Corrie van Binsbergen: Self Portrait In Pale Blue

Dutch guitarist Corrie van Binsbergen's musical aesthetics are often compared to charismatic, extrovert guitarists from the school of Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa or Marc Ribot. Her first solo album is something completely different. It began to take form by accident after a scheduled recording was cancelled and van Binsbergen, with encouragement from pianist Albert van Veenendaal, decided consciously not to prepare for it, play tabula rasa, and see where the music will take her and take off.

The recording time was a time of reflection. Van Binsbergen healed from a fracture in her left hand that forced her to stop playing for months, she moved to the countryside and her mother passed away. She also decided to take her time with this recording, "let it last and play as few notes as possible." The outcome is beautiful, subtle and often has highly colorful, cinematic qualities. She can portray a deep emotional experience, contemplating on it patiently with few, concise strokes, wisely adding various effects that intensify the atmosphere

On four pieces—all are unnamed—she plays over her own solo recordings, creating simple story-like soundscapes. Most of these pieces, except the opening and last ones, are brief, but all radiate immediate intimacy. All are highly expressive tone poems like a fine haiku, and all sound as continuous parts in a bigger, coherent and focused journey.

This unique time of reflection and introspection, reassessing her life, reveals musical expressions and articulations transformed in the confident hands of Van Binsbergen to a powerful and moving sonic document.

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