Glenn Jones - The Giant Who Ate Himself And Other New Works For 6 & 12 String Guitar

Glenn Jones is an instrumentalist of unparalleled skill and creativity. As a masterful raconteur Jones’ guitar work is both complex and sublime, intricate and emotional. His deep knowledge of the world of American Primitive music and his abilities on the fretboard have made Jones a pillar in his community.

With each album Jones chronicles his experience, looking to the past or capturing the present with limber melodies that potently communicate the underlying emotions of the songs. Jones’ flair for storytelling shines in a live setting where origin stories are quite often the song’s introduction. It not only makes for an exceptional evening of listening, but one that draws on the deep traditions of country blues. The Giant Who Ate Himself and Other New Works for 6 & 12 String Guitar is Glenn Jones at his most vivid, exploring memories old and new through beautifully woven threads of melody.

Jones approaches his compositions first and foremost as concepts, emotions, and colors. Every step in his process of writing and recording is in service of creating a distinct character for each piece. His choice of guitars or banjos, tunings, often alternating through his custom partial capos, to choices in tempo and phrasing, even down the environment where he records all play a role. Together with recording engineer Laura Baird, he chooses a location, often a house with some meaning or an arresting view, and sets up the recording space customized for this set of songs.

According to Jones, “To get that sense of place and time, you have to let the world into the recording.” Both Baird and Matthew Azevado, who mixed the album, have been Jones’ trusted collaborators for several years in both performance and on recording. “Laura doing what she does best allows me to do what I do best,” Jones says. “Matt helps me turn those performances into albums.” With their assistance, The Giant Who Ate Himself translates the complicated emotions behind the songs into music that is emotionally resonant to the listener.