reviews
Two of five of his own compositons start off, first the almost exuberant 'Joy', influenced by Egberto Gismonti', then 'Six Thaal', based on an Indian six-beat pattern. You'd almost want to dance to both if they weren't so rhythmically complicated. Then the ballad 'Black Is The Colour' is quiet and tender, the melodic tones are given space to unfold. Slowly it becomes clear what 'Ebb & Flow' means. In between there is a Bulgarian song, after which the composer is surely wonderfully inspired by the South Welsh landscape in two pieces. The second half features 'James' by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays and Jarett's 'My Song'. While the former bounces and floats elegantly without any connection to the ground, 'My Song' is so great that you are inspired to try it yourself. The version of the Beatles song 'Norwegian Wood' is also convincing due to its originality. The highlight is Coltrane's 'Naima'. Dylan Fowler's first compositon in this guitar mood, inspired by butterflies, provides a harmonious ending. An album with a lot to discover.
​
©2024 Jens Hausmann - Akoustik Guitarre
Dylan Fowler, a Wales-born acoustic fingerstyle guitarist and composer, displays breathtaking virtuosity and soulful playing on Ebb & Flow. His pieces are miniature journeys, constantly changing, constantly surprising. He melds together many strains of music, from Welsh Celtic to classical to jazz in an organic, complex, and satisfying whole. Fowler has had an extensive international touring career for decades, working with various groups and collaborating with musicians as different as Richard Thompson and Don Ross. His musical influences range widely too. About half the pieces on Ebb & Flow are originals and half interpretations, including of Pat Metheny, Lennon and McCartney, John Coltrane, Keith Jarret, and Bulgarian composer Petar Liondev. While paying homage to the original versions, Fowler makes them his own, whether giving a sensuous, mournful take on lovely traditional Scottish ballad "Black Is the Color (of My True Love's Eyes)" or his own pieces, such as the jazzy, impetuous "Joy," which races through chordal and single-note passages in the blink of an eye. His composition "Six Thaal" is emblematic of his style. Ruminative and rhythmic, it segues into a peppy melody punctuated with super-fast runs. Other original compositions include "Rhigos," percussive, meditative, and improvisational, and "Llyn y fan," an exceptionally beautiful Celtic piece with jewel-like tones that exemplifies the tonal quality and resonance of his playing. His renditions of others' music are equally compelling. "Erghen Diado," by Bulgarian composer Petar Liondev, is one standout among many, an intricately rhythmic propulsive piece with jangly chords and resonate bass, punctuated with harmonics, all interlaced with a soulful melody. "My Song" (Keith Jarret) is flowing, intimate, and emotionally resonant; here Fowler's proficiency with effortless single-note passages is on full display. His "Norwegian Wood" (Lennon/McCartney) is the most original and intricate version I've ever heard, with spikey intensity, upbeat shifts in tempo, rambunctious chordal passages, and some wild flashes of staccato. On the exceptional "Naima" (John Coltrane), Fowler brings a sultrier and more improvisational sensibility. A fitting end to the album, his original "Iâr Fach yr Haf" is a soulful "airy hymn to Welsh butterflies." Beautifully rendered, it highlights Fowler's lush, flowing, and resonant tone. Ebb & Flow, breathtaking, original, complex, and soul satisfying, is one of the best I've heard in a long time. A must for any lover of guitar, this is music listeners will return to over and over again.
Friday, Jan 31 2025...
Last Friday, we had the pleasure of hosting a truly special concert in many ways, brought to our audience by Dylan Fowler a Welsh guitarist with a long and diverse musical career, both as a solo artist and through collaborations with various international musicians.
I have to confess, I knew almost nothing about this guitarist before the concert. But to be fair, even though I’ve been part of Six Bars Jail since its founding, I hardly ever get involved in planning the concert calendar.
This time, it worked out for the best because, clearly, someone on the team really knew their stuff. Six Bars is made up of people with finely tuned antennas when it comes to the international acoustic guitar scene. In fact, while we were preparing for the concert, it Sergio Bianco was the first one to tell me about Fowler’s discography, unique style, and talent as a performer. That’s when I started getting the feeling that this was going to be one of those nights that perfectly encapsulate why we’ve been doing this for almost twenty years, nights that make our commitment to music tangible. The acoustic guitar as a tool for beauty, connection, and - most importantly - discovery.
And sure enough, out of Dylan Fowler’s one single magical guitar, we heard an incredible mix of Welsh and Scottish traditional tunes, pop covers (The Beatles), jazz masterpieces (Pat Metheny Group, Keith Jarrett), Middle Eastern-inspired melodies, and more, each played with an impeccably coherent touch and truly special harmonic work. More than once, I found myself wondering just how many musical scales can be used in a single song.
Another surprise? Dylan paired every two pieces together in the most unexpected ways, completely ignoring where they came from and instead forging deep, almost ineffable connections between them. It was as if each tune had been meant to merge with the other all along.
So, a huge thank you to Dylan Fowler and his music. I personally wished him a heartfelt “arrivederci”and I truly meant it.
