CD Review - Synapse Collapse
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Blues OnStage by Dave "Doc" Piltz/ February 2001
Synapse Collapse is the 1997 release by finger style guitar virtuoso, Richard Gilewitz. Gilewitz is an incredible guitarist who has received considerable critical acclaim, yet remains lesser known than some of his peers such as John Fahey, Leo Kottke and the late Michael Hedges. However, Gilewitz "anonymity has not prevented him from performing as the opening act for headliners such as Indigo Girls, John Hammond, Steve Morse and Squirrel Nut Zippers, among others. While criss-crossing the country, Gilewitz has continued to hone his skills, thrilling audiences lucky enough to hear him perform his guitar magic.
Synapse Collapse includes several new recordings of songs found on Gilewitz' 1986 debut recording, Somewhere In Between, combined with new material that demonstrates his growth and maturation as a performer. The CD also includes a bit of additional instrumentation to the soloist's repertoire that give an added dimension to several songs. Gilewitz' rendition of Jorma Kaukonen's "Embryonic Journey" is deepened by the inclusion of some nice piano fills by David Webb as are "Minuet For The Backwoods" and the finale, "Jeannie Sleeping." On the Gilewitz originals, "Bilingual Fantasy" and "Dirt To Dust," Gumbi Ortiz provides some driving Latin rhythms to add yet another twist to the Gilewitz sound. The songs offer elements of folk, blues, jazz and classical music that are quite attractive to the listener regardless of their musical interests.
Highlights among the thirteen songs on the CD include the exceptional version of "Embryonic Journey;" the delightfully hypnotic sound of "The Sailor's Grave On The Prairie;" and a distinctive version of W.C. Handy's seminal tune, "St. Louis Blues." The CD also includes two songs written by Gilewitz' guitar instructor, David Walbert. "Dance" and "Prelude" are both very well done and offer a nice acknowledgment of Gilewitz' mentor.
Among the originals, "Dirt To Dust" offers a very entertaining and rhythmic sound with a Latin flavor. "Bilingual Fantasy" is soft and flowing, while the title track, "Synapse Collapse," offers several different mood changes and a nice recurring theme in a song that is just short of six minutes long. The final original, "Echoing Wilderness," begins eerily and flows along nicely, incorporating significant use of harmonics throughout the song. The song also includes multiple shifts in style and tempo, breaking the song into separate "movements" as might occur in a piece of classical music.
If you enjoy masterful guitar and a high level of creativity, you will definitely enjoy Synapse Collapse by Richard Gilewitz. To learn more about Gilewitz, visit his website at richardgilewitz.com. The CD can be readily purchased through the website or at Amazon Records (www.amazon.com).
This review is copyright © 2001 by Dave "Doc" Piltz, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an e-mail to Ray Stiles.
FAME Reviews by Mark O'Donnell
for the Folk and Music Exchange
Somewhere between the 70s and 80s, a musical and psychic break occurred when the eclectic, eccentric, roots-based John Fahey gave way to the technically proficient, but erratically souless, William Ackerman. The progeny of the latter have grown in number and output, while those of the former have either held on and mildly prospered or have moved on to ultimately uninteresting experimental self-satisfaction. Perhaps it is this break which Richard Gilewitz describes in entitling his latest release, Synapse Collapse. Gilewitz knows the difference between the two forms of acoustic-guitar mastery and falls firmly in the roots-based camp where he has, more than any other current player, moved the genre into the 90s with his own accomplished vision, technique, and mastery of melody.
Gilewitz is quite aware of the masters who have gone before and pays homage to them. But he does so in a way that acknowledges what his predecessors have accomplished, while putting his own subtle and amusing touch on their work. He starts the disc with Jorma Kaukonen's Embryonic Journey. Gilewitz slows it down and puts a comping, occasionally cascading piano behind himself. This touch allows you to hear the tune as you have not before, elegiacally rather than frantically, as it has been so often presented by others in the past. Fahey's Steve Talbot..." and W.C. Handy's St. Louis Blues are presented in somewhat similar fashion, with a Rivers and Religions bluesy feel to both. It works. Kottke's The Sailor's Grave... is much more similar to the original, but Gilewitz's slide work here is exemplary. But where things get interesting is on Gilewitz's own tunes which are highly melodic, combining traditional fingerpicking with harmonic reverb and a perfect touch of synth. All of that is in the title cut. That might be said to be the highlight, but there are many more. I have never heard simple, but subtle hand-clapping and finger-clicking used so effectively as in his Bilingual Fantasy. On Echoing Wilderness, Gilewitz uses a uniquely evocative slide style combined with some great and varied fingerpicking. A favorite is the dark, somewhat menacing Dirt To Dust, which has a sinuous melody and a terrific percussive background making it flow.
Gilewitz has also found some writers with whom he has an obvious affinity, notably Gove Scrivenor, whose bouncy "Gove's Tune" and slower Minuet for the Backroads" add to the variety of rhythms and styles that Gilewitz is able to apply. David Walbert's Dance is another lovely tune that Gilewitz picks delicately and delightfully. The final tune, Pat McCune's lullaby "Jeannie Sleeping" is again somewhat Faheyesque, though with some unusual shimmering organlike piano accompaniment that works well with the alternating bass and melody.
This CD has been on the player for the last two months and continues to delight. Richard Gilewitz gives one the sense in this recording that he is a player to watch, that he will continue to grow, and will be one of those individuals whose latest releases will be must-buys. There is nary a misstep on Synapse Collapse. Rather there are constant surprises that will allow many repeated listenings. The following is said with full knowledge that it is dangerous: This is my album of the year.
Edited by: David Schultz
Copyright 2003, Peterborough Folk Music Society.
This review may be reprinted with prior permission and attribution.
JAM Reviews - Florida's Music Magazine
It's one thing when guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke does a Florida man proud by covering his song; it's a whole 'nother ball of wax when a proud Florida man turns the tables and covers Leo Kottke, John Fahey and Jorma Kaukonen. However, Richard Gilewitz has what it takes to play these songs with both the technical prowess and the imagination necessary to make them his own, which is as it should be in the realm of virtuoso acoustic guitar music. The originals here are equally strong, putting Gilewitz in a class with both Florida's (and the music world's) best. Highly recommended.
News of Record
We've come to expect excellent albums from Richard Gilewitz and this one does not disappoint. From the opening (Jorma Kaukonen's "Embryonic Journey") through the ending (Pat McCune's "Jeannie Sleeping") all is well in Gillaland. About half the tunes are his own and the covers, including cuts from John Fahey and Leo Kottke, are given the same devout attention. Gilewitz is known mostly for solo guitar pyrotechnics, but he adds a bit of instrumentation here. He also reprises some songs from his first album, which one or two of you may have missed. Don't miss this one.
OPTION - Michael Davis
Acoustic guitarist Gilewitz is a musician's musician. He doesn't rush his attack; he makes the most of each note. He seems to embody the traditional values of the guitar and shows what can be accomplished when you do. His claim to fame so far is that Leo Kottke recorded on of his tunes several years ago, and so far Gilewitz has used a Kottke-like method of reaching an audience: opening for all sorts of folks and rock musicians, from Indigo Girls to Squirrel Nut Zippers. He begins splendidly, with a version of Jefferson Airplane's "Embryonic Journey", a tune many a late '60s guitarist used to get up to speed, so to speak. Gilewitz ignores the challenge, as he slows the piece down, accentuating rhythms that were only implied in the original. Then he transcends it with his own "Dirt to Dust," which contains some brilliant, understated percussion work from Gumbi Ortiz. His slide skills are put on display during his John Fahey and Kottke covers; he even trots out the "St. Louis Blues" to good effect. This is folk guitar, pure and not-so-simple.
Rambles - Patrick Derksen, 28 July 2000
Richard Gilewitz's Synapse Collapse is an acoustic guitar masterpiece. Whether on 6 or 12 strings, Richard Gilewitz shows great talent and innovativeness, as well as undeniable personality through his fingerstyle guitar playing. The album is full of wonderful and creative tunes that really seem to have something to say (despite the lack of vocals). They range in style from folk to blues to Latin.
The first song, "Embryonic Journey," sounds like a pleasant travel tune you would play in your car, though thinking of it as "embryonic" certainly sheds a different light on the bouncy, rolling guitar and piano sounds. But that's the type of thing to expect from this album; tunes sometimes sound simple because of the sheer ease Gilewitz fingers his way through complex series of notes, reflecting how the tune's easy-going melodies mask the elusive subject of the song. "Dirt to Dust" is a somewhat darker, mellower sounding number, with driving Latin percussion. I especially enjoy the part in the track (at the 3 1/2-minute mark) where it sounds like he tears all the strings off his guitar -- it really grabs your attention.
"Dance" is an innocent-sounding tune that truly shows off Gilewitz's prowess at establishing different moods, even during a single track. "Steve Talbot on the Keddie Wye" has very much the same feeling as "Embryonic Journey." Here, I must admit that it is not the guitar, but the piano (played by David Webb) that is my favorite part of the arrangement. That's allowed, isn't it? And I must mention the twangy slide guitar tune "The Sailor's Grave on the Prairie" simply because of the wonderfully clever title (written by Leo Kottke, the revered guitar master).
In the mood for blues? Gilewitz includes that musical style as well, most notably in "St. Louis Blues" (but you could have figured that one out for yourself, couldn't you?) Or are you craving more folk-oriented music? You only need go as far as the next track, "Gove's Tune," though Gilewitz adds a noticeable flamboyance to it with well-placed echoing effects.
In short, Gilewitz's style is hard to put a finger on; he seems quite adept at every form of acoustic guitar playing. Anyone who is a fan of acoustic guitar would benefit greatly by acquiring this album a.s.a.p. Not only is he an extremely talented guitar player, he demonstrates how to work mood into the songs with innovative flair.