Great American Songbook for Guitar
Mark Hanson
Who puts out 2 CDs at the same time? Someone with a LOT to say. As with his Love Songs for Guitar, Mark Hanson has a plan for Great American Songbook for Guitar: to show off these great songs with his trademark terrific arrangements and to let 'er rip with the chops that are held back for the Love Songs.
The CD gets off to a swinging start with Take the A Train, where a great walking bass line underpins a series of beautiful chord melodies. This version has zip, zazz, and pizzazz as well as all the flourish it takes to salute Billy Strayhorn and the great Duke.
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime is an emotional tour de force. As if it were not meaningful enough today, Hanson's interjection of When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again is a poignant shot to the gut and a reminder of how much worse off are those who are trapped in war and those who must wait for them. What a marvellous demonstration of the evocative power of instrumental music!
After that we are ready for something a little lighter, and what song better than Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart? Here we have more verve and pizzazz in the playing, as the bass and chords fly now in tandem, now in opposition, but always in the service of this fun song. Hanson zings all six strings along the entire range of the fretboard.
Georgia brings us yet another great tune, in a fine arrangement that is both true to the song and yet Hanson's personal take on it. With its lush tone, this track could easily have found a home on Love Songs for Guitar, and is one of several that must have been potential candidates for that CD as well.
The opening notes of the next song get us right In The Mood. This song has always had a 'guitar' sound to it for me, and Hanson makes the most of it with a solo arrangement that sounds like an original guitar boogie. What guitar player is not going to want to play this arrangement? I won't be the only one hoping for an accompanying book of transcriptions!
I will admit that I came to Ain't Misbehavin' with some trepidation. Fats Waller is one of my absolute favourite songwriters and some guitarists have failed to really do justice to this masterpiece. Hanson does start off with a slow version, but soon he treats it to some eccentric triplet-type figures before heading off to grander territory and then returning to the song with a light bouncy step. This is the type of playing with the song that Fats Waller did so well, and it is a treat to hear the song played so well.
We return to the Love Song domain with a lush, romantic version of Angel Eyes. Once again Hanson conducts a master class in arranging a melody in contrasting ways to bring out different facets of its character. Plenty to learn here, and just as much to enjoy.
After the hint of another familiar tune, we find ourselves Swingin' on a Star. Yet more verve and panache awaits in this jaunty arrangement. The arrangement features a great duet between chord melody and accompanying bass, with some extra accompaniment thrown in just for more fun.
Now how could this be the Great American Songbook without Misty? Here we are treated to a romantic vision of the song that gradually becomes more ornate without ever losing that classic melody. Another fine arrangement that would not have been out of place on Love Songs, at least until the tempo changes and the song's hero / heroine gets a bit more "pro-active". Great playing!
One classic deserves another (actually a dozen more) and so on to Body and Soul. Hanson takes his time exploring the possibilities in this melody, tossing in the occasional unexpected chord, slap harmonic, or bass run before letting his playing wander farther afield. You will want to let yourself just drift along and explore this fine song with a guitar master.
Come Sunday is another straightforward arrangement that might have been on Love Songs, except perhaps for the implied love of the lyrics. Still, mighty pretty playing.
All of Me is played with a light bounce that suits it so well. It gets jauntier and happier as it goes along, accompanied with the occasional percussive slap. This is a guitarist who clearly enjoys his 'work'!
The CD ends with with a rumination on Here's That Rainy Day. Once again a topical reference is hard to avoid these days, but this is also a classic melody beautifully played, and a classy way to end a great collection of songs.
So a summary? A baker's dozen of great songs, well arranged, flawlessly played again. Any qualms that you might have had about Mark Hanson's chops on Love Songs will be allayed here. This is a great accompaniment to Love Songs for Guitar and the only problem might be deciding which to get. I'll make it easier for you: get them both. They are a bargain, and they will leave you wanting more!
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