Search - Scotty Anderson :: Triple Stop

A guitarist's guitarist

J. Seigle | Vienna, VA USA | 03/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Triple Stop is a fine showcase of technique and seamless integration of styles. One of my favorites on the album is the Theme from Perry Mason. At first I wanted the guitar line to be dirtier and nastier for such a film noir tune, but after the head the song breaks into a double-time straight four jazz which he develops very nicely, applying those amazing chops very tastefully in some creative and harmonically complex lines. But chops seems to be mostly what Anderson is about. Some songs, like Boog's Boogie are more a showcase for a daring young man on the flying Telecaster trapeze than anything emotional or cerebral. But oh, what gymnastics those are. He attacks scales and arpeggios at Mach 2. The licks that stand head and shoulders over simple speed, though, are the wonderment of how he plays diad lines so fast. And the 16th-note-triplet octave line in the middle of the Perry Mason solo is simply superhuman. Sweet Sue is a nice old tune played with a mastered fingerpicking style, possibly a tribute to but definitely influenced by Chet Atkins. This tune also includes a series of arpeggios at 16th-note triplets, played impossibly cleanly. Anderson seems to give a nod to Carlos Santana on Beautiful Maria of My Soul, with a latin flavor and that crooning style that Carlos first demonstrated on Samba Pa Ti.I was surprised to read in the liner notes that this is his second solo recording--the first back in 1985!! How I escaped hearing about this guy for the last 17 years I don't know. I first heard a clip from Grabbit on National Public Radio's news show, All Things Considered, and tracked down who it was. Grabbit is an Anderson composition and a real twist from the traditional fabric of most of the CD. It wanders outside harmonically and the pace is brisk and clean.Those claiming that Scotty is the best guitarist ever are probably guitarists themselves awed by his technique. Technique does not a great musician make, although he does have the best chops I've ever heard. If you are in Cincinnati you can hear him every Wednesday at a little 84-seat club."

Worlds Greatest Guitarist

John M Greer | Acworth, GA USA | 05/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Scotty Anderson has been the best kept secret in the music world for the past 15 years. If you like Danny Gatton, you will Love Scotty. They are different players, but share a similar ability to represent American music styles. Scotty is a technical virtuoso but never at the expense of the music. He has mastered and taken to a new level the 3 great American roots music genres of Jazz, Country, and Rockabilly. His skill is only exceeded by his refinement and tastefulness. His timing, phrasing, and tone are impeccable. He is very harmonically sophisticated, using altered tension, extensions, and substitutions in his chord and lead work. His triple stop technique allows him to playing very fast chord solos in conjunction with single note lines. His double and triple stop playing, particularly on his CD "Sleight Of Hand" sound like a pedal steel guitar being played better than you have ever heard. His bends are always perfectly in tune and his phrases are very dynamic. He has masterd using the thumbpick as a flatpick as well as in conjunction with fingerstyle playing and applies it to jazz chord melody as well as "travis style" picking. Scotty is the superior to anyone for cleanliness, speed, and diverse virtuosity. Additionally, his sophistication comes through in his choice of material. Rather than choosing well-worn standards, he covers tunes that are more obscure to a less-than-serious Jazz audience. Witness his playing on Stan Kenton's "Artistry In Rhythm", "Sweet Sue" (a standard popularized in the 1920's), and the wonderful Horace Silver tune "Nuttville". Scotty definitely has done his homework listening to Jazz. He is also a very fine composer. His originals are top quality compositions. Scotty's tunes set very well alongside the brillant compositions that he chooses to cover. For a larger dose of his phenomenal playing and composing, go to his website, sample and order his other 2 CD's "Sleight Of Hand" and "Second Time Around". http://home.fuse.net/pvee/sanderson.html Second Time Around focuses a lot on Scotty's Country/Bluegrass playing. He is hands down the best country/Bluegrass guitarist EVER. "Sleight Of Hand" focuses on Scotty's ability to play all styles. On the disc he plays country, jazz, Big Band, Rockabilly (he plays a SMOKING solo on High Heel Sneakers), and even gets funky on a number. Take my advice and buy this CD, the 2 from his website, and his instructional video today. Finer music has yet to be made on a guitar. 5 stars are not enough. I give this one five stars and a crown! God Bless you Scotty Anderson for your life-long commitment to American roots music! Keep the music pure!"

Scotty shows all his styles

Peter Peel | Kings Mills, ohio | 03/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have heard Scotty Anderson off and on for about 10 years. He is one of a handfull of guitar players that can play a club date and carry the whole load on every song for four sets straight. He plays a guitar with a mini humbucker pickup in the neck position and a middle and bridge pickup, so he can get sounds like a big gibson jazz box or a screaming telecaster and all these sounds are on this CD from his great Thumb and finger style playing on John Henry and Sweet sue to some outstanding Jazz versions of the other songs. I know of no one else that plays the double and triple stop note formations at any where near the speed and clarity that Scotty can do it."