Without Words

Michael Spriggs is a veteran Nashville guitarist who has recorded with Eddie Rabbitt and LeAnn Rimes. Additionally, he's written hits for Kenny Rogers and Lee Greenwood. That said, an atmospheric instrumental album may not be what you'd expect for his solo debut, but that's precisely what he has so deftly created. Working with Steve Brewster on global percussion, Jonathan Yudkin on classical strings and mandolin, and Richard Brannan on bass, Spriggs orchestrates a pastoral landscape that's pure country without the twang. Rustic on "Snaefell Rails," ethereal on "Laxey's Wheel," and classical on "She Was Only," Spriggs orchestrates a chamber folk music. This is the kind of album you might have expected from Windham Hill a few years ago: intimate and warm, with precision playing in the service of tunes full of imagery. Although the subtitle, "Reflections From The Isle Of Man," suggests Celtic inclinations, it's just where Spriggs grew up before going country. Contact 615-321-2070.