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Sean Smith
Eternal
SAAH059 CD/MP3
Release Date: April 27, 2010
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Topinambour - Palak Paneer - Goat Seer - The Real - Holly - Prompter of Conscience - Greetings Death Love (excerpts)

Sean Smith: Guitar, Wiessenborn, Reed Organ, Nylon String Guitar, Electric Guitars, Electric Bass
with: Spencer Owen: Bongos, Shakers, Claves, Sandpaper Blocks, Electric Bass, Drums
Adam Snider: Guitar, Banjo, Handclaps
Fletcher Tucker: Mountain Dulcimer, Handclaps
Angela Hsu: Violin

"Like the best poetry, Eternal engages from the start and expands with each pass. Built upon Smith's Eastern-influenced acoustic guitar and sparing contributions from four fellow instrumentalists, the disc explores both the form and sound of music through seven joyous, contemplative tracks." - East Bay Express

Sean Smith is Berkeley, CA's preeminent steel-string slinger. Albums for Isota, the Berkeley Guitar 3-way split (a-la the Fahey/Kottke/Lang classic platter for Takoma Records) on Tompkins Square, and as current co-lead guitarist for Bay Area 'Zep III revivalists / Dead Oceans recordings artists Citay comprise a portion of a very impressive resume. "American Primitive" icon Glenn Jones was an early advocate of Smith's solo music, and since those inaugural strums of his indispensible solo debut, Smith has amassed a loyal following. For those in the know, Smith is indisputably one of the leaders of contemporary guitar soli whose name is passed alongside Jones, Jack Rose, James Blackshaw, Harris Newman, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Paul Metzger…well, you get the picture. As a solo artist, all of Smith's recordings have been solo acoustic steel string explorations firmly rooted in the Takoma tradition. Eternal marks Smith's foray into multi-instrumental compositions, fleshing out astonishing explorations into Eastern-tinged mini ragas, rockers, and ruminations, with fabulous success.

Eternal finds Sean Smith in peak compositional form, coaxing sensory-enhancing textures from an ensemble of players. His erstwhile acoustic guitar providing the anchor, Smith provides common links with Eastern and Middle Eastern folk music, folk-rock, Appalachian stomp, and Robbie Basho-esque American Raga that bobs and weaves but never ribbons itself away from its common tether. Especially reminiscent of the tilaka-adorned works of Sandy Bull and Peter Walker, with nods towards the Eastern influenced albums of John Fahey (The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party, Fare Forward Voyagers), Smith has arrived with an elaborately adorned and introspective offering. Softly psychedelic, spiritual, beautiful…Eternal is eternal.

*CD is housed in a lovely 5" cardstock gatefold jacket sleeve with spot gloss overlays.
*Originally released as an LP in a collector-frenzied limited run of 300 on Gnome Life Records.
*Numerous live outings and tours in with the likes of Glenn Jones, Jack Rose, James Blackshaw, Sharon Krauss, Six Organs of Admittance, Gary Higgins, Will Oldham and many more luminaries of the acoustic variety.
*Produced the critically lauded album Berkeley Guitar (Tompkins Square), comprising the efforts of himself, Adam Snider and Matt Baldwin.
*Puts his chops to the test electrically as a current member of Citay (Dead Oceans).
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