Richard Gilewitz

Tasmania Live

© Kirk Albrecht, minor7th.com, 7 January 2012
Richard Gilewitz "Tasmania Live," 2011 The irreverent Richard Gilewitz has brought smiles to the faces of his fans again with the release of "Tasmania Live," recorded in that land of the "devil" somewhere in the ocean south of Australia. Listeners will quickly hear the stylings and songs of two of Gilewitz's mentors – John Fahey and Leo Kottke. Fahey came to the island 30 years ago, and Gilewitz pays old John a compliment by playing no less than 3 Fahey songs on the CD. Gilewitz is a true master of fingerstyle guitar, and can play about anything possible on six or twelve strings. The bulk of the material from these two concerts is blues, ragtime, and folk. Mixed between the songs is the natural patter and humor his audiences have come to expect from a Richard Gilewitz show. He plays with grace and power on Jorma Kaukonen's "Embryonic Journey" (sounding a lot like Leo Kottke), while opening the CD with a rollicking version of his own song "Wazamataz." When he's not rolling, Gilewitz slows it down with a lush jazzy version of the Howard Arlen classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." You can't hear anything but the guitar, all ears straining to catch each phrase, even as he seamlessly segues into Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now." Really lovely playing. He covers the Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" with the cheek it deserves. Gilewitz and his co-producer Tim May end the disc with Kottke's "Jack Fig" – a fine way to go out. Gilewitz is at the top of his game, and the audiences who heard him in Tasmania had a treat.

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Strings for a Season

Acoustic Magazine: January 2017
Richard Gilewitz is no stranger to the readers of Acoustic,and on this timely release, apparently inspired by Stephen Siktberg’s tasteful arrangements of seasonal tunes, he romps through 15 of the most familiar, everything from
‘Jingle Bells’ to ‘We Three Kings Of Orient Are’. It’s all good fun of course, and, as ever with Gilewitz’s work, it’s intriguing to spot how shades of John Fahey surface, alongside his semi classical approach to much of the
material. But with solos by Tim May on Dobro and mandolin, certainly the godfather of ‘American Primitive’ will be smiling down when he hears Gilewitz’s Faheyesque take of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.’ JP
 

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Voluntary Solitary

Amazon.com/ July 17, 2002
Reviewer: A music fan from CA
Voluntary Solitary is one of the most enjoyable CD's that I own. Richard Gilewitz is destined to be pegged as one of the greatest fingerstyle guitarists of our time. The clarity of his playing lets the sheer joy of the music shine through. Voluntary Solitary is full of melodic pieces that will delight anyone who knows what a guitar is. If you enjoy fingerstyle guitar, this CD is a must have.

Creative Loafing/July 21, 1994
"Gilewitz plays charades with his guitar, implying mood and creating impressions that range from the bemused to the slight worried."

DIRTY LINEN - Folk and World Music
In performance, Richard Gilewitz intersperses his guitar playing with so many stories that he almost seems to be a raconteur who's remembered to bring the old six and twelve strings along. Here, only his guitars speak -- and if you have any interest in acoustic guitar at all, you need to listen. He's a fingerpicker, playing his own instrumentals, a piece by Sor, and tunes by Jimmy Page, John Fahey, and others.   -- KD

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The Music Of David Walbert
 

Guitar Player Magazine
The Music of David WalbertMost players are happy to credit their mentors at every opportunity, but acoustic fingerstylist Richard Gilewitz may have fashioned the ultimate tribute.

Rich LaPenna WSLR 96.5 LPFM Sarasota, the "aerial boundaries show"
Beautiful fingerstyle guitar music.This wonderful fingerstyle guitar CD is truly beautiful and one of the best CD's that I've heard in a long time. The compositions are extraordinary and Richard's guitar wizardry is flawless....."

Amazon/July 14, 2007
I first heard this cd while staying at Chateau De Sureau at the foothills of Yosemite National Park. It was playing in our cottage when we walked in and I let it play the entire time we were there. I fell in love with it, because it is so peaceful and relaxing. I forgot to write down the title before I left but emailed the Chateau and they were more then happy to list all of the cd's in that room and I remembered which one it was... I play it whenever I want to wind down or simply relax. I had never heard of Richard Gilewitz before but I will definitely look for more of his music. I highly recommend this cd.

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Synapse Collapse
 

Rod Caldwell, All Music Guide, July 13, 2005
Gilewitz' career has been very influenced by Leo Kottke, both in his dexterous guitar playing and his dry-humor stage manner. This is not a bad thing. One could pick a worse influence, and, in fact, his take here on Kottke's "The Sailor's Grave on the Prairie" rivals the original. Plus, the admiration is mutual as Kottke recorded Gilewitz' "Echoing Wilderness" on his 1986 album A Shout Towards Noon (retitled "Echoing Gilewitz"). A newly recorded version of this epic guitar piece can be found here. "Dirt to Dust" is a similar track, mysterious and haunting. The bulk of the remainder of the album is straightforward and concise melodic acoustic guitar, fleshed out by percussion from Gumbi Ortiz and piano from David Webb. His original compositions hold their own alongside tracks by Jorma Kaukonen, John Fahey, and Gove Scrivenor, placing him in the company of greats.

 

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Thumbsing
 

Dirty Linen - Folk and World Music - JL
October/November '05 #120
Richard Gilewitz has always been adept at combining flashy technical playing and strong, lovely melodies and making music that you don't have to be a guitar fanatic to enjoy. His latest recording is full of those sorts of tunes. "Wazamataz", "Pete's Feet", and the title track show a command of his instrument as well as compelling melody lines. He also covers a couple of classical pieces plus Michael Hedges' "Layover", John Renbourn's "The Hermit", and John Fahey's "Sunflower River Blues". He finishes with a re-recording and rearrangement of a piece from an earlier recording, "Dirt To Dust", that in its six-plus minutes shows how inventive of a guitarist he can be. A guitar album for people who don't like guitar albums.

 

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Live at 2nd Street Theater

20th Century Guitar Magazine, December, 2006
A modern master of the acoustic steel string guitar, Richard Gilewitz follows in the lineage of guitar heroes such as John Fahey, Ry Cooder and Leo Kottke. Featuring Gilewitz live in Oregon on August 20th, 2005, the event coincided with an event planned by Breedlove guitars and several Breedlove artists and the California Guitar Trio attended that night. Mandolin wizard Radim Zenkl helps out a few tracks but the 13 track CD is pure Gilewitz from start to finish. Fans of the acoustic guitar owe it to themselves to check out Gilewitz as there's few players these days who can match Gilewitz when it comes to combining sonic dexterity, guitar ambiance and humorous between the sons spoken word interludes.

 

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Show Reviews

Christchurch Folk Music Club

'True story' the room was captivated with the brilliance of guitar, twelve-string and witty repartee. Sandwiched together were great classics like Deep River Blues, Hallelujah and Somewhere Over the Rainbow spread liberally with the talented tuneful writing of Richard himself, Wazzamataz, Russian Dragon and in honour of his performance at the Penguin Club in Oamaru 'Have you ever seen a Rainbow at Night?' In which the strings illustrated the waddle of the blue penguins returning to their roosts at night. Richard's playing was fluid and dexterous, offering the variety a solo performance needs, through both the interchanges of the guitar and the twelve-string as well as the tonal differences offered by slide, fingerpicking, tapping, playing on the neck, and using the resonance of the body for percussion. Such multiplicity kept the listeners engaged and very appreciative of the talents Richard so generously shared. Richard has been visiting New Zealand for over a decade and plans to return. His wealth of experience was reflected in a large display of CD's and educational books of which the latest is a German language ukulele handbook. Richard has written an article about his visits to New Zealand and encouraging other artists to do so as well.  Another realm to the talented Richard to savour.

 Judi Smitheram Secretary/Christchurch Folk Music Club May 2017

The Luther Haus

Osnabrück. For the first time in the Luther House: The American guitarist Richard Gilewitz entertained the audience with virtuoso performance and amusing stories. "This is the happiest tune, I've ever written," the guitarist says on stage the Luther House, accesses a six string guitar and plays a cheerful melody. The he dedicates the famous "Blue Penguins", a little blue penguin who he met in New Zealand. The crafty critters have apparently done to him as "moon arcs" that are rainbows at night, and bagpipes: "These instruments, which look like giant octopuses which one inflates, I've never understood," says Richard Gilewitz. Quickly realizes the audience that this American musician of Schalk sits in the neck. For each song he plays, he has a funny story on stock, which expresses the concert to make entertaining affair. Terrific fingerpicker Those who believe, then, the guitarist joints with his anecdotes and sarcastic remarks from them that he has instrumental not so much to offer, mistaken. Gilewitz is a terrific fingerpicker: Whether he plays on the six- or on the twelve string guitar, whether he plucks a melancholy ballad, a classic motif of Bach interpreted if he picks up the bottleneck and a hearty blues with typical "blue notes "enriches or whether he" operates tapping ", the vertical tapping the strings on the guitar neck, always his game virtuoso permeability and especially of Groove is marked. It tears with a formally when his thumb in the bass range ensures a rhythmic foundation, while the fingers pluck hardworking and flitting left hand nimbly over the frets of the guitar neck. And despite a handicap because his dog bit him in the top thumb area not long ago and he got transplanted a piece of his toe. long aftertaste Song by the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel and his friends and colleagues Leo Kottke and John Fahey interpreted Gilewitz unless he intones self-written tunes. These include "Dirt To Dust", his "greatest hit", and decays with a "tapping" sequence, in which his guitar sounds like a mixture of zither and dulcimer. Fascinating. Anzeige Anzeige display display One half of the concert playing the American way on a house Mr. Peter Finger-built, six-string guitar, in which he has apparently love: "A great instrument they hear it," he says, is true to some Harmonics and revels in the very long aftertaste of the strings.

Richard Gilewitz the Luther House. Photo: Thomas Osterfeld

Article by Tom Bullmann April 2016/Translated to English

Magazin4

Entertaining Guitar Acrobatics with Richard Gilewitz in the Magazin4 (German Version)

"It's not as easy as it looks"- or even "it's harder than you think" said the magician Richard Gilewitz acoustic guitar at his gig, gave a completely different impression -, but namely the if also inimitable lightness. Humming along, laugh and relax were visitors in the Magazin4 with the famous music entertainers from the United States. There is the studied computer scientist and mathematician who has obviously also a university degree in music and passes on his knowledge in seminars, very popular, called teachers like David Walbert his own and is a fan of John Fahey (1939-2001). With his music and his anecdotes, he was already in 48 U.S. States on tour. Bavaria with his gig in the Magazin4 for the first time, he gave the honor - and came, played, and conquered. Laughing his sometimes cryptic anecdotes recorded in his mother tongue, at the famous tunes has been dreaming with buzzing around, and found almost lurid selling his CDs and DVDs. In accordance with his trademark, he fascinated the Bavarian audience now with his fingerstyle. How did he do that? He presented a mixture of originals and well-known pieces from different style directions and attacked not only the chords with your left hand, but played the melody at the same time, while he plucked mostly accompanied with the right and sometimes imitated a drum set. This was - especially with triplets - with an amazing rhythmic precision. You closed your eyes, you could have guessed two guitars. This he had also, namely a 6 and a 12-string guitar, which he repeatedly agreed to. This time he how casually flavored with more or less true stories from his life and wove a sometimes absurd network of Seemannsgarn, where for example "puking penguins" came out. In his facial expression, he showed his "Skype-face", which he always puts up if he wants to believe his wife comically viewers, had been disconnected. His dog had to be used - whether he probably has one, where he is on tour but so often? Very spontaneously he took advantage of every opportunity to involve the visitor: "I'm following your foot." Don't mess it up,"he said to a lady in the front row, who with bobbed to the beat (on german:"I judge me after your foot.) Make no mistake, Yes."). He engaged as a clownish Foley by imitated a head scratch noise on the guitar, or imaginary strings to the soundboard, which he gave to the front, agreed. The deception is surprised. This evening, everyone came anyway, because Gilewitz took his inspiration from many styles. "Probably me, I have Jesus" by Johann Sebastian Bach was one of its highlights, such as "When I'm 64" by the Beatles, "Imagine" by John Lennon, "Here comes the Sun" by George Harrison, "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney, "Scarborough Fair" by Simon and Garfunkel and "freight train" by Elizabeth Lotten, as well as the "Saint Louis Blues". He moved from classical to blues, ragtime pop and sometimes somewhere in between. While he showed all of the techniques that exist, and which he of course dominated all the finest: techniques of sound production or sound design, accompanied by banjo style or classical arpeggios - and "Do you know what is slide guitar ?" he asked suddenly, and showed it in the same breath: with a metal tube on the little finger with much transformed vibrato and instrument in a ukulele be Glissandi , whose neck he still with a smile up and down moving to the strings to vibrate. Even his humor did well, although since the night of terror in Paris everyone in a stock rigid felt moved. With his wry sense of humor, did he even funny about itself and wowed with his performance the well attended Magazin4 in which all have the pleasant Saturday evening with relaxing entertainment with quality were grateful.

Brigitte Janoschka – November 2015

THE BUNKER

What an awesomely pleasant surprise! I haven't seen this level of expert musicianship in New Zealand since Tommy Emmanuel played at Sky City over a year ago. To be able to enjoy it in an intimate setting like The Bunker is one of those rare transcendant treats. I can't recommend Richard's show to you enough. If he is going to be anywhere near where you could possibly see him I guarantee you won't regret spending whatever effort it takes you to get there. Not only is his music extraordinary but his personable style and laid back sense of humor provide an intimate and personal context in which to appreciate it. Several of us didn't get our fill on Sunday and went to Richard's workshop at Tabac on Monday. It 'twas a guitar players dream. DON'T MISS this opportunity to see a world class musician in the intimate setting of your club.

 © T. Micheal Young, 2001-2002

Digital City - Nashville

Nationally acclaimed acoustic guitarist Richard Gilewitz defies easy categorization: one minute he'll be picking sophisticated Bach-like melodies, and the next minute he'll be getting down in a raw Delta blues song. His repertoire covers everything from the afore-mentioned classical and blues to folk, jazz and rock. He even stretches out and delves into near-avant-garde territory, recalling initial inspirations like John Fahey and Leo Kottke.

Besides aweing listeners with his technical virtuosity, Gilewitz's lyrical tales prove quite literary and moving, indeed. On his debut album, Voluntary Solitary, he immediately revealed himself as a wholly idiosyncratic voice, one that took each and every influence and created something singular. Gilewitz's social observations rank high amongst contemporary folkies.

His newest release, Synapse Collapse, shows Gilewitz expanding his palette into fresh territory. Similar to like-minded souls Jorma Kaukonen, John Fahey and Sandy Bull, Gilewitz's acoustic magic works best in a live setting.

-- Scott Verrastro

Blues On Stage

Live Review
The BamBoo Room - Lake Worth, FL
by Dave "Doc" Piltz

Opening for John Hammond on Saturday night at The BamBoo Room in Lake Worth, Florida was Richard Gilewitz, an exceptional guitarist who demonstrated some incredible skills playing 6- and 12-string finger style guitar. Gilewitz 60+ minute set featured some of the finest live guitar that I have heard in a long time. Gilewitz performed a combination of original and cover material including songs by Jorma Kaukonen ("Embryonic Journey"), Duane Allman ("Little Martha"), John Fahey, Leo Kottke ("Sailor's Grave On The Prairie") and Michael Hedges ("Layover").

After Gilewitz groomed the gathering crowd with his remarkable set, it was time for the "Big Man," John Hammond, to take the stage. 

© 2001 by Dave "Doc" Piltz,© 1999-2000 Ray M. Stile/Blues On Stage®

Gable End Theater

The Orcadian/Gable End Theatre/Hoy
October 3, 2003

Unassuming guitarist provides a night to remember at Gable End. . . I have to confess at the outset of writing this of a profound feeling of sorrow for those people on Hoy, in fact in Orkney per se, who sat beside their warm hearths dozing away the rigours of the week instead of being treated to one of the finest guitar performances to grace this county, well, forever. Richard Gilewitz is a gentle unassuming man posessing and using the magical symbiotic relationship forged by well honed talents between hand and strings -- it was almost as one would have been utterly redundant without the other.

Here sounds flourished into blends of colours, there he plucked harmonics and impelled them on a course that gently struggled to unfold a fulsome blossom of musical images. This man walked us through the musical canon of conventions without a sign of brazen egoism. He did it comfortably and with the kind of panache that denotes artistry of a high order. He is as much a magician as he is a musician. You can understand why he has played alongside such guitar luminaries as Mose Allison, John Renbourne and Bert Jansch.Richard played a medley of his own compositions, one piece seamlessly blending into another yet retaining its essential clarity and form.

"Morning is the Long Way Home" and "Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow at Night?", another slow walk through rich notes and the ever present echoing nuances of texture and colour. Yet he embraces the musical joys of traditions.The formality and classical architecture of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" delivered with all the dignity its pedigree deserves sparkled from his arrangement. In days of yore I can remember seeing Andres Segovia and feeling the great man's gaze on his audience as though, sitting at his feet, we were contracted to recognizing his ultimate authority over us. If one of us had sneezed or coughed I'm sure he would have had us all back in detention after the concert.But unlike Segovia our maestro was so full of cool and love for his art that his audience was made comfortable in the presence of his talent.

In a week when the Hindustani film The Warrior, a beautiful morality tale of conflict both temporal and spiritual, was shown at the Gable End Theatre through their splendid new DVD projector, it was followed the very next day by Richard Gilewitz. The warmth of the hearth has taken a poor second place to entertainment many large town couldn't provide.

Aren't we the lucky ones!

Stephen J. Seymour Clancy
Eastbilter, Longhope.
10-16-03

The Penguin Club

I looked at the stage with its spare furnishings consisting of a chair and a couple of microphone stands, and wondered where this concert would lead me. I soon discovered Richard was sending us on a journey that was full of his life experiences. Each composition he played he introduced with a story that connected the music to himself and his adventures. These tales were delivered in a deep Alabama drawl that laconically reduced the audience to fits of laughter. We were introduced to his Father, teachers, friends, heroes and pet hermit crabs. And all these tales prepared us for music that had a flavour that tasted of the southern states of the USA.

Richard played the six and twelve string guitar with a skill that made it all look so easy. As he sat there, not really looking at anything, his fingers flew across the strings picking notes clean and sharp. It was a joy to watch the complicated dance his digits wove as he brought life to his Tacoma guitars. Richard composed about a third of the twelve pieces he played with the rest having been written by such musicians as Leo Kottle, John Fahey and Andres Segovia among others. This was a thoroughly enjoyable concert full of good humour and great musicianship. In one word "Sweet". And as we were closing up there was a Penguin standing in the alley for Richard to see and this rounded off his visit to Oamaru very nicely.

Reviewed by Rick Barry.

DVD & Book Reviews

DVD Reviews

Richard Gilewitz: Live at Charlotte's Web

Mel Bay January 2008

Cited by Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine as "...one of the strangest men in acoustic music today," Richard Gilewitz fascinates his audiences with fingerstyle gymnastics while spinning yarns too unbelievable not to be true. His ability to make his guitar sound like an entire orchestra stems from 33 years of well-honed technique and 25 years of touring on the road. Through it all, Richard has created his own signature sound, now captured on his six CD releases, not to mention his book/CD Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop and an instructional DVD All-Time Favorite Fingerpicking Tunes.

It is Richard's live shows, however, that bring out the best in him, for it's only in performance that one can witness how his cadences of stories and tunes create an irrepressible glow that lights up the audience.

If you don't get an opportunity to see Richard live, watching his new performance DVD, Richard Gilewitz: Live at Charlotte's Web is the next best thing. Charlotte's Web is an acoustic venue In Rockford, Illinois that has hosted a multitude of acoustic guitarists and singer/songwriters. The video features many of Richard's signature tales and tunes, a sample of which, "Have You Ever seen a Rainbow at Night," appears here.

Book Reviews

Fingerstyle Workshop/Acoustic Guitar

Guitar-clinic veteran Richard Gilewitz has organized the 24 chapters and multiple appendices of his new book/CD/DVD package around the questions he’s most commonly asked from players of all ages and skill levels. The CD includes audio examples of the exercises, picking patterns, and original songs written out in standard notation and tablature in the book and DVD. Gilewitz’ advice extends to practice routines, amplification, live performance, studio tips, and more.

AcousticFingerstyle.com By Paul Kucharski Oct. 2006

As author of the Acoustic Fingerstyle Web site, I am often asked for a referral to material that teaches fingerstyle guitar. Until the Mark Hanson's books came out, there really wasn't much out there that I could recommend. Now there is a brand new source of instruction that gives budding fingerstyle players a new choice. Mel Bay has released a new Book/CD/DVD by Richard Gilewitz that offers a plethora of information on guitar playing in general along with plenty of fingerstyle material to learn from.

Richard holds guitar workshops across the country and in these workshops, he imparts his wisdom to those who attend. The first half of this book attempts to capture this wisdom in a series of short chapters based on many of the topics he might typically cover in his workshops. Take a look at the chapter headings to get sense of what kind to topics he discusses.

The thing I like about this new book is that Richard's music is more contemporary fingerstyle playing and offers both easier and challenging pieces in a variety of tunings. Every tune in this book is a performance worthy piece, so while you learn, you build repertoire. Plus he provides numerous useful exercises to give new players something to use to develop their right hand skills.

Of course a book alone has never really been enough to convey the information needed to learn new skills. Many books today provide CDs that allow the student to hear what the music or exercise should sound like, but Richard and Mel Bay takes this a step further and provides a DVD with detailed video instruction on many of the topics covered in the workshop and exercises. The CD contains verbal discussion of the exercises and "at speed" recordings of Richard performing the pieces. The DVD supplements the book and CD by providing videos of the same exercises discussed on the CD but also provide detailed information that only "seeing it" can convey. He also provides detailed video performance notes on two of the performance pieces as well. All together, the book, CD, and DVD make a very powerful combination to learn from. 

Songs marked with ** = DVD Instruction, *=DVD Performance only

The book, CD, and DVD give you everything you could possibly need to be able to master these works (short of taking a class from Richard himself). In the introduction to the book, Richard states "It is my intention to provide a useful book that kindles a desire to learn fingerstyle guitar."

All-in-all, I must say the package of Book/CD/DVD is one that every Richard Gilewitz fan will want. The music is first-class and the presentation is exceptional.

Both the Book/CD/DVD are available from Mel Bay where you can also pick up Richard's other books as well.

AcousticFingerstyle.com

Many folio books available today don't have much in the way of instructional material to help the player figure out how to play the tunes in the folio. They are basically targeted to players who are already intermediate to advanced. Richard states that this book was designed for the "beginner and advanced player". From the Table of Contents you can see it is part instructional book and part folio of tunes from which you can learn by doing. It offers instructional information to develop the needed picking pattern skills and to learn about the tunings used in the pieces.

Many of the compositions are more approachable for the beginner because they take significant advantage of open strings and allow you to build off the pattern studies. Most of the work is getting proficient enough with fingerstyle arpeggios to play them up to tempo; this makes them ideal for working on fingerstyle technique. The 7 tunes presented cover a range of tunings but 2 are in standard and 3 are in Open G. This book is really ideal if those who are looking for material to build fingerstyle playing ability and want to explore what open tunings can offer. The book doesn't include a CD, but most of the tunes can be found on Richard's CD "Synapse Collapse".

First Lessons: Fingerstyle Ukulele

mwe3.com, Robert Silverstein
In addition to his inspiring acoustic guitar work, Richard Gilewitz is also a renowned music instructor and his latest book on Mel Bay is called First Lessons: Fingerstyle Ukulele. An easy how-to book for aspiring Uke fans, the 40 page book includes plenty of easy to read sheet music featuring Uke transcriptions of song classics from “Bicycle Built For Two” to “Waltzing Matilda”. Guitar fans could also learn learn something from the easy to read, melody lines that accompany the chord transcriptions as well as the song histories of each track. With so many albums and music books to his credit, Richard Gilewitz is a true renaissance man of the fretboard world.