Customer Reviews

Solo Guitar Improvisations

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I have enjoyed all of guitarist/vocalist Carl Verheyen's solo CDs, seen quite a few live performances and always wondered when we'd get an acoustic performance CD. Well, it's finally here! If you've never seen Carl play live you probably don't know that during many songs he'll often switch between acoustic and electric guitar - the acoustic sound is really an integral part of Carl's live performances. There are often instrumental acoustic "showcases" like the Kinks "Sunny Afternoon," Jerry Reed's "Mr. Lucky" or one of Carl's own compositions like the Chet Atkins inspired "Not Yet Chet." For soulful and melodic virtuoso guitar music that can be enjoyed by one and all and not just guitar geeks, it's hard to top Carl's "Solo Guitar Improvisations." One of my copies lives in the car plus it's my favorite CD to put on first thing Sunday moring while the coffee is brewing. I've given several CDs as gifts and everyone loves it.

Verheyen is a true guitar virtuoso. His past experience includes performing with many jazz musicians such as Dave Grusin, Richard Elliott, Dan Siegel, Stanley Clarke and Max Roach. He has also played with the likes of Robben Ford and was the lead guitarist for Supertramp replacing guitarist Roger Hodgson in 1985.

Verheyen's latest release, Improvisations, is a fingerstyle, Jazz and Classical recording which goes beyond anything Verheyen has released to date. If anything, this CD shows that Verheyen is capable of playing all styles from Country to Funk to Shred and everthing in between including Classical and that his style does not fit neatly into anyone category.

The songs include the light acoustical jazz number "I Love You Porgy" to a rearranged "Sunday Afternoon" originally performed by the Kinks which is treated to an acoustic facelift to the jazzy "the Notch". The performance is excellent but rather laid back. Verheyen continues to impress listeners with his seemingly endless mastery of the guitar in all styles.

If you're a guitar player, you often read how some guy is "a top studio player" and you wonder "why?"--what is so special about this guy? But Carl Verheyen manages to be both distinctive and amazingly versatile at the same time.

Although this is mostly acoustic Carl's versatility reminded me of Brent Mason (another guy who really IS "tops")

There are some really beautiful things on this album especially some of Carl's older tunes, redone. Best of all, he does not sing on this one.

If you like this try and find his first album, No Borders, which really cooks.

Carl Verheyen, the top LA studio guitarist, usually focuses on blues/rock with his band. This, however, is a rare treat, an album that features just Carl playing acoustic arrangements of his own mixed with standards. The playing is outstanding, and the recording quality is excellent. Two of my favorites are "The Notch", which he says recalls a mountain pass in Western Massachusetts, and "Howdy Control", an upbeat and impressive country/rock piece. This is one of those albums that will please guitarists and everyday listeners, and just gets better the more you listen to it.