Handwritten Notes
four stars
GENRE-DEFINING EXPERTISE FROM ONE-MAN ACOUSTIC ARMY
There's no doubt that we're currently enjoing something of a solo acoustic renaissance which is being spearheaded by a handful of guitarists who have taken the burning brand from the late lamented Michael Hedges and are now running a race much their own. Preston Reed is certainly one of the genre's frontrunners, as this latest CD ably attests. Shunning the conventional EADGBE for the more esoteric tunings favored by the acoustic cogniscenti, Reed runs the gamut of expression in a collection of his own compositions - sensitive ballads sitting happily next to fierce percussive workouts that test the capabilities of the instrument itself. this is an example of true, spellbinding guitar mastery.
Standout tracks: First Summer Without You, Tractor Pull, Nightride
--Dave
Mead, GUITARIST, June 2004
Guitar and Bass July 04
Preston Reed Handwritten Notes (Outer Bridge)
One listen to Preston Reed and we guarantee you'll never look at an acoustic guitar the same way again. Sounding more like ten men - and men with titanium hands at that - Handwritten Notes is in fact the work of one man and his Ovation Adams. Night Ride opens the album at a breathless bluesy pace, with Reed using every part of his hand for a percussive effect, at times defying belief with his deftness. But the biggest treat of this collection has to be Gianaina, a jazzy, Ry Cooder-ish number. Really though, Reed should be seen live to gain the full effect - so look out for him in July.
Handwritten Notes
(Outer Bridge)
For the uninitiated, American veteran Preston Reed is widely
thought of as the world's most gifted acoustic guitarist.
Fusing blues, folk, funk and jazz, he's always been capable
of scaling Hendrix-style heights of dazzling technical
brilliance, and this album continues in a similarly virtuoso
vein. If you're interested in exploring the further reaches
of guitar technique, Handwritten Notes really is a
must.
--TOTAL
GUITAR, June 2004