Customer Reviews

Telethon

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With a guest line up like this I would have expected the usual "showing off" without much consideration for direction of melody or structure. I am happy to say that after listening to this work, I was pleasantly surprized. Forrest, and I've never called you that before,...well done. "Telethon" is a pure genius. The pattern draws the listener in by making them wait for something more. When the more appears it blows you away with its skill. Pure genius. And what about "Secondhand Smoke"? It started to remind me of Brent Mason's "Still Smokin'" until it broke away and added key elements that were missing from "the usual". You have shown that you are a composer and musician who can add the missing elements in a lot of todays contemporary country music. This work is a must own for all who wish to clear the next hurdle in music today. To you and your team... Well done.

While solidly based on traditional "Bakersfield Twang", the blending of flavors from funk, rock, R & B, and jazz, gives the listener an interesting new twist on country music. From the mellow "SMOOTH SAILING" through the five-alarm, 6-string blaze of "SECOND HAND SMOKE", Forrest and the super guest pickers utilize chops from their respective "bags-of-tricks" to keep the listener tapping a toe while perched on the edge of their seat. It just doesn't get much better than this....top notch pickin'.

When CMA is looking for albums worthy of being nominated for the award of "Country Instrumental Album Of 2006", we may very well see this disc in the heat of the chase.

They don't get any better than this. Forrest Lee Jr. is without a doubt the best guitar player, singer, songwriter in the entire US.
BJ Reid

This album is really cool. I ordered it after seeing Forrest play in at the NAMM show in LA and it's been non-stop in my CD player since then. Looks like he may be the next up and coming chicken-pickin, b-bender tele-man. What's suprising is the addition of songs like Smooth Sailing (Jazzy), Booty (Funk-blues - SRV like) and the rockish Lazy Fingers. Telecate makes you think of a Quentin Terantino movie. It's also cool to see guys like Redd Volkaert (Merle Haggard), Roger Fisher (Heart) and Matt Rae making guest appearances. Those guys are awesome and it's cool to see such great guitarists lending a hand to an otherwise unknown. If you like Johnny Hiland you'll probably enjoy the country licks that Forrest lays down. The last song "Second Hand Smoke" is the fastest country guitar I've ever heard. I'd say that if you like Satriani, Vai, Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray, Redd Volkaert, Johnny Hiland or guitar instrumental CD's in general, you should definitely consider adding Telethon to your collection.