Fretplay.com Phil Keaggy CD reviews Phil Keaggy guitar tabs Phil Keaggy CD reviews Phil Keaggy tabs The Master & the Musician


Phil Keaggy - The Master & the Musician Audio CD

A fair review of the Phil Keaggy "The Master & the Musician" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Phil Keaggy reviews here, or go back to the Phil Keaggy tabs.

Phil Keaggy Band: Phil Keaggy
Title: The Master & the Musician
Rating:
Release Date: 2001-01-02
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Pilgrim's Flight 2: Agora (The Marketplace) 3: Castle's Call 4: Wedding in the Country Manor 5: Suite -- Of Reflections 6: Golden Halls 7: Mouthpiece 8: Follow Me Up 9: Jungle Pleasures 10: Deep Calls Unto Deep 11: Medley: Evensong/Twilight/Forever Joy 12: High and Exalted One 13: Epilogue/Amazing Grace

Where has this album been all my life?
Though wordless, it speaks volumes about artistry, faith, beauty, etc. What a project. Rare is the moment when a Christian artist leaves a memorable mark artistically. So many moods, and a great job of weaving them within each piece and in the track order. He can relax you, rouse you, inspire you, even humor you. There are so many sounds coming from his instrument it is a multi-course feast for the ears. I actually only just picked this up recently after years of enjoying many other instrumental Keaggy works. But I would have to say that this is the best. .


Beautiful...
What a wonderful selection of songs, I was left speechless at the end. Couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to own something beautiful from the earlier life of Phil Keaggy.


The bait that hooked this fish.
I have since worn out 3 LPs, at least a half dozen cassettes, and even three CDs. The "Master and the Musician" is truly a master work that made me a Phil Keaggy fan almost 30 years ago. (Mr. Keaggy can thank me later. )

In the end, it comes down to one thing. If someone took all of my music tomorrow, the first CD I would buy to start replacing almost 40 years worth of very eclectic music is "The Master and the Musician. ".


Keaggy's biggest seller

This was Keaggy's first instrumental album and followed up a set of albums that had garnered considerable attention within the CCM community. This album remains the biggest seller in Keaggy's catalogue, and after 25 years of steady releases, that states a great deal. During the peak of the Jesus Movement Keaggy was busy with Glass Harp. By the time he started releasing admittedly low budget solo work to the CCM market, the Jesus Movement was almost completely gone and a new sub-category of music would provide plenty of room for anything Keaggy wanted to do.

So after a couple of years establishing himself as a known commodity, he came out with this gem that took most people by surprise. Since the bulk of the CCM crowd were, at that point, unaware of Glass Harp and oblivious to the fact that Keaggy had a previous incarnation long before What A Day, this stunning album was a wonderful surprise. The guitar work, complex and delightful, moody and cheerful, was fuel for the urban legend that ______________ (fill in the blank with any of your favorite secular guitar slingers) said that Keaggy was the best guitar player on the planet.

This album was so good that we were able to believe the urban legend, and spread the word now and again. Though he didn't yet allow his guitar slinging to be revealed, he did a lot of incredible finger picking that was well beyond the skill level of any guitar player in CCM at the time.

This album remains a delight for the very same reason it was a delight in the late 70s. It is virtually timeless and doesn't carry any of the dated trappings of the era. . . just a collection of original melodies worked and reworked until Keaggy managed to squeeze hooks, tricks, and signature swirls of musical color in to each tune. This album is a staple worth having - not because it captures the start of the CCM era, but because it is beautiful, pleasant, and timeless.


Master instrumentalist, masterfully crafted
The original LP version included a short story in the liner notes telling of a young musician in the early Rennaisance period trying to get his big break by playing before the King and his court, which sets the tone for the music. This is Phil's first all-instrumental album and also a concept album. Unfortunately, this story is not included in my copy of the CD. This CD is a 'must have' if you're a fan of Keaggy's fretwork but not necessarily keen on the Christian lyrics of his vocal releases. Phil plays most of the instruments (guitars, drums, percussion, bass, synthesizer) and there are a few guest performers on selected tracks. M&TM features a mix of nice acoustic pieces (Pilgrim's Flight, Suite of Reflection, to his arrangement of Amazing Grace) and some fiery electric work on the jazzy Agora (the Market Place), Follow Me Up (which almost sounds like a theme song to a 70's cop show), to the frantic Jungle Pleasures. There is also a unique short track called Mouthpiece, which features Phil and his wife, Bernadette, making rhythmic vocal sounds. Very cool. The entire CD is very listenable.


You can see a complete list of all Phil Keaggy discography, or go back to the Phil Keaggy tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

Search guitar tabs

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[ Search tabs | Guitar tabs | Bass tabs |
Easy guitar tabs | Guitar solo tabs |
Acoustic guitar tabs | Guitar chords |
How to read guitar tabs ]
Forum topics
Music forums
- Bands and artists - Songwriting and lyrics - Tablature talk - Promote your band
Instrument forums
- Guitar basics - Gear & accessories - Bass guitar
Community
- The pit - Site Feedback - Reviews
[ User survey | About us | Privacy statement ]