The best instrumental guitar music has a great beat, impressive musicianship and a hook you could hang your hat on. Those three elements are clearly in abundance on the 2004 self-produced CD release from West Virginia guitarist Charlie Read. Solid support from players including his sons Matt Read (rhythm guitar) and Isaac Read (drums) helps the guitarist realize his musical mission. A master of the rock, jazz and blues instrumental guitar sound, Read has also developed a fine reputation for his guitar teaching abilities and his fine CD will entice guitar fans to ‘read between the lines.’ Commenting on his guitar background Read adds, "Like many guitarists, I spent most of my teens and early twenties with an instrument in my hand as often as possible. Before the days of CDs and instructional videos, I ruined most of my vinyl albums by trying to figure out licks while slowing the LPs down to 16 rpm on a turntable.
He played professionally in bands both at home and in Australia, began teaching guitar almost 30 years ago, and detoured into a career as a photographer before returning to his love of teaching music a few years ago. Charlie Read only this year got around to realizing a dream he’d had for many years – recording a CD of original music. The release of “read between the lines” has been a long time coming, the guitarist said. “I’ve made several attempts down through the years, but it seems like I was always hindered from getting an album of my own off the ground.” Read, who teaches about 60 students a week at C.A. House Music in Parkersburg, said he finally made up
Read contacted a long-time friend, Roger Hoover, of Sweetsong Studios and set a date for the first session last May. Before the session, however, Read’s son Matthew, also a guitarist, played a chord progression he had just come up with. The two put a melody to it and liked it enough to use it as one of the songs for that first session. “We called it ‘Circle’s End’ and while recording it I realized I didn’t want to rely just on my old backlog of songs. I determined to add new material as well,” Read said.
When he first began teaching at Powell and Clark Music many years ago, Read experimented with many new styles in a break from his rock guitar background. “Not only did I begin a thorough study of music theory, but I started learning jazz, enough classical guitar to be just a bit dangerous, and the technique of Chet Atkins and other influential artists,” he said. One of the songs Read composed during this time was a nameless little jazz solo that utilized blues and whole tone scales. It received the title “Splash Rag” after all those years and became the other tune recorded during that first session. “I liked the idea of using some of my songs that had lain dormant all these years,” Read said. “But I also liked the challenge of writing new and fresh material. In this way, the CD is really a picture of the many styles I’ve incorporated as my own down through the years.”
Read describes his CD as a “celebration of electric guitar” and although acoustic guitar is simulated in some tracks, Read decided to use only electric guitar, specifically a Fender Stratocaster, for the entire project. One of his goals was to make the album so diverse that if a listener doesn’t care for one song, he will find the next one to be totally different. “There is a mixture of rock, blues, jazz and even a little fingerstyle playing. Some songs are just solo guitar, lightly ‘seasoned’ with a touch of chorus or delay; other songs lean toward the ‘classic rock’ sound I grew up with and played in the 70s. There is some wild stuff tempered with some mellow sounds, not to mention a few sound effects just for fun,” Read said. Matthew Read added his talents to the CD as did another son, Isaac. “Matthew is a superb guitarist in his own right, and I’d like to see him do a CD of his own someday,” Read said. “Isaac is a self-taught drummer who also contributed to the album. I am blessed to have them helping out. I never would have dreamed back in my ‘rock and roll’ days that someday I would have an album of my own music with a couple of my kids playing on it!”
Using his Fender Stratocaster to compose the 11-track album, Read incorporates all genres of music to create immense diversity for this debut. The CD not only has rock and pop, but jazz and blues play a big role in practically every song. “Why, I Oughta. . .” not only incorporates the harder rock 1970s style reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix, but also a heavy blues influence. A dark and strong bass sound gives the track depth and allows for imaginative listening.
While I typically think the lyrics make a song as much as the music, there is nothing lacking in “Read Between the Lines.” The guitar speaks for the songs and gives them a voice. I rarely listen to instrumental songs because, I think, they lack something to attract and keep my attention, but Read has a way of captivating me and keeping my multi-track mind attentive to his work.
Charlie Read is a busy man. He teaches music to 60+ students and still finds time to work towards a baccalaureate degree (Organisational Leadership) and to work on and complete this CD which was recorded between May and October of 2004. The album is a real family affair with Charlie's sons contributing to the album.
Charlie took up playing guitar when his family relocated to Australia and he found himself with no friends and nothing to do. When he went back to the US he spent some time playing full time in the Ohio rock scene, before deciding to "get a real job" and becoming a photographer. A few years ago Charlie gave that up and returned to his first love and started teaching music.
"Why I Oughta...." starts off the album in fine style demonstrating that this is going to be all about Charlie and his guitar. This is followed up by the Santana-ish "Circle's End" which has a commercial edge to it. My two favorite tracks on the album are "Splash Rag" which is next and "Then and Now" which is towards the end. Both of these tracks have a blues-rock feel to them that reminds me of the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The folk spiritual, " Wayfaring Stranger", is given an effective blues-rock treatment. "Odyssey" is a slower track and I haven't yet decided if it is contemplative or "just a bit of noodling around on the guitar". No such doubts about "Then and Now" which I mentioned earlier. "Trail of Tears" is a melancholy track, with a hint of Al Di Meola, which is an suitable prelude to "With God All Things Are Possible". This is a big bright track with a strong melody where the guitar seems to sing the title as a chorus. An excellent track (and message) with which to close the album.
With an instrumental album there is always a danger that the music is going to become a bit monochrome, but Charlie avoids this by utilizing a variety of styles and keeping the tracks lengths sensible.
The best instrumental guitar music has a great beat, impressive musicianship and a hook you could hang your hat on. Those three elements are clearly in abundance on the 2004 self-produced CD release from West Virginia guitarist Charlie Read. Solid support from players including his sons Matt Read (rhythm guitar) and Isaac Read (drums) helps the guitarist realize his musical mission ... A master of the rock, jazz and blues instrumental guitar sound, Read has also developed a fine reputation for his guitar teaching abilities ... his fine CD will entice guitar fans to 'read between the lines.'
