Pat Donohue - Two Hand Band (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

The Guitar Players' Guitarist

Gary Popovich | Chesterfield, VA USA | 02/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pat Donohue is best known as a member of Garrison Keeler's house band on the wildly successful "Prarie Home Companion" radio program on NPR; he was also acknowledged by the late Chet Atkins as "The World's Best Guitarist "[direct quote from Mr. Atkins]. Atkins is only one of Pat's many influences - one hears the echos of Robert Johnson, Leo Kotke, Merle Travis, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellingtion and many other musicians in his playing. Along with those influences, Pat's incomparable tone and technique have ensured his place on the Mount Rushmore of finger-style guitarists. This intrumental CD offers a wonderful study of his musicianship, and should be required study for any budding guitarist. How he manages to mimic Booker T.'s organ sound on the "Tequilla/Green Onions" medley remains one of life's happy mysteries . . ."

Fantastic record!

H. G. Hill III | New York | 08/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll second the five-star rating for this. It's a phenomenal display of musicianship, style, and technical ability. One of my favorite recordings. Listen to, e.g., "Summer in Central Park," "Yardbird Suite," or "Tea for Two." Wonderful stuff. I'd recommend this highly to anyone, and certainly anyone who's a guitarist or likes guitar-oriented records. (This is a solo recording--no overdubs, accompaniment, etc.) It's truly a shame that a musician of this caliber isn't better known and showered with accolades. He deserves them. Pick this CD up--I guarantee you'll love it."

Superb finger pickin'

G. T. Hood | Texas | 07/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're looking at music by Donohue, you already know his reputation. I heard him on Prarie Home Companion years ago and knew I had to find recordings. You won't be disappointed. Of course, the liner notes by Leo Kottke say it well: If you're a guitar player, these tracks will haunt you! I've found that to be true in a very pleasant way."

A brilliant and eminently listenable piece of work

Steven C. Simmons | Dexter, MI USA | 03/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's all Matt Watrobe's fault, really. Every time I listen to Matt's show, I come away with the names of one or two new CDs I need to buy. Late last fall it was hearing Donohue play "Tequila and Green Onions." It was peppy, interesting, very well-played, and just a lot of fun to listen to. So I came home, looked it up, put it on my Amazon wish list . . . and forgot about it.

When my daughter got it for me for Christmas, I'd forgotten the details of his playing. But the amazingly laudatory cover note by Leo Kottke piqued my interest:

"I first heard him on the radio and got upset. Then I heard him in concert and got more upset. He thinks harmonically, improvises beautifully and writes. Disgusting. Enjoy his music, but if you're a guitar player, it's going to haunt you."

Well, who could resist that? So I popped it in the CD player, cued up 'Tequila and Green Onions', and started reading the album notes as it played. The notes say it's all solo guitar. No overdubbing. OK, that's cool. And right about then the second guitar part came in.

Say what?

Yeah, about 1/3 of the way thru "Tequila" it sounds like a second guitar comes in. But on closer listening, that's not what happens. He simply starts playing in a manner that leaves you sure there are two people there. Melody and counter-melody. Rhythm and melody. After the second or third listen, I started figuring out what he was doing and was even more impressed. Damned impressed. (Of course, I could be wrong. He could be doing something even more difficult.) But whatever it is he's doing there, he does it cleanly, smoothly, and with evident joy.

The rest of the disk is as good as "Tequila", tho it never quite has that same moment of surprise. And really, that's all to the good. Donohue is playing music he loves and giving it the treatment it deserves. He's not there to show off, he's there to play it as well as it can be played. He can play melodic, he can play rhythm, he can play both at once, and he can do it in a style that's relaxed and effortless.

He's also got great range musicly. This album has his arrangements of pieces by Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, more classic jazz and Broadway pieces like "Tea for Two" and "Georgia on my Mind." There are marches on here. Blues. Swing. And all of it played by a master.

Mr. Steve says "I like it." Two hands up."

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