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Steve Reynolds - Hotel Café
In the intimate and creative atmosphere of the Hotel Café on Wednesday night, Steve Reynolds took a crowd that was ready to hear a pleasant, low-key acoustic guitar session and absolutely floored them. For some of the more rockin music fans out there, "acoustic guitar" can insinuate slow and brooding monotony, therefore turning them off. To all of those people who need to discover a new definition of what one man with an acoustic guitar can mean…meet Steve Reynolds.
Born and raised in Vancouver B.C., Reynolds created a BC-based band, releasing three albums and a video, before he caught the travel bug. Cruising through North America, Reynolds headed overseas to Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Tahiti, playing guitar and expanding his musical foundation along the way. Upon returning to the states, he settled in LA to immerse himself in its vibrant musical environment. His time abroad continued to contribute to his music, however, and that worldly influence was palpable within the Hotel Café. Joined by talented guitarist Michael Chaves (who has played alongside John Mayer and Sarah McLaughlan), Reynolds defined true musical artistry tonight.
Reynolds begins his set with "Market Fool", and throws himself completely into it. The emotion he exudes while playing is instantly captivating, and his voice, gritty and strong, is hypnotic. From here, Reynolds moves into "Belfast Morning", with its haunting and introspective melody. Chaves, standing modestly off to the side, is anything but in the background; his flawless, textural accompaniment on guitar completely rounds out Reynolds's performance.
"Miner's Lamp" (as heard on KCRW) follows, beginning with a meandering, inquisitive guitar strain and settling into a questioning ballad with dreamlike lyrics: "What lays in the woods, is just the memory of a scream/The creek runs on but you're lost in this dream/And does it haunt you? Do you sleep well? Does the miner's lamp lead you down?" Chaves provides subtle and beautiful back up vocals. The power of Reynolds's voice seems out of proportion to his Beck-like frame. It takes you by surprise.
"Only Son", Reynolds's fourth song, sounds like a rock song, just lacking percussion. And yet, it seems as though there is an "invisible" percussion present, as Reynolds wields, works, cajoles, and thumps his guitar to funnel as many different sounds out of it as he can. This song is a great example of what an acoustic guitarist can stretch towards. Reynolds's guitar skills are, in a word, breathtaking. "Forsaken" and "Falling Down" are next, the first a more whimsical piece, starting off similar to Nick Drake's guitar work in "Cello Song", slower, imaginative and wandering. Carla Werner then joins Reynolds and Chaves on stage for "Falling Down" to accompany on guitar and vocals. Werner and Reynolds met only two weeks before, at LA Music Scene's Acoustic Live event. Werner, whose debut album on Columbia Records is due out on July 15, combines her soaring voice with Reynolds's to produce a spine-tingling gorgeous harmony. Werner's vocals are like waves coming in behind Reynolds. This kind of all-encompassing emotion coming from only three musicians is extraordinary.
"America" follows, a well-crafted song that once again sounds like it's waiting for the drums to kick in. What makes it unique tonight is that they, of course, never do, hence saving it from sounding like something you've heard many times before. "Exile", slower in pace, seemingly wraps up his set. The title track of Reynolds's album, it also is the last track on his CD. It is a sweet, pensive, self-examining song that enchants the audience. There isn't a single soul in the Hotel Café not visibly moved by Reynolds by this point.
Reynolds comes immediately back on stage by audience demand. He slides into what he calls a "fun song", spoken in a way that misleadingly suggests this is a song not to be taken seriously. It's called "Passport of a Minstrel". If you have, to any degree, an appreciation for phenomenal guitar playing, this will blow your mind. There are neither vocals nor accompaniment from Chaves…just Reynolds and his guitar. There is really no way to write about this song. Words can't do it justice. Reynolds SHINES here. Even before the song is over - and it's an impressively long one - the crowd is cheering, mesmerized by Reynolds's overflow of musical brilliance.
If you like contemplative, soulful, passionate musicians with astonishing talent (and a great on-stage personality and look, to boot), onto his website, www.stevereynoldsmusic.com, to get more info, buy his debut CD "Exile", and see/hear his KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic session from May 2003. There is no way to say enough about him. From the notes he chooses, to his emotional lyrics, to his stunningly powerful voice, Steve Reynolds distinctly understands what makes music beautiful.
Article by: Jenn Cassie
Submitted: July, 2003
Artist Website: www.stevereynoldsmusic.com
Email: jennc@thelamusicscene.com
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