Jazz Articles

Ken Hatfield: String Theory

by Budd Kopman
April 17, 2006

Ken Hatfield is an extremely complex and multifaceted individual, a philosopher-king, a musically omnivorous hillbilly--and yes, his last name comes from those Hatfields. The music on String Theory fully displays where Hatfield has been in his chronological and musical life. He emphatically refuses to be pinned down by any label, even an amorphous one like “jazz." He's equally at home in the worlds of classical guitar, Brazilian jazz, the blues and straight-ahead jazz (represented by standards ranging from “Emily" to ...

Ken Hatfield: String Theory

by John Kelman
February 5, 2006

In a departure from previous albums like The Surrealist Table (Arthur Circle Music, 2003), guitarist Ken Hatfield leaves behind his Latin-inflected ensemble work on String Theory. On this strictly solo affair, Hatfield delivers something completely unexpected.

Classical guitar has been Hatfield's mainstay for some time, and his style references many of the trendsetters who have come before--the Latin side of Charlie Byrd, the abstract classical impressionism of Ralph Towner, and the mainstream focus of Lenny Breau. But from the first ...

Ken Hatfield: String Theory

by Dan McClenaghan
January 13, 2006

Guitarist Ken Hatfield's Appalachian roots grow close to the surface on his sixth CD, String Theory, a spontaneous-sounding blend of of classical and country moods, with various themes drawn from some of the down-home sayings of Hatfield's 85 year-old father, Sam ("The Gospel According to Sam"), the fictions of Jorge Luis Borges ("Borges & I"), and modern physics on the title tune, a three-part suite for classical guitar and mandolin that sounds like a meeting of Chet Atkins and Ricky ...

The Ken Hatfield Trio: The Surrealist Table

by Craig W. Hurst
August 19, 2004

On The Surrealist Table , guitarist and leader Ken Hatfield offers not only a veritable clinic on acoustic jazz guitar, but the combo in general also provides evidence of consummate musicians taking great care in the execution of their craft. The pared-down unadulterated sound of three acoustic instruments weaving an aesthetically pleasing sonic fabric truly is an aural treat and delight to the listener. The production of The Surrealist Table also provides evidence that these musicians value the sounds produced ...

Ken Hatfield Trio: The Surrealist Table

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
February 25, 2004

I'm a sucker for the sound of a classical guitar in jazz; I'll admit that going in. But within that sound, there are many different styles—some players do their best work in a solo context, while others shine brightest in Brazilian settings. Ken Hatfield is an all-around artist whose compositions are varied as well, as demonstrated in this collection of ten. There are funky, bluesy tunes ("Most Every Day" and the second-line “Funkissimo"), the mischievous ("Ariadne's Thread" and the title ...

Ken Hatfield: Phoenix Rising

by David Adler
February 4, 2003

Ken Hatfield continues to defy norms in jazz guitar. First and foremost, he plays a nylon-string classical instrument, keeping alive a sound popularized by Charlie Byrd and also taken up by the likes of Gene Bertoncini, Ralph Towner, Sylvain Luc, and Freddie Bryant. On Phoenix Rising, Hatfield's second full-band disc, he retains the formidable services of saxophonist Billy Drewes and trumpeter Claudio Roditi. The two horn players appear separately, each complementing Hatfield's technically prodigious yet soft-spoken fingerstyle work. Pianist Dom ...

Ken Hatfield: Phoenix Rising

by Dan McClenaghan
November 3, 2002

Ken Hatfield wields his eloquent and supple classical guitar on his latest jazz offering, Phoenix Rising. He uses a basic trio format--guitar/bass/drums--bolstered by guest artist slots featuring piano, tenor sax and trumpet on several tunes.Hatfield--who has been commissioned to write several ballets--leans toward his classical side on the opener, “Phoenix Rising" and “Tableau du souvenir"; plays some sweet straight ahead jazz on “The Aleph", that features Billy Drewes' round, hollow-toned, Paul Desmond sound (though Desmond was an alto ...