Mary Flower "Bridges," 2009 Mary Flower has a nice way of making the blues just sound so darn good. With her warm, husky contralto and a keen ear for infectious melodies, Flower’s blues-based "Bridges" rolls out like a meandering river. The 14-track collection features pleasantly interwoven elements of folk, gospel, country, jazz and roots music. Much of her work on seems to "Bridges" seems to hearken back to a different, less complicated era. You’ll hear accordion, clarinet, string bass, washboard and, perhaps most distinctive, tuba. Flower writes or co-writes six songs here, including four instrumentals, where her prize-winning fingerstyle guitar and lap slide guitar work is featured. Along the way, Flower turns in fine renditions of Big Bill Broonzy’s wonderful "Big Bill Blues" and Hoagy Carmichael’s 1930 classic "Up A Lazy River" (with special guest Tim O’Brien shining on fiddle). Another standout, this from the 1920s, is Flower’s take on Bessie Smith’s "Backwater Blues." The piano work of Janie Scroggins and Mark Vehrencamp’s tuba also deserve mention. Flower has been writing and performing for more than 30 years, mostly in Colorado, though she recently relocated to Oregon. "Bridges" is her first CD in Portland. Her whimsical "Portland Town" would seem to indicate she likes her new digs just fine. Think an earthier, mellower Bonnie Raitt, and you’re on the right track. This diverse and reflective collection deserves a wide audience. © Fred Kraus

Evan Hirschelman "Water in Darkness," 2008 Guitar music lovers will recognize many techniques here on Evan Hirschelman’s latest CD, "Water in Darkness" -- tapping, string bends, and slap harmonics. However, those techniques usually accompany steel string guitar music. Hirschelman takes on these varied tone-producing techniques on his resonant David Daily classical, along with more traditional tones. The results are an eclectic mix of aural images that at once delight and then confound the listener. "Homage to Michael Hedges" is just what the title says -- a nylon string, two-handed symphony honoring some of the cutting edge directions Hedges took guitar music, with abrupt meter changes and an almost infinite tonal palette all in the same work. Few guitarists have the chops to pull off this stuff, and for many listeners, its technical level may render it a bit inaccessible. Hirschelman includes Scott Tennant on two duets ("Slap Interlude" and Nagoya Guitars"), and pays his respects to Roland Dyens with his suite of pieces "Libra Sonatine" (comprised of "India", "Largo", and "Fuoco"), expressing the process of heart surgery Dyens endured. Hirschelman plays each with power and style. The title cut, "Water in Darkness", is perhaps the most contemplative piece of the disc, floating then rising, only to fall in harmonic stillness. It’s not Segovia, baby, but Evan Hirschelman continues to expand the range of classical guitar. © Kirk Albrecht

Bebo Ferra & Paolino Dalla Porta "Aria," 2006 "Aria" is an achingly beautiful collection of duets between nylon-string guitar and double-bass, performed by Bebo Ferra and Paolino Dalla Porta. Fans of Italian jazz trumpeter Paolo Fresu may recognize these names as the core players behind Fresu's "Devil Quartet" which has recently recorded on Blue Note Records. The comparisons to Ralph Towner and Gary Peacock's duets on ECM, "Oracle" and "A Closer View," are inevitable, but apt. The compositions and performance are that good. © Alan Fark