Ged Brockie,
The Last View from Mary's Place
(Circular, 2005)


Ged Brockie, guitarist of the fine fingers and numerous jazz compositions, can stand proud of his offerings here on this CD. It opens with "Spring in My Step," a sprightly, strong piece. This CD has all the elements of playfulness, wistfulness, romantic airiness and two extraordinary solos.

This guitarist from Edinburgh shines in his solos. These are "As the Sun Streams Through" and "The End of the Beginning." When the guitar is front and center I appreciate every note, though it could happen more. It's just brilliant when he pushes it to the fore.

"The Last View from Mary's Place" and "The Day You Waved Goodbye" were so busy I almost got seasick, but the next track, "Moving On," is a rough and bouncy piece of work that really was great. Go figure. The deep melodies of "Rush Hour" also worked on me in a good way.

The final cut, "South Carolina Dream," starts with pure guitar. When it opened, everything in our house came to a grinding halt. Time stood still as we let this one cast its spell over us.

There are excellent examples of Brockie's talent here for the taking. Some are absolutely riveting and then there are a couple I'd send over to the elevator operator. Overall, there were more sets that I enjoyed, so Last View from Mary's Place gets a thumbs up.

[ visit the artist's website ]




Rambles.NET
review by
Virginia MacIsaac

4 October 2008


Agree? Disagree?
Send us your opinions!







index
what's new
music
books
movies