Richard Blake

Richard Blake Plays Heartache Guitar

Richard Blake's career spans several decades. He has played guitar in every conceivable venue as a New York club date musician. Heartache Guitar is an accurate presentation of his live solo performances. Richard sits on a stool and embraces the jazz, archtop guitar that is strung with relatively heavy gauge, ribbon wound strings; standard tuning. A neck pickup is connected to a small amplifier that provides minimum reverb. A small pick is held in the right hand, between the thumb and index finger, and brushes the strings. This technique was developed by Richard's beloved teacher, legendary bebop guitarist Chuck Wayne. The nails on the remaining fingers are also used to brush the strings, creating a classical feel to Richard's original arrangements of eighteen well known standards. With his left hand, Richard carefully places his fingers on the frets to produce melody, harmony, moving bass lines, syncopations, pedal tones and chordal arrangements designed to be lush and pleasing. The songs on this CD are real love songs played in real time; freestyle; alone with a guitar and an amplifier.