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Phil deGruy
Hello Dali

Track Listings

1.  The Dolphin
2.  Hi Honey-I'm Homeless
3.  Nice Work If You Can Get It
4.  Limbo Jazz
5.  All These Things
6.  Drume Negrita
7.  Brazilian Medley
8.  Chain Lightning/Wizard Of Oz Medley
9.  Londonderry Aire
10.  I Saw Her Standing There
11.  Day Tripper/As Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
12.  Hello Dali
13.  Crazy
14.  Merry Medley
15.  Download This

"The list of stunningly spectacular solo guitarists in the transcendent lineage of Pass, VanEps, Pizarelli, Atkins and Breau has been extended by one. With the release of “Hello Dali”, his indie follow-up to 1995’s “Innuendo Out the Other”, Phil de Gruy rightfully takes his place in the sitting room for the Rushmore-deserving practitioners of the genre. Of that group, he’s most decidedly out of Breau (with whom he studied in the late 70’s), freely employing and superhumanly executing the harp harmonics that were (and are still) Lenny’s amazing/angelic signature.

In the documentary of Lenny’s life and untimely death, Pat Metheny notes that, among the many elements of Lenny’s style he admired, he was most deeply intrigued by these harp-harmonics, but would not dare employ them in his own playing in deference to what amounted to Lenny’s invention and mastery of the technique. No doubt deGruy feels this same deep respect, but has so absorbed, incorporated and somehow re mastered it, to the point of being the next step in its evolution, that to not employ it in deference to Lenny’s spirit would be more disrespectful. Unlike Breau, deGruy eschews fingerpicks, preferring the distinctly human sound of flesh on steel, which is audible (on this beautifully genre-sensitive recording) and palpable throughout.

Like Charlie Hunter, he also uses a beautifully crafted and ergonomically engineered, extra-stringed, fanned-fret guitar by luthier Ralph Novak, but does not pump the bottom strings through a bass rig, opting instead for getting the traditional, fat, mellow, hollow body sound out of his massive, solidbody plank. deGruy’s most decided departure from the idiom, yet his most individual stamp on it, stems from his use of an additional ten strings in the instrument’s high register which do not have frets. They are used liberally and stunningly, yes even magically, to add upper extensions, both richly “in” and dissonantly “out”, in the form of what sounds like either open or harp-harmonic struck strings. Are they retuned for every song? Can deGruy change their pitch via “stopping” the strings at various lengths? Can he change their pitch using false harmonics? These and more questions will go unanswered here. Like I said- magic, or perhaps, some voodoo-driven deal with the devil struck in his native N’Awleans.

Previous writings regarding Phil’s work emphasize, or should I say over - emphasize the humor in his presentation and playing. I mean, no question his choice of intertwining Donald Fagan’s “Chain Lighting” with a medley of tunes from the Wizard of Oz is, on it’s surface, entertainingly amusing, but it’s also an astute musical device, not only to draw attention from the “average” listener (whatever that is), but to draw attention to the harmonic and re harmonized richness of the seemingly “simple” tune. Certainly, the sheer beauty of his take on “Over the Rainbow” will more likely induce tears than laughter, while the snippets of “The Witch is Dead”, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road”, and “If I Only Had a Brain” that follow will surely bring smiles, if not of nostalgic recollection than of awestruck bemusement of his offhanded mastery of harmony, technique and time (he speeds and slows tempo organically and at will, using this tool deftly to draw the listener into the performance and almost into his lap for the ride).

Highlights? Hard to go there, with on average, every third measure of the hour-plus disc being an utter jaw-dropper. But I’ll point you toward the absolutely impossible arpeggiations of “Limbo Jazz”, the plaintive percussiveness of “Drum Negrita”, the condensed homage to the composers and tradition of Samba/Bossa on “Brazilian Medley” and the way the instrument seems to change tune and play itself, coupled with some steroid-propelled chicken picking, on “Merry Medley”." - Phil DiPietro, allaboutjazz.com

See Gregg Miner's Interview with Phil for much more on this remarkable artist!

About the Artist

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