The Undiscovered: Jeff Pike Barlow

Jeff Pike Barlow's take on holiday music deserves a closer listen. Adornos is a CD-R compilation of Christmas guitar music played in a very unique style. Classic Christmas and seasonal songs are played using fingerstyle, classical, and flamenco techniques (cross-pollinating the three disciplines where appropriate). Barlow includes two of his original tunes, just in time for the holidays, "Snowfall" and "Prelude", which showcase his playing quite nicely. Which is not to say the other tracks don't - it's just great to hear songs you've heard your whole life, such as "O Holy Night', "What Child Is This?" and "Pachelbel's Canon In D", played in the rhythmic style Barlow uses on this album. The songs sound fresh, and for that, we have to tip our hat to Mr. Barlow for an excellent idea, superbly executed.

Jeff has been noodling around with guitars since high school (late 1970s), but he didn't get serious with the instrument until 1995. He was doing some volunteer work down in Mexico (San Miguel De Allende) when he met a Spanish gypsy who played flamenco guitar. Jeff then began studying with him daily. He loves the sound of raw flamenco guitar, but he is also very intrigued by the possibilities that exist in using flamenco to play other types of music.

Barlow is currently hard at work on another album, tentatively entitled "Encantado".

Jeff Pike Barlow
United States

Web site: www.hermitageacoustics.com