but also Roy Woods Electric Light Orchestra work - 1st Movt. Jumping Bizz. Apparently he too played Classical Gas alot an...

An improvised reflection on the darker nights, cooler days and changing colours of the Autumn months . Support the show

WhenI played along with Tony ( saxophone)  and Lekan ( hand drums) this was the tune we used to open with . I can't find a recording of us playing it together - but I hope you get the gist . Have a good Friday  Support the show

Another piece involving the great Andres Segovia - this time a composition. Written for his admirer and I think at one stage biographer - a duet .  David takes the lead - I accompany. From 1997 Support the show

Todays recording is a bit of an anomaly. Its taken from an old multitrack reel to reel recording and has various overdubs. The title is down to the influences: Burt Bacharach ( the piano part - straight from Close to You) the style ( intended to be Earl Klugh) the wallpaper approach to the arrangement ( influenced by a Claus Ogerman / Jan Ackerman collaboration which I loved.) Support the show