Greg's style of guitar playing is one of the most difficult to play, yet he does it with such technical
prowess and spiritual emotion. This album has warmth and is entertaining to listen to. It makes me
want to fire up the coffee pot and sit and enjoy Greg's fine artistry. I'm not only impressed with him as
a musician, but as a brother in Christ.
-Doyle Dykes
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I've made my living as a songwriter. I've been at it for 20 years and through about 25 albums. Every once in a spell you come across an artist like Greg Gilbertson. A total package deal. Someone with an artist's heart and an artist's vision. That means someone who takes risks; What Gilbertson does with a guitar is what great lyricists strive to do with words; Sure, Gilbertson has the "chops," the technique. But what Greg really does is give you, the listener, a gift.
By placing the emphasis of his playing on a sensitive and informed melodicism, Greg, opens and expands songs to the point where the listener is enabled to bring his or her own story to the music.
What does Gilbertson do? He opens and enlarges people's spirits.
The ability to offer such a gift in soundscape is, in my opinion, nothing short of brilliant.
--Bill Mallonee (Vigilantes of Love)
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Most fingerstyle guitar players bowl you over with their chops and call it a day. While Greg is certainly no slouch when it comes to technique what sets him apart is his gift for composition. The stories he tells with melody and arrangement are more compelling than the stories most writers tell with entire dictionaries at their disposal. One day I'll be able to tell my kids I played with Greg Gilbertson.
-Joe Pug
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Before playing Greg Gilbertson’s music, I lock my guitar in a soundproof cabinet so it doesn’t get any ideas.
- Michael Perry, author of Population 485 and four-chord strummer
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Greg Gilbertson is a poet whose medium is music on a guitar rather than words on paper. His guitar sounds wide open, the simple yet uncommon melodies supported by great harmonies and bass lines. Greg’s formidable chops are devoted to his honest compositional voice and his commitment to communication through music.
-Dan Bliss, 2005 2nd place winner and 2007 3rd place winner, International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship, Walnut Valley Festival, Winfiels KS
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Often compared to guitar greats Willy Porter and Michael Hedges, Greg will amaze you with his finger stylings. Imagine someone speaking in a different language and you completely understand what he’s saying. That’s how Greg approaches the voicings of the guitar. If you yourself are a guitar player , come down and get a different viewpoint.
-Jeff White
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If finger-picking a guitar was a basic survival skill, Greg Gilbertson would probably be our local alpha-male. If this were a pioneer settlement, some of us would hunt food, some of us would build shelter, some of us would make clothing, and Greg would protect us all with his mind-blowing instrumental guitar solos.
-Volume One
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Besides being a guitarist with a remarkable set of techniques reminiscent of players like Preston Reed, Michael Hedges, Andy Mckee and Billy McGlaughlin he also has the rare ability, as do the aforementioned guitarists, to be able to compose musical poetry.
Musical compositions that transcend mere technical ability to become music that would stand alone on any instrument! -Brian Henke
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Greg Gilbertson who is living in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin just
released his CD “Limited Vocabulary”. Greg has played guitar for over
16 years and got his inspiration from finger-style players like Don
Ross, Billy McLaughlin and the late Michael Hedges, to name a few.
Greg's guitar style skills consists of as well slapping as tapping
techniques with rich percussion and walking bass lines. His music
is not overpowering but rather intimate and challenging. “Limited
Vocabulary” consists of 11 tracks, which surely impress a listener,
as on “The Woodshedder” which has a lot in common with Billy Mc-
Laughlin's song “Fingerdance”. “Beyond What's Left” has a soothing
and moody setup with a deep constant bass line. “Fidelity” has a
some more uplifting elements, although it's a moody song. “Rite
of Passage” is full of percussive elements with a touching melody
line. “Eulogy for a Drunk Man” is a wonderful ballad with a fine
structure and balance. “Dirt Road” is a very fast penning with
brilliant chord changes with superb killer chops. The last track of
this album, “At Hours End” is a passionate ballad with a poetic
structure, just as he is painting the tones on a canvas. Greg
Gilbertson is without any doubt a superb acoustic guitarist who
draws from his inner force, his heart, and gives a listener space
for introspection. A wonderful gift.
-Henk te Veldhuis,
Bridge Guitar Reviews (http://www.xs4all.nl/~guitars/december2007.html)
© 2007
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Greg Gilbertson plays six and 12-string guitars in altered tunings and composed all of the music on this disc. Critics have compared him to Don Ross, Leo Kottke, Billy McLaughlin and Michael Hedges. For me, Gilbertson's strongest suit is his striking and original emphasis on melody, incorporated into the percussive approach typified by his influences. The opener, "First Light," illustrates this approach, with Gilbertson using a chorus effect to fatten his tone. Gilbertson writes in the liner notes that "Esox Fables" reminds him of fishing for muskie, which would have to be the most frantic fishing trip ever! "Fidelity" features a more natural tone, yet, even without noticeable processing, Gilbertson's melody happily remains in the forefront. A bluegrass feel characterizes "Dirt Roads," which brings to mind a 5-string banjo and fiddle trading licks. The CD closes with "At Hour's End," evoking a lullaby at the end of a summer day. Gilbertson is a good composer and I'm anxious to hear him experiment with different tones, contrasting tempos, and bring other instruments into his arrangements, although his existing strengths should serve him well regardless of the path he takes. -© Patrick Ragains (Minor7th.com)
