“Kensington Blues is the follow-up to Raag Manifestos, which consisted almost entirely of breathless modal improvisations, recorded with a mixture of live ambiances. There’s a more consistent studio sound here, but the material is more varied, with the album as a whole providing a neat summation of Rose’s steel-string talents. The title track is a bright and optimistic opener, which could pass for something from one of John Fahey’s early Takoma albums. Rose has admitted having had to work hard to transcend that influence on his playing, and has joked that contemporary finger-pickers like himself are “riding Fahey’s ass to the bank”. So it’s a brave move to take that particular imposing bull by the horns in the form of a subtle and nuanced cover of the late master’s “Sunflower River Blues”. Rose has noted Fahey’s tendency to emphasise downbeats by heavy thumbing of the bass strings, in contrast to his contemporary Robbie Basho’s emphasis on the second and fourth beats of the bar. Rose takes the latter approach here, resulting in a light and airy reading of the song, which works as a faithful tribute but is still imprinted with Rose’s musical personality. “Rapahanock River Rag (for William Moore)” and “Flirtin’ with the Undertaker” are short, straight ragtime songs which provide a nice contrast to the more raga-influenced pieces, which represent the most characteristic and vital facet of Rose’s music. Again, it may owe a lot to Basho, but Rose’s approach is noticeably more linear and tightly focused than Basho’s 6- and 12-string fantasias. “Cross the North Fork” features improvised modal melodies over rapid picking of a single minor chord. “Cathedral et Chartres” is similar in style and structure, but in a major key, with the title calling to mind the Basho classic “Cathedrals et Fleur de Lis”. You can hear Rose’s admitted Terry Riley influence here, and his attempt to apply the minimalist composer’s style to guitar, with fast arpeggios producing richly harmonic flurries or acting as a drone. This is most evident on the gripping, dramatic closer, “Calais to Dover”. The title suggests the piece was inspired by crossing the English Channel, and the rolling, shifting tempos and accents approximate a journey on exhilaratingly choppy waters. It features a tense middle section which ponders over a couple of notes before taking off into more unrestrained melodies. All of Rose’s major releases so far have been deeply satisfying, but this disc is his most accessible yet, and an ideal entry point for the curious. This is music I can listen to just about any time, anywhere – I fall asleep to it, amidst visions of mysterious, bucolic gardens, and wild, verdant landscapes. It helps keep me calm amidst the potential exasperations of city life. But I find it’s at its most rewarding when I give my full attention to every melodic and harmonic twist and turn.” – Digitalis Industries
Jack Rose
Kensington Blues
MediaFire Download Link
Tracklist:
01. Kensington Blues
02. Cross The North Fork
03. Cathedral et Chartres
04. Rappahanock River Rang (for William Moore)
05. Sunflower River Blues
06. Now That I’m A Man Full Grown II
07. Flirtin’ With The Undertaker
08. Calais To Dover
