Rating: 4/5
Review:
very good guitar work
This is a very good album, originally from 1972, of largely
ragtime guitar from a forgotten artist.
It was dragged from obscurity recently by fellow Chicago
guitarist Ryley Walker who deserves a lot of credit for bringing about this
re-release after stumbling across the album in a remainder bin.
John Hulburt was playing and recording this at a time when
Chicago's music scene was full of rock, so it's a bit of an isolated oddity
coming from there, but it's fine stuff, nonetheless. There are clear influences of John Fahey with
blues tinges evident in places, too.
Much of the music, though, is very well played, smile-inducing rags. There's some very fine playing and the
overall effect of most of the tracks is just great. A flute appears a couple of times which
doesn't work well for me, and the few vocal numbers aren't the strongest either
– and it has to be said that Inner Garden
is a terrible song. However, the bulk of
this is great, and there are tracks here (like the closer, Hallelujah! I'm On
Parole Again) which I find irresistible.
This is a very welcome find for me, and if you like a
well-played guitar I can recommend it warmly.
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