HARVEY REID/IN PERSON (Woodpecker Records WP#112CD)

As a veteran of over 400 concerts(so far) I've seen everything from symphony orchestras to "alternative" music festivals. Many quickly fade from memory, while others always remain a part of you. Things like seeing Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band play for 4 hours, seeing Richard Thompson or Wolfstone play anywhere, seeing Lucy Kaplansky & Richard Shindell share a make-shift stage in the jam-packed basement of a small restaurant, and seeing Harvey Reid perform in an old rustic building are all moments of your life that will never be forgotten. This two-disc set collects some thirty assorted performances from fifteen seperate concerts. As with all of Harvey Reid's releases, the sound quality is second to none. For the benefit of those who've not yet heard of Harvey Reid, he's been performing acoustically for some 23 years, has recorded 11 solo albums, was a national fingerpicking guitar champion, an international autoharp winner, and even co-wrote a textbook on guitar playing. The material on this release consists of 14 original compositions and an assortment of choice selections from many other musical styles. The 2 disc set clocks in at over 2 hours and 20 minutes. Most selections are solo performances, many instrumental, a few have complimentary violin, viola, mandolin, piano, or harmony vocals. If you're already a fan of acoustic performances and extraordinary musicianship this set is must-have. If your acoustic experiences consist only of MTV's "Unplugged" performances then you need to hear how great music can sound, without having twenty people, including a string section, on stage. One man, one instrument(at a time) may sound pretty basic but it also sounds pretty great. If you ever have the chance to see Harvey live, don't miss it. If you can't, this set is a good second choice. The product from independent record companies is often hard to find, the easiest way to obtain Harvey's recordings is through the Woodpecker Records Homepage, see my "Related Links" section to the left, or by calling (207)363-1886.