Bruce Cockburn - Speechless (2005)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 348 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 158 Mb
Label: Rounder | # 11661-3250-2 | Time: 01:08:49 | Scans ~ 43 Mb
Contemporary Folk, Folk-Rock, Structured Improvisation
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 348 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 158 Mb
Label: Rounder | # 11661-3250-2 | Time: 01:08:49 | Scans ~ 43 Mb
Contemporary Folk, Folk-Rock, Structured Improvisation
Speechless, Bruce Cockburn's first foray into completely instrumental territory, is proof in the pudding that you can teach an old dog new tricks. There are 15 tracks here, the vast majority of which are redos of tracks from Cockburn's catalog. But given their treatment – many of them done as solo guitar pieces – the dearth of new material doesn't even matter. In fact, one could venture to say that these feel like altogether new pieces. Cockburn is a master guitarist; he often interweaves jazz, blues, country, and folk styles into his cross-genre songs. Here he shines, pure and simple. "Train in the Rain" (anyone notice how many of his songs are about trains and travel?) touches on Leo Kottke and Peter Lang; "Water into Wine" utilizes flamenco stylings while crossing into Gypsy jazz chords à la Charlie Byrd. A new work, "Elegy," kisses the modalities of "Greensleeves" while creating itself as a piece that evokes both absence and memory. "Rouler Sa Bosse" from Salt, Sun and Time juxtaposes Cockburn's six-string against Jack Zaza's clarinet, and becomes a straight-up gently swinging jazz tune.
