| The technical mastery and passion for an instrument made uniquely his are more
than apparent on 2003’s Guitar Heaven by Cool John Ferguson. It may sound
like a callous generalization but the world “cool” just about sums
this album up. Cool in the sense of the effortless flying flow of guitar magic that after eight tracks leaves you wishing you had eighty more to listen to in marathon succession while your head spins in disbelief at the soulful blues that fertilizes your spirit and makes you wanna shake and shimmy in possessed St. Vitus frenzy while pushing the repeat button on your CD player over and over. If you’re not careful, this CD could very well severely injure you, if not worse. You think I’m lying? I played this CD at a recent party to a bunch of virgin ears and by the time “Chunk of Funk” came on an ambulance was rolling up to my house. Guitar Heaven is a work of art that blurs the boundaries between blues, country, funk, jazz, and soul stirring them into a big pot of satisfying “shake your hip, bite your lip, and shoot your mother-in-law” hearty stew. From the wistfully plaintive tone of “16 Years” to the wild workout on “Straight Church” to the sweet ruminations in “Song for Brenda” and “Having Fun” to the fluid smile infecting “Keep it Confidential” one cannot go wrong with this sophisticated entry on the Music Maker Roster. Cool John Ferguson: Guitar Heaven
1. 16 Years |