El McMeen Breaks New Ground
05/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Fans of guitarist El McMeen will find his new CD, The Lea Rig, to be both familiar and groundbreaking at the same time. Familiar elements include El's exclusive use of his trademark tuning (low C), a selection of tunes by blind Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan, a hymn tune treatment, a couple of medleys, and a few pop tune arrangements. Where El breaks new ground is in joining forces with other musicians (a whistle player, a fiddler, and another guitarist) and in providing listeners with a rare original composition and a warm and earthy vocal performance.I must confess that when I saw the words "and friends" on the CD cover, I braced myself for possible disappointment. Too often, when soloists-even great ones-turn to ensemble work, the results can be less than satisfying. As if overcompensating for the needs the group, otherwise brilliant soloists sometimes manage to turn out bland ensemble arrangements that in the worst cases deteriorate into New Age mush.This is not the case here. El's work on this CD with fellow guitarist and touring partner Larry Pattis, whistle player Bob Pegritz, songwriter and fiddler Kate MacLeod, and composer and harmonica player Steve Black is first rate. Each arrangement is meticulously worked out (no mindless chord strumming here) and each is executed as a true collaboration that clearly highlights the unique talents of each artist. In fact, in the best of these pieces, each part, if listened to separately, could stand up as a superb solo performance.Ensemble highlights include "The Shearing's Not for You/Bogie's Bonny Belle", where whistle and fiddle combine with El's guitar to produce a beautiful chamber music effect supported by lovely harmonies; the stately and measured pace of "Bridget Cruise, 3d Air"; and the plaintive harmonica work that perfectly complements El's vocal on "West Virginia Moon." Equally satisfying are El's duets with Larry Pattis ("Mo Giola Mar," and the beautiful "Ashokan Farewell.") Clearly El and Larry enjoy a kind of psychic link that gives them an uncanny ability to anticipate and follow through on each other's musical ideas. Never strained, their duets are complex harmonically and tightly knit structurally. An entire CD of El and Larry playing together is certainly on my wish list.El's CDs always contain a generous sampling of O'Carolan tunes, and The Lea Rig is no exception. Executing these songs with the verve and skill we've come to expect from one who is among the foremost O'Carolan interpreters, El turns in virtuoso solo performances of the extremely demanding "Carolan's Concerto," the exuberant "Carolan's Receipt/Morgan Magan," and the delicately beautiful "George Brabazon, 2d Air," which has something of the endearing and enduring quality of a baroque minuet.As on previous CDs, El's pop tune arrangements transform the sometimes trite into the nearly always special. Here, Bruce Sprinsteen's "Sad Eyes," George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun," and the old Supremes hit and Motown anthem, "Stop in the Name of Love" provide variety and pleasant surprises as El's characteristic treatment takes these familiar melodies in new directions. With the latter piece, for example, El turns the Motown sound on its ear, delivering instead a relaxed and almost jazzy ballad.El's original tune, "High Ground," makes one wonder why he doesn't do more composing. According to El's notes, the "eerie atmosphere of tension and release" that permeates James Brady's book about the Korean War ("The Coldest War") inspired this song. But one doesn't need that information to appreciate the shifting tempos and contrasting modes that El employs in creating a similar atmosphere with notes rather than words.I've always liked El's hymn tune arrangements, and they, like the Carolan tunes, appear frequently on his previous CDs. He concludes this album with a hauntingly beautiful arrangement of "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent." Dark and brooding, the melody is stripped down to its essential elements and punctuated at crucial points by bell-like harmonics. Only about a minute and a half long, this arrangement is a jewel and a perfect close for the CD.While El's CDs have been consistently high in quality, The Lea Rig stands out for its variety in ensemble playing and solo work. With this collection, El has challenged himself to achieve ever-higher standards. Having listened to him more than meet that challenge, I eagerly look forward to the arrival of his next CD."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1