You can count the number of truly trail blazing female guitarists on Django Reinhardt's crippled left hand. There's the masterful blues genie Susan Tedeschi, of course, then frazzle-haired Jennifer Batten who blew hot molten leads with Michael Jackson a few decades ago. While we're counting stupendous rock babes who blaze steaming guitar solos, you must consider golden haired rock goddess Lita Ford. If blues is your bag, then Bonnie Raitt or the mighty Sister Rosetta Tharpe dominate the bill. After those female flame throwers, living and dead, the pickings shrink. Heart's Nancy Wilson certainly reigned supreme in her day, as did Polly Jean Harvey (masterful odd meters) in the '90s. Joan Jett, Joni Mitchell, Kim Deal, Toshi Reagon and Tal Wilkenfeld round out the field. And then there's Kaki King.

Striding in the footsteps of her hero Michael Hedges, King expands upon his Windham Hill hills'n'dales mastery with vocals that soar, coupling flights of plectrum induced frenzy with smooth pop singing.

"Ruthlessly inventive, achingly beautiful and joyously carefree," reads the PR blather, "Kaki King's music is the result of a seemingly effortless natural gift for crafting songs and melodies that connect with both the head and the heart. Dreaming Of Revenge is a glorious wake-up call from one of the most dazzling musicians around."

Well, in this case, the PR hacks have it right. An acoustic player whose stupendous technique and exquisite melodic gifts have only recently been joined with her tentative entry into the world of pop vocals, King has grown by leaps and bounds since her 2003 debut, Everybody Loves You. With new producer Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith, Blue Rodeo) on board, King has recorded perhaps the most commercial yet most deeply artistic CD of her career.

"Even though half the tracks are instrumentals, I feel like I'm writing pop songs," King says. "We really concentrated on the melodies. Everything I write tends to be dense and chordal, but this time the idea was to layer the challenging guitar work under very simple, beautiful melodies. I really wanted them to be memorable."

"Bone Chaos In The Castle" is certainly a change of pace from what we've come to expect from Kaki King. Adding a bluesy, fuzzed out electric element to her acoustic arsenal, the song has flashes of psychedelic influence, while the mechanized groove recalls none other than ECM guitar master, Steve Tibbetts.

"2 O' Clock" could be an acoustic outtake from Dreamboat Annie, King's delicate childlike vocal floating over sweet, finger plucked guitar reveries. It's dreamy, yet dynamic--the new sound of Kaki King's old soul.

"Bone Chaos In The Castle"

"2 O'Clock"

João Erbetta e Regis Damasceno-- Guitar Bizarre vol. 2: Joan Erbetta? Who knew? Another great female guitarist, Erbetta swings in that old timey, Les Paul and Mary Ford style, the guitar tone bright and red hot, the technique recalling serious swing players like Frank Vignola, Freddie Green and Johnny Pizzarelli.

Wait a minute! It's Joao Erbetta. Call me blind-sided. Still a great track, though.

João Erbetta e Regis Damasceno
"Two Old Pals" (mp3)
from "Guitar Bizarre vol. 2"
(Tratore)

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