Dreamcatcher
Doug Wood
WG Records

Doug Wood plays guitar the way life should be lived: nimble, engaging, gratifying, spiritual, with intention. The local musician and former member of Watts Gnu offers a "folk/jazz" blend of finger style guitar prowess on Dreamcatcher – a fluid effort which recalls everything from Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges and Bruce Cockburn, to the grace and finesse that labels like Narada and Windham Hill have come to represent over the last 20 years.

Not to be pinned down to any one particular category, Wood’s largely instrumental affair is emotive progressive acoustic rock one moment, fluid jazz rock the next, then meditative New Age ambiance after that. The disc’s title track emerges first – peeking through the speakers like the sun would through the clouds. This resplendent sonic sunrise could certainly make your morning mood with its uplifting, transcendent energy and dexterity. From there, each composition cascades like waterfalls and babbles like brooks in just the right places. Each piece is stunningly beautiful in its shapeshifting soundscapes.

His songs are like little travelogues: “From Acadia to the Okefenokee,” for example conjures every bit of pristine beauty and nature in the national park and wildlife preserve, respectively. Full of finger picking lines, tasty harmonics and impeccably crafted melodies. Elsewhere, during cuts like “Thank You Charlie Brown,” “Absorka Passage,” “Book of Change,” “Desert Song” and “Searching,” the poignant soundscapes transport you to other places.

When an artist can globally/geographically alter you in your seat, you know you’re experiencing something special. And with Dreamcatcher’s delightful vibes and consciousness, guest musicians Dale Peters (James Gang), Jamey Haddad (Cle native jazz drummer/percussionist), Tracy Silverman (Windham Hill violinist), and bassist Darren Frate (from Watts Gnu) shine even more on their respective cuts.

Wood has spent many years touring, recording and refining his chops; this disc represents everything from his early days busking in Boston subways, to his most recent nod as the “Best Guitarist” by one of the local alt-weeklies. It’s no wonder he’s been featured on National Public Radio shows Echoes and River City Folk, and his compositions featured on over 700 stations across the country. Dreamcatcher shows a guitarist at his peak of creativity and energy.

Doug Wood performs at the Great Lakes Burning River Fest at Wendy Park on Whiskey Island this Saturday August 11 at 3PM. For more details on the event and the list of artists performing, visit http://www.burningriverfest.org. For more on Doug Wood, visit http://www.dougwoodmusic.com.

From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
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