Six String Dexterity From Craig Ogden
Craig Ogden breathes new life into film music and more.
Artist: Craig Ogden
Title: Summertime
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Instrumental
Label: Classic FM CFMD20
The Music: An unashamedly popular but deftly chosen collection of arrangements and original guitar works for summer listening, from film music (Cavatina, The Godfather, Captain Corelli, Inspector Morse) to bittersweet, contemplative melodies (Satie’s Gymnopedie No.1; Fauré’s Pavane; ‘Greensleeves’) and core classics (Albéniz’s Granada and Asturias, and the Adagio from Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez).
The Performance: While the essence of this collection is firmly rooted in the ‘chill out’ section, there’s enough varied light and shade implicit in the repertoire, and in particular Craig Ogden’s playing, to make for an enjoyable musical journey. Ogden is a brilliant player, performing with restrained elegance in the more virtuoso works, in particular a poetic and thoughtful Adagio from the Concierto de Aranjuez, and a sunny Granada. In the straightforwardly melodic tracks, he simply allows his instrument to sing, delivering a haunting Cavatina, and a heartfelt Summertime and Over the Rainbow.
The Verdict: There’s enough musical backbone in this album to raise it beyond a collection of fleeting seasonal classics, and Ogden’s fine playing ensures you’ll want to keep listening long after summer’s end.
Want More? Craig Ogden’s first album for Classic FM, ‘The Guitarist’ (CFMD 14).
