Jim McCarty may have recorded with Buddy Miles and jammed with Jimi Hendrix, but it was with CACTUS that the American guitarist became a master of his trade, projecting heavy, if nuanced, crunch from the ensemble’s debut concert to their most recent offering, "Tightrope" that was issued last year. All this didn’t give his followers a lot ground to imagine what the veteran’s manner could sound like in an unplugged environment – until now. The Covid-related sabbatical allowed McCarty to come up with an album titled “Acoustic Ideas” – a follow-up to his solo studio debut, “Talkin’ To Myself” from 2018.
An interesting project, the forthcoming record is heartwarming, as “Dancing With Sally” references McCarty’s best friend and “Santa Rosa Skies” dedicated to his colleague in MYSTERY TRAIN Emmanuel Garza, while “Some Blues” was inspired by Miles Davis’ “All Blues” – so there’s a lot to enjoy.
“During the pandemic I played very little electric guitar,” says Jim. “I played the acoustic. In the summer of 2021, I recorded some of the ideas I had, and I loved the sound of the old Gibson Dove so much that I decided to do an all acoustic CD. Except for the lead on ‘Drivin’ Downtown,’ this is all fingerpicking.”
Acoustic Ideas
The result of his efforts looks like this:
1. Waterfall
2. Love Lost
3. Some Blues
4. Blues For Mr. Boiteau
5. The Uphill Boogie – parts 1, 2 & 3
6. Dancing With Sally
7. Sunset In Jamaica
8. Drivin’ Downtown
9. Santa Rosa Skies
10. My love For You
