Rituals and Pastimes is a solo guitar effort from Iain
Chambers. Chambers started playing guitar in Southampton (UK) in his late teens. He didn't hear John Fahey's music until much later after being introduced to it by a friend. Discovering Fahey opened the door to the range of influences running through the so called Takoma School (Fahey's circle of fellow American Primitives) from Charlie Patton to Bartok. He particularly admired Charlie Patton's use of slide – how his music seemed focused and aggressive.
Despite, or perhaps because of his influences, it seems to
me that Chambers isn’t trying to be someone else. His playing is his own and you can tell that
he is comfortable with his stops and starts, his pauses and tempo changes. They are his; he is not emulating some other
player just to be like them. Chambers is
feeling his music as he plays it. This
is an effort defined by pieces that refuse to be easily categorized or labeled. This isn’t a sterile recording, strings snap
and rattle, there’s the sound of deep body thumps and a slide hitting the
fretboard. All of this pleases me.
Glenn Jones after hearing a demo of “Rituals and Pastimes”: “The best tracks possess deeply expressive qualities, and make me remember why I wanted to take up the guitar..
Glenn Jones after hearing a demo of “Rituals and Pastimes”: “The best tracks possess deeply expressive qualities, and make me remember why I wanted to take up the guitar..
Chambers shifts easily in tempo, style and approach
throughout the effort and within the songs themselves. It’s not a quick and simple listen, it’s not
background music, it’s not slick and glossy…that’s why it’s a good one.
LISTEN:
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