Tristeza

I guess you could call this the second in a series - the SBaGen drone uses the same script as Pequita, and both episodes have their length and their diminutive Spanish names in common. But in other ways this week's tune is totally different. Unlike the "jam" in Pequita, this week I've attempted to build on a couple of musical themes for the duration of the piece. I've tried to be more subtle, too. My hope is that the transitions between the sad opening and the more hopeful ending will not seem too forced or inconsistent. The banjo and guitar duet is also something new for me - rather than synchronize them musically, since they're droning, I thought it might be better to arrange them visually by peaks. I like it, and I hope you will, too.

Once again, however, the beat is 30Hz for a little spliff buzz. My own experiences make it difficult to compare, but downloads of Pequita have quadrupled over previous episodes, even in spite of the length. So hopefully it's making somebody's day that much nicer.

I'd like to put in a word about the guitar, as well. I have no intention of deemphasizing the banjo in exchange for the guitar, though it's true this week's episode is, for all intents and purposes, a guitar solo. But the guitar featured this week and in Pequita is special indeed. It was made to my specifications by a gentleman named George Lamb, up in West Virginia. We communicated frequently during the construction of the instrument, and I got to have input regarding every detail - the size of the dot inlays, body shape, what kind of wood for which piece, etc. Better yet, while I don't know much about tone wood and probably wouldn't have picked out black walnut on my own, my father-in-law had some old pieces of black walnut that had been curing in his barn for about 30 years or so. He was saving them for something else, and ended up giving some to me for the guitar's neck. Between him and Mr. Lamb, I can't think of an instrument being made or coming into my possession in any way that would be more unique, significant, or just downright beautiful. It looks every bit as good as it sounds, and I'm only sorry that my recording and mixing abilities do not do justice to this fine instrument. And, to top off everything else, George Lamb does not charge potential buyers for his labor - the cost of each guitar is a little more than the cost of the materials that went into it. I could go on at much more length, but hopefully a link will suffice. Please be sure to check it out.

Tristeza