Versatile guitarist Joe Marcinek is known for regularly shuffling his band lineups, but on his latest release, the aptly titled Solo Guitar, he foregoes a band entirely in favor of complex, contemplative jazz guitar stylings.
Recorded by Marcinek at his home with just a guitar, a mic, and an amp during the pandemic, the material on Solo Guitar was later mixed and mastered by Alan Evans (Soulive) at Iron Wax Studios. The album’s eight soothing tracks showcase the guitarist’s harmonic range and provide a dreamy soundtrack for the softer moments in life.
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The final track, a thoughtfully arranged cover of Louis Armstrong‘s ubiquitous “What A Wonderful World”, ties the pandemic-prompted collection together with a decidedly hopeful tone.
As Joe Marcinek explains to Live For Live Music, “The album was recorded after I got Covid around Christmas 2020. Doing a solo guitar recording was something I’ve always wanted to do and during the pandemic finally had the time to accomplish. The first song I wrote, ‘Reclaimed’, was the first thing I played on my guitar after spending 3 days in bed with the virus. The rest of the songs came shortly after.”
You can download or stream Joe Marcinek’s new Solo Guitar album via Bandcamp here. For a list of upcoming Joe Marcinek Band tour dates, head here.
Joe Marcinek Band – Solo Guitar – Full Album