Ed Gerhard
Virtue Records
VirtueRec@aol.com
www.edgerhard.com
We’ve all got our favorite old instruments in the basement. I have a trumpet from 1970, a Sequential Circuits Synth from 1985, and an old Yamaha PF-80 Piano that’s just starting to short out. Ed Gerhard, in House Of Guitars, digs into his old collection to give us some very sensitive performance on some of his first instruments. No overhauling, no new strings, no fixing the buzzes or rattles, and darn, he says, these old cheapos are hard to play.
Some of these strings are at least 35 years old, so they probably don’t have much energy after this long a coma.You’d never know it, and this collection of folksy and bluesy styled music is a testament to his skill at revitalizing this haphazard group of electric, 12 string, Hawaiian, and starter guitars. Along with three of his own composition are several traditional tunes, including a nice rhythmic arrangement of “Poor Wayfaring Stranger,” a couple pieces by Lennon and McCartney, a version of “Let It Be Me,” and a few other traditional pieces.
Some fare better than others, though mostly it’s very nice stuff, and very gentle. “Try To Stay” makes its trademark an ascending rhythmic pattern, like a romantic starlight fireplace kind of thing; the track that follows, “Because of You, This,” well, “This” just sort of sits there, and for over 5 minutes. “Shallow Brown” shows some deft and tender sliding around on an old Hawaiian.
I don't think we notice all the clicks and clacks as listeners that Gerhard might notice as performer. If we do, they kind of just fit into the “woodwork.” There’s something nice, anyway, about hearing someone master an instrument that doesn’t always cooperate.
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