Tim Sparks - Chasin' the Boogie (2014) [Hi-Res]

Ever since bursting on the scene with his 1993 release »» The Nutcracker Suite, Tim Sparks has captivated guitar fans with some of the finest fingerstyle guitar playing around. An artist who can be difficult to categorize, Sparks’ albums and live performances have featured classical, blues, jazz, folk, klezmer, and other styles, and yet they all have a common thread that makes them immediately identifiable.

Clearly, for Sparks the music itself is more important than the genre it may have originated in, and Chasin’ the Boogie continues this approach. Whether completely re-imagining the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” creating a complex guitar arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” playing the folk standards “Wayfaring Stranger” and “I’ll Fly Away,” or getting gritty on the “Mississippi Blues,” Sparks creates solo steel-string guitar magic like only he can. Put simply, Chasin’ the Boogie is guitar music at its best. Even on songs that you thought you knew, you’ll find yourself hitting the “repeat” button to make sure that what you just heard really happened. Whether you’re already a fan of solo guitar music or not, give Chasin’ the Boogie a spin and allow yourself to be taken along!

„Chasin' the Boogie is guitar music at its best. Even on songs that you thought you knew, you'll find yourself hitting the 'repeat' button to make sure that what you just heard really happened. Tim manages to package his virtuoso playing and engaging arrangement so masterfully that the beauty and musicality is never overshadowed by technique that's employed merely to showcase chops. Whether you are already a fan of solo guitar music or not, give Chasin' the Boogie a spin and allow yourself to be taken away.“ (Teja Gerken, Co-founder and producer, Peghead Nation Guitar Journalist)

Tim Sparks, guitar

Recorded at the Acoustic Music Studio in Osnabrück, Germany on October 13, 2013
Produced by Peter Finger