Review excerpt from Music and Media Focus
5
By MDiamond
The debut release of 17 year-old acoustic guitar virtuoso Matteo Palmer was brought to my attention personally by Grammy winning producer and Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman as something that I definitely needed to hear, and I’m I grateful that he did. The fact is that Matteo is not just good for someone his age, he is amazing for any age! In a case of things coming full circle, Matteo was deeply influenced early on by Will’s own ground-breaking guitar music so it was a dream come true to have his first recording produced by Will at the world renown Imaginary Roads Studio in Vermont. The album includes three tracks featuring the accompaniment of bassist Tony Levin who is known for his recording and touring with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson, as well as countless studio sessions with Will and others.
I’m glad that I got to see a video of Matteo playing the album’s opening track, “Journey Of The Wandering Minstrel,” as it gave me not only a greater appreciation of his guitar skills, but an insight into some of his technique that I might not have gotten by just listening to the audio of the track. For one, what sounds like the accompaniment of percussion is actually Matteo simultaneously slapping the body of the guitar in perfect rhythm with his fretwork. Another aspect that was revealed in the video was his impeccable use of two-handed tapping technique in certain sections. This is a style in which the left hand, rather than picking or strumming is actually tapping individual strings higher up on the fretboard while the right hand is fingering notes as usual. It’s a complex technique that was popularized on acoustic guitar by virtuoso innovator Michael Hedges. One of the things I greatly appreciate about Matteo’s playing is that just because he has the ability to blow you away with his guitar technique, he doesn’t always choose to, often taking a more understated approach and letting the guitar just create an impressionistic mood. While listening to Matteo’s music I was aware as much of the space between notes, as well as the notes and melodies themselves. To me, this musical perspective speaks of a creative maturity far beyond Matteo’s years. I also think this appreciation for understatement and acoustic music in pastel hues is a quality found in a number of Windham Hill artists over the years and has no doubt been an influence on this emerging young artist as well. The new release by Matteo Palmer is a stunning debut by a new rising star.
