Masseve, Tone: Amp L’étude

Here is a rather important release by late guitarist Tone Masseve, who sadly passed away from pneumonia in 1997 at the too young age of twenty-seven. The artist started working out the guitar parts for his debut album two years prior, a reinterpretation of some of his favourite classical pieces by the likes of Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Debussy and Chopin combined with some rock and roll classics. After the artist’s untimely passing the music was soon forgotten but in 2016 Doane Perry (Jethro Tull’s drummer for twenty-seven years) injected new life into the project. Then along came percussionist Garry Kvistad, a member of the percussion group Nexus. Members of the vocal group Prana add their talents to a couple of tracks. Thus Amp L’étude was reborn.

The album’s first track “Aire On A G String�, a mash up of Beethoven and Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade Of Pale� has Masseve’s wonderful guitar work soaring with emotion. A Queen feel also comes across in his fluid and melodic playing. With “The Swan (In Wind On Water)� the playing is slow and thoughtful and very nicely orchestrated. Another favourite track has to be “Maria, (She’s So) Ave� featuring a lovely vocal arrangement and more nice string bending from Masseve. I also love Masseve’s orchestral tone in “The Sunken Cathedral� and you just got to dig those gong strikes.

Overall then, a very nice release which I think Tone would be proud of. I give credit to these musicians for bringing Tone’s music to life.

Track Listing:
1. Aire On A G String (A Whiter Shade) (5:06)
2. The Moonlight Sonata (On The Hill Of The Skull) (7:10)
3. Pre-Lude-Num-Ber-One-Num-Ber-One (2:04)
4. Seranade For Strings (For Her Majesty) (2:16)
5. The Swan (In Wind On Water) (3:42)
6. Maria, (She’s So) Ave (3:14)
7. Prelude #4 (To The Grave) (2:12)
8. Prelude #6 (It Tolls For Thee) (2:45)
9. Prelude #7 (1:07)
10. Prelude #20 (The Last March) (1:55)
11. The Sunken Cathedral (Turns The Tide Gently, Gently Away) (6:17)
12. O Fortuna (2:33)

Added: January 4th 2019
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 731
Language: english

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