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CITYBEAT / CINCINNATI With the spontaneity and musicianship of Jazz, the organic vibe of Folk and experimentation with all sorts of World music sounds, guitarist Sandy Bull's two early- to mid60s albums for Vanguard were eminently out-of-place at the time of their release. Re-Inventions pulls together some of the best tracks from those records to reveal a high-minded, long-overlooked artist. The set opens with "Blend," an unprecedented 22-minute fireball of acoustic guitar that was recorded live without overdubs, and from there runs through a gamut of domestic and international sounds (particularly Indian and Arabic). Re-Inventions is a revelation - Bull's kinetic performance on both guitar and banjo was clearly a precursor to later string whizzes like Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges. The minimal recordings are refreshingly live and raw, making it sound as if the natural tones and fluid arrangements are being produced right in front of you as you listen. Though his peers were Folk artists, it's impractical to give Bull such a simple tag, as he approaches creative interpretations of works by German composer Carl Orff and Rock pioneer Chuck Berry with the same curiosity and proficiency. Though he dropped out of music in the '70s and has worked only sporadically since, Re-Inventions alone can stand as an unwavering testament to Bull's boundless imagination and talent. CityBeat grade: A. |