Tony McManus Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
This is an album not just of guitar music, lovely as that is, but also just as much about the expensive handcrafted guitars that make that music. There are 15 different ones, each instrument getting its own showcase track, with them all coming together for the final "Valse Des Belugas." Beautifully and lovingly recorded, they're guitars of great distinction and glorious tone, none more so than the one that features on "Parov's Daichevo/Doina," where the bone saddle black make it sound like a sitar. But to focus too strongly on what makes the music is to take away from the music itself, with is sweetly melodic. Scotsman McManus is a master, at ease in so many styles, adept in several tunings, and with the gift of honing in and exploring a melody with wonderful ease. He never struts his technique, formidable as it is, but prefers to allow the music to speak for itself, and it's very, very eloquent. All too often, solo instrumental albums are little more than background music, but this focuses the ears, seducing effortlessly and throwing in a few little surprises here and there. All in all, a delicious, and very substantial, concoction. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In almost every genre of folk or pop music, there is no figure more dreaded and despised than the bass player who thinks he's a lead guitarist. In most cases, the best thing a bass player can do to serve the music is to draw as little attention to himself as possible, anchoring the music with a solid rhythmic and harmonic foundation while playing as few notes as possible. Every so often, however, a bassist comes along who demonstrates that it's possible to take on the full responsibilities of a lead player without betraying the traditional bass function. Perhaps the most successful such bass player on the Celtic scene is the Breton bassist Alain Genty. (Interestingly, this may be some kind of genetic mutation in the Gallic bloodline -- another bass player with similar skills and taste is Simon LePage of the brilliant French Canadian trad group Matapat.) On Singing Sands he is teamed up with the equally virtuosic and elegant guitarist Tony McManus, and the two of them deliver an unusually varied program of traditional music from Ireland, Scandinavia, Cape Breton, and Scotland, as well as a couple of lovely Genty originals. Along with the rollicking jigs and reels one would expect, there are also occasional diversions into North African and Middle Eastern modalities on the "Marche"/"Fonix"/"Taimse im Chodlach" set and the lovely "Last Dance." Elsewhere the sound is gentle and jazzy, but without sagging into soggy new age-ism -- and when the pair haul off and launch into a set of reels and strathspeys, the result is as thrilling and rhythmically compelling as if they had an entire ensemble behind them. Very highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Scottish music scene is turning out to be at least as playful, restless, and varied as the Irish equivalent. McManus is a case in point, a renowned acoustic guitar virtuoso who is deeply engrossed in his native folkways, but also strongly attracted to music from the other Celtic nations and further afield. This time out, the set list is especially eclectic, ranging from traditional tunes from Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany to a tri-partite Quebecois suite to Charles Mingus' Goodbye Porkpie Hat, and concluding with a 17th century Jewish shabbat piyut (a hymn). McManus is seldom literal in his interpretations; for example, he will apply a jazzy flourish to a Scottish dance while a piece from the jazz canon gets transformed into a poignant ballad. As usual, his command of acoustic guitar technique is flawless, with a chesty, rounded, gorgeous tone and a knack for well-marked rhythms and singing phrases. While he can spin out a lyrical sean nos (an old-style Irish a cappella song) melody until the cows come home, he never sounds rushed when essaying a lightning-fast jig or reel. His mandolin mastery is equally effective and adds welcome textural variations. He is accompanied by Ewen Vernal from the supergroup Capercaillie on bass, and Guy Nicholson, a denizen of the wild and woolly Scottish salsa band, Salsa Celtica, plays Indian tabla drums on two tracks. Note to aspiring pickers: McManus has released a pair of popular instructional videos as part of the Stefan Grossman Guitar Workshop series. ~ Christina Roden, All Music Guide
