Acoustic Alchemy American/English CD

Live Recording

Acoustic Alchemy: Miles Gilderdale (acoustic guitar); Frank Felix (bass guitar); Greg Carmichael , Greg Grainger, Neil Cowley.
Personnel: Miles Gilderdale (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar); Greg Grainger (vocals, drums, background vocals); Julie Dennis (vocals); Greg Carmichael (guitar, nylon-string guitar); Eddie M. (saxophone, background vocals); Snake Davis (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Patrick Clahar (tenor saxophone); Kevin Robinson (trumpet); Jamie Norton, Mike Herting, Neil Cowley, Anthony White (keyboards); John Goldsby (double bass); Frank Felix (bass guitar); Bert Smaak (drums); Klaus Genuit, Richard Bull (programming); Brandon Reilly (background vocals).
Liner Note Author: Miles Gilderdale.
Recording information: 3D Music, Ltd, London, England; Hansa House, Bonn, Germany; Higher Ground Studios, London, England; Hillview Studios, Baltimore, MD; Net Music Productions, CA.
Photographer: Robert Leslie.
The British guitar duo celebrates two full decades of smooth jazz perfection with a collection that eliminates some of the production razzmatazz of recent efforts and gets back to the magical interplay of nylon- and steel-string guitars. Greg Carmichael can't be faulted for taking the sound in different directions when he tapped the Stax and soul-influenced Miles Gilderdale to take over for his late partner (and group founder), Nick Webb. And those busier ventures were definitely a blast. Yet it's good to get back to basics, where snappy melodies and unique rhythmic variations are front and center. The journey across the pond promised by the album title begins with the laid-back, easy-grooving "The Crossing," but then becomes more adventurous with the Craig David-flavored U.K. club vibe of "Say Yeah" and a more than subtle nod to the disco fun of "So Kylie" Minogue. The classic Carmichael-Webb days featured a handful of organic, simply arranged reggae-flavored cuts, and this vibe is brought to glorious life on "Trinity." Gilderdale's soul influences creep back on the swinging "The Detroit Shuffle," but again, it's all about the strings and groove. Longtime fans will also appreciate the sweetness of "Cherry Hill," while "She Speaks American English" explores a Steely Dan retro pop-soul energy. And it's heartwarming to see that Carmichael hasn't lost his sense of titular humor on jazzier tunes like "The 14 Carrot Cafe," named for a Seattle eatery. And the wild, rollicking closer, "The Moon and the Sun," ensures that while Acoustic Alchemy has scaled back the intensity somewhat, the duo is still as playful as ever. ~ Jonathan Widran
Acoustic Alchemy has remained one of the most popular smooth-jazz ensembles around, as evidenced by their record sales and consistently high placement on the charts, and AMERICAN/ENGLISH will not disappoint long-time fans. In fact, this recording is something of a return to form for the group. While the adventurous direction taken on previous outings is still present here, the emphasis is on melodic interplay and guitar dialogues as heard on early recordings by group founders Greg Carmichael and Nick Webb. The reggae-touched "Trinity" and the lovely "Cherry Hill" are two examples of this album's return to Acoustic Alchemy basics.
Yet there is plenty of stylistic fun, too. A number of dance-inflected tracks, like the bouncing, clubby vibe of "So Kylie" and "Say Yeah" keep things lively, while doses of soulful pop on "She Speaks American English" and "The Detroit Shuffle" prove that guitarist Miles Gilderdale is still exerting a strong influence on the band's direction. Nevertheless, laid-in-the-cut tunes like "The Crossing" seem to evoke Acoustic Alchemy's special magic, and make AMERICAN/ENGLISH a treat for both older and newer fans.