Pierre Bensusan
Vividly
DADGAD Music
On
Vividly, Pierre
Bensusan defends his
title as the all-time
king of DADGAD
tuning. Throughout
this studio album,
which also includes
one live track, Bensusan’s touch on his signature
Lowden is crystal clear and speaks to not only
his amazing technique, but also the quality of
the production. Over the course of the 14 tracks,
he pays tribute to some of his friends and musical
heroes, including jazz trumpeter Chet Baker,
whom he offers fitting tribute to using subtle harmonics
and ringing open strings on “DADGAD
Café” without delving into the “cool jazz” genre
that Baker was known for. Sticking to a single
modal tuning, it can be easy to fall into a rut. But
on
Vividly, Bensusan extends the sound of the
tuning by exploring different keys and textures
not normally associated with DADGAD. This
wouldn’t be the first album I would recommend
to someone who’s unfamiliar with Bensusan, but
the arrangements stand out as some of his most
inventive fretwork.