Peter Finger - Made of Rosewood (2014)

Peter Finger is a master of acoustic guitar, perhaps the very best. His latest album, Made of Rosewood, reveals a side of the musician that perhaps not everyone knows: his love of lutherie. Finger began building guitars at the age of seventeen, and for some time now has been playing his own instruments almost exclusively. Each track on the CD is performed with a different six-string, whose characteristics must best enhance the dynamics, techniques, and timbres required for each composition. Each instrument is unique, with the only thing in common being the Brazilian rosewood from which they are partly crafted. The opener, "Insight," is a romp through phrases with an Irish flavor, often used by the guitarist as a warm-up; it's no coincidence that Finger used a Grand Concert C (No. 22) on this track, excellent for compositions that require rattling phrases with little sustain. Far from a simple warm up is “Good Times (One for Chet)”, a splendid country-style homage to Mr. Guitar Chet Atkins and his bouncy alternating bass.
“The Girl at the Harbour” is a romantic composition based on a popular Taiwanese theme, while “Summer in France” is a full-bodied, powerful piece rich in harmonics, highlighting the impeccable sound provided by two Brauner VM1s mixed with a TC System 6000 without equalization. The jazz ballad “The Road That Leads to You” and the warm musical embrace of “Unexpected Waltz” represent the calm before the storm, as they are followed on the track list by the hyper-technical and slightly classically oriented “Those Restless Days.” This album is a story, a deeply artisanal journey into the music and figure of one of the most important acoustic guitarists of all time.~Matteo Roccia