Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Times Leader "Reynolds Returns to River Street"
Reynolds returns to River Street
By Michael Lello Weekender Correspondent
Sometimes guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds plays massive arenas with longtime collaborator Dave Matthews. Other times, you can catch Reynolds’ unique solo act at small, intimate clubs. Local fans will get the opportunity to do the latter on Wednesday, March 1 at the River Street Jazz Cafe.
Reynolds’ current club tour, in which he plays in a solo acoustic format that has mellow moments but promises to get “weird,” in his words, finds the musician drawing material from his recorded output, which dates back to 1984, as well as some covers thrown in for good measure.
“Oh, man, last night I did some Genesis and Yes and some Beatles,” Reynolds said in a recent phone interview from his hotel room in Urbana, Ill.
Switching setlists and adapting his performances to the vibe of the particular audience enables the veteran player to keep it fresh. It’s a knack he’s developed from playing in various incarnations, from his various solo formats and side gigs like the Invisible Pagan Underdogs to his role as a member of Dave Matthews and Friends, which also features fellow guitar standout Trey Anastasio of Phish fame.
“I personally never really play big venues (as a solo act),” Reynolds said. “When you play big shows with bigger scenes, it’s the same in the way that every stage is the same; it’s like this sacred spot. But the bigger shows are a little more surreal. There’s a rapport that the artist you’re playing with has developed with the audience on a large level, in this case, Dave. Any song he’s gonna play, they’re gonna love it, because they know his shit.”
Reynolds’ most recent album is last year’s “Parallel Universe,” a two-disc affair that showcases his genre-busting approach. During the mixing process, Reynolds said he found another creative spark that led to the crafting of material he hopes to record and release later this year.
“I was sitting in the studio with time, and I started making drone-y keyboard bits,” he explained. “I’d take them home and my wife said they were really cool, so I started creating this other album.”
In addition to the electronica, Reynolds has also been writing a lot of solo acoustic tunes, as well as compiling about six hours of what he called “raw material.” He said all of this music should keep him busy for the better part of the decade, molding the mass of sounds into songs and recording and releasing them. As for his writing process, it appears to be about as organic as can be.
“Once in a while, you’re playing and you look at the TV or the wall,” Reynolds said. “The music comes in, and it sneaks its way past your brain. And all of a sudden you’re playing something, and you say ‘Let’s keep doing this for a while.’ I’ve learned how to let that process breathe.”
If you go...
WHO: Tim Reynolds
(Opening act George Wesley)
WHERE: River St. Jazz Cafe
WHEN: Wed., March 1, 9 p.m.
TICKETS: $12 advance, $15 door
INFO: 570.822.2992
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/weekender/13934078.htm