BEPPE GAMBETTA, THE AMERICAN ALBUM

BEPPE GAMBETTA
THE AMERICAN ALBUM

Gadfly Records
Gadfly 518

Italian guitarist, Beppe Gambetta is considered by many musicians in the world as one of, if not the best, acoustic guitarists. His talent, his taste, and his execution are superb. In this latest release, Gambetta returns to the bluegrass field with a very nice selection of familiars and originals.

This is a solo project on which he accompanies himself on guitar and vocals. The opening composition, “Acadian Dream,” is an original by Gambetta, while the closing selection is quite familiar to most—Jimmy Davis’ “You Are My Sunshine.” Sandwiched within are a blazing original, “Chipmunk,” and his arrangements of the traditional tunes “Red Mountain Wine,” “Handsome Molly,” and “Lonesome Road Blues.” He performs his interpretation of Earl Scruggs’ “Nashville Blues” which he first heard on the 1970s Will The Circle Be Unbroken album, and there is a nice arrangement of Norman Blake’s “The Nine Years Waltz.”

The highlights of the project are two medleys. The first is three tunes of what he calls early bluegrass guitar: the traditional “Snow Deer,” Charlie Waller’s “Spanish Two Step,” and Don Reno’s “Country Boy Rock And Roll.” The second is a tribute to the Delmore Brothers with “Brown’s Ferry Blues” and “Nashville Blues.” Gambetta has a pleasant voice, easily harmonizing with himself. This is a wonderful project of clean guitar interpretations that both musicians and non-pickers should enjoy. (Gadfly Records, P.O. Box 5231, Burlington, VT 05402, www.gadflyrecords.com.)BF