LJ Plays The Beatles, Vol. 2

Description

Product Description The follow up (10 years in the making) of our all time best seller and legendary record "LJ Plays the Beatles Vol. 2" by two time Grammy winner and former Wings lead Guitarist Laurence Juber.Laurence tours year round and there will be extensive press and radio servicing as well as a PR firm hired to specifically promote this release as it is follow up to our all time best seller. Review When it comes to Beatles songs, nothing can displace the originals in the popular imagination. But artful covers of their immortal compositions can deepen our appreciation of the inventive melodies, irresistible chord progressions, and boundless creativity the Fab Four evinced in their brilliant catalog. Ace fingerstylist Laurence Juber, who spent three years recording and touring with Paul McCartney s band Wings, is noted for (among other things) his Beatles interpretations and has previously devoted one entire album and many other album tracks to their songlist. His second Beatles-exclusive collection, like the first, soars and swoops through the Lads musical derring-do and adds his own. For instance, on Penny Lane, Juber somehow plays McCartney s bass line and the piccolo trumpet part simultaneously. But it s not just Juber s considerable chops that impress and satisfy; it s the subtle, jazzy chord extensions (You Can t Do That), the tender legatos (Here, There, and Everywhere), and, best of all, the reinvention of iconic guitar parts, which here sound recognizable yet fresh (Blackbird). The result is a keenly pleasurable journey through some of the best music ever created. (Solid Air Records) --Phil Catalfo ...Acoustic Guitar MagazineLaurence Juber's second album of acoustic guitar Beatle songs sparkles. Listening to former Wings guitarist Laurence Juber play guitar is a real delight. Hearing him play Beatle songs is icing on the cake. His second album of Beatle songs, LJ Plays the Beatles, Vol. 2, on Solid Air Records starts off with a joyful version of Penny Lane that bounces with each note. Following is a very serious rendition of Eleanor Rigby that shows that Juber can also shift moods easily. The tone of the record shifts back and forth between light (Drive My Car, When I'm Sixty-Four), somber (Here There & Everywhere), beautiful (Michelle, The Long & Winding Road, Blackbird, Dear Prudence, All I've Got To Do) and straight-ahead (I Feel Fine, You Can't Do That, Please Please Me). One very nice surprise is No Reply, which is transformed into a lilting guitar instrumental that takes the song to a different place. Also very interesting is Juber's workup of I Am the Walrus. Juber takes the song at a slow tempo, which accentuates the riffs and brings out the beauty of the song. Hearing different interpretations of the Beatles is always interesting. Like his first album of Beatle songs and his album of Wings tunes, hearing the ones on Laurence Juber's LJ Plays the Beatles Vol. 2 is just more proof that the greatness of the Beatles crossed musical boundaries here, there and everywhere and that Juber excels at taking listeners down those roads. --Steve Marinucci...Examiner.comGuitarists from Chet Atkins to Ralph Towner have mined the Beatles catalog since the group s worldwide breakout in 1963-64. Starting out as a teenager, Laurence Juber has been doing just that from the earliest days of Beatlemania. It s fair to say that Juber now dominates the field of solo guitar interpretations of the Beatles' music. Most of his arrangements on this second LJ Plays the Beatles collection utilize DADGAD tuning and take advantage of its close intervals. This is an important element of Juber s arranging style, as it facilitates the placing of melodies in the guitar s midrange, thereby leaving headroom in the higher registers for embellishments, variations and improvisation. My favorites on this disc are Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby, Michelle, Blackbird, I am the Walrus, and The Long and Winding Road. On several of these tunes he captures key elements of the original recordings, including the piccolo trumpet solo on Penny Lane and Eleanor Rigby's string quartet. LJ highly personalizes both Michelle and Blackbird, reaching new heights as an interpreter and providing guitarists with insight into re-imagining the original, iconic arrangements, on which many guitarists cut their teeth as novice fingerstylists. I am the Walrus captures the ominous mood of the original, almost alarming so. Juber s surprisingly understated readings of the rockers, You Can t Do That, I Feel Fine, and No Reply, show his willingness to take risks in order to engage the listener (much as he did several years ago with his slowed-down, jazzy version of Can t Buy Me Love. The lack of any George Harrison songs in this set seemed, at first, puzzling. The explanation is that a companion transcription folio to this CD entitled LJ Plays Lennon & McCartney is in the works by Hal Leonard Publishing, so George Harrison fans will have to wait a little longer for LJ's promised recorded version of Something. If such wasn t already apparent, Laurence Juber has redefined solo acoustic guitar playing. I attribute this equally to three elements of his approach: arranging skill, a deep understanding of DADGAD tuning, and willingness to present popular songs. And let s not forget his prodigious workload. If you re already familiar with Juber s music, you don t need convincing. If you don t know Laurence Juber, then LJ Plays the Beatles, Vol. 2 is a fine introduction to his masterful interpretive skills. --Patrick Ragains...Minor 7th.com