Continuing the legacy left open by John Fahey’s mythical Takoma, the American company Tompkins Square has been, without much room for doubt, the entity that has most leveraged the present and revived the past of a guitar heritage that, starting from the purest spirits of folk, country or blues, has been transmuted into the so-called American Primitive or variants of the British tradition – also paying attention to gospel or jazz, because these ghosts haunt each other. Being largely responsible for the rediscovery of the late Michael Chapman, bringing to light Roscoe Holcomb recordings and giving a platform to present artists such as Gwenifer Raymond, James Blackshaw or William Tyler, the presence of Mason Lindahl’s ‘Kissing Rosy in the Rain’ in the celebrated label’s catalogue is not at all surprising. Released in 2021, ‘Kissing Rosy in the Rain’ endures as one of the most precious documents of fingerpicking of this century, finding in the model postulated by Master Fahey mechanics and valences for a very personal expression that never limits itself to debating past lessons, but offers them new lives. On a disc haunted by memory, by that feeling of ‘longing’ that can be as much nostalgia for the past as for an idea of the future, Lindahl leaves aside any unnecessary – and somewhat recurring – virtuosity to focus on the essentials of his compositions: patient arpeggios and languid chords that conjure up a solitary atmosphere, with space, silences and tense cuts that give the whole an almost dramatic emotional charge that never, ever imposes itself. Rather, it suggests itself in the lyricism of these strings that resonate in close proximity, even when they evoke wide spaces. BS

José Vale is a guitarist based in Porto who wanders between improvised, experimental, noise and rock music, having led the projects: ‘Fox fist Fight’ (2014/2015) and ‘Tentáculo’ (2016/2018). He currently leads the project ‘Lucifer Pool Party’ and has his own solo project where he explores the more experimental aspects of the electric guitar, such as prepared guitar, processing and feedback. He also takes part in the projects ‘Unsafe space garden’, ‘Gonzo’ and ‘Davide Lobão’. In these projects, he was able to explore various resources of improvised music, the links between rock and jazz, and the fusion of various musical styles, such as classic rock, funk, jazz, noise, experimental, free improvisation, reggae, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and even aspects of classical music. He graduated in Jazz Guitar from ESMAE in 2021.