The Epiphany of Glenn Jones
Backed by Cul de Sac,The Epiphany of Glenn Jonesrepresents some of the best playing of fingerstyle guitarist John Fahey in a long time. It's a perfect blend of moody, acoustic ballads, and improvised noodling, all featuring overtly simple guitar and sampler structures. Fahey fans should buy it for "Gamelan Guitar" alone--a repetitive little ditty that features Fahey accompanied by the tinkling sound effects of closely-mic'd dry beans and rice poured into bowls and over guitar strings. With Fahey's newfound status as an avant-gardist, along with his improving health, you'd think these sessions would be a cakewalk for Cul de Sac. But the liner notes present a different take. Album title namesake Glenn Jones isn't some mythical Fahey persona (such as Blind Joe Death), but rather Cul de Sac's frontman. In a detailed essay, Jones describes his follies of trying to work with his musical hero, Fahey: mood swings, arguments, personal and artistic differences, and more. Nevertheless, Cul de Sac and Fahey somehow worked their problems out and this resulting album turned out exceptionally well.--Jason Verlinde