Peppino D'Agostino: Penumbra

Award-winning fingerstyle guitarist and co-founder of The Pacific Guitar Ensemble, Italy reared Peppino D'Agostino has been an internationally esteemed musician since his arrival to America 25-years ago. He's among the elite guitarists in this spectrum while spreading his wares across musical boundaries, steeped in many musical fronts. Agostino works within an operational mode evidenced by modern day greats such as Bert Jansch, Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges, yet like his famous peers, he embroiders a personal sound and style as he lives the songs he performs. His musicality can be equated to that of a lyricist who combines the twofold melody and verse aspects into compositional form.

D'Agostino infuses much enthusiasm throughout these concise portraitures, whether he's breathing life into these works via resonating or split second note-bending techniques or using an economical approach to get his point across. He bridges the gap between multiethnic folk and classical music, heightened by blitzing and complex single note runs or intricately designed chord solos. On "Peppino Sotto Portico," he executes a tender and wistful melodic hook amid a highly rhythmic approach, yet is having a conversation between his left and right hands on the lullaby-like, "Valse des Anges."

Other delicacies include his sumptuous phrasings and gently fabricated harmonic components. And he brings a sense of urgency to the forefront during "Irican," which is loaded with counterbalancing statements and dizzying chord clusters. Though, his musical persona resides somewhere between legendary Americana guitarist John Fahey and classical maestro Andre Segovia on "MB Love." Nonetheless, D'Agostino wields his magic hands and persuasive artistry on this gorgeous outing that is markedly entertaining along with the inherent educational factors that offer additional dividends for beginners and pros.