|
|
Gilbert Isbin is an altogether exciting, dazzling guitar player from Brugge, West-Flanders (Belgium) who expresses his style as world music, as one can appreciate on his latest release, "Gilbert Isbin Plays Nick Drake".  His favorite guitar is a Cuenca (a Spanish classical guitar). Isbin has played guitar since 1975, and plainly avows his career goal, "Continuing to release my music on CDs, publishing my composition on partition, composing music for film, documentary, dance, performing solo and in diverse settings in fact, continue doing what I do now."
When asked to name his number one effect for the guitar, Isbin countered with, "A bit of reverb, most of my sound effects are done with both my hands," and then cited his musicial goals, "I am trying to express what I am as a person -- what I think, what I feel -- but also I try to tell stories, impressions and moods." He hopes to someday study the lute, and compose contemporary music for it, and is at this time listening to Nick Drake, Brazillian music, Indian music and Middle Eastern music. His utmost satisfaction? "Writing a satisfying compositon, improvising on the chord progressions, then recording it," he answers unquestionably.
Isbin details continuing and future projects in his own words, "Upcoming project is the release of the CD 'Gilbert Isbin Plays Nick Drake' on the German label TRTR (Traurige Traupen) with my solo arrangements of some of his compositions (to be released at the end of October this year). Next year is the release of "Twice", the follow up to "Twins", with Geert Verbeke, and a new solo album. Also, performing solo or with my group Gatham."
|
Vol. 17, No. 2: Feb.-Mar. 2012
