Ronny Wiesauer: Monologues

If you are willing to learn, learn from the best. Guitarist Ronny Wiesauer has clearly taken the right lessons from the likes of Egberto Gismonti and Ralph Towner—he is a happily understated player, at home in the worlds of studious classical and informal jazz alike. He has played in different contexts and featured his own pieces among programs of others' songs, but hadn't made an entirely solo and self-penned recording until this one. It feels like the idea has arrived at the right time. This meditative outing arguably makes the purest representation of himself and his sound to date.

These Monologues waft and coast like an autumn breeze as Wiesauer plucks the nylon with quiet care. His Baroque leanings come to the fore in the series of simple and wistful title tracks throughout, while in-between two multi-part pieces let him branch out into other parts of the world. "Three Sisters" offers some understated Latin-tinged folk for woodland sprites, pleasantly reminiscent of Towner and Oregon in a particularly playful mood. His timing is impressive, keeping a pleasant flow even when the single-note lines meander without anchoring chords.

With the plainly-titled "Suite" it is time to stretch the tempo and the meter a little more. Here, Wiesauer's staggered steps make for an undemanding stroll, while the easy meandering feel is steadily belied by the precise deliberation underneath. Each piece of Monologues shows the same balance of assured calm and unobtrusive smarts. It adds up to an album full of pastoral beauty and thoughtful restraint, like a familiar trail always boasting its share of interesting and picturesque turns.

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