Walter Strauss PLANET SOLITAIRE

2011 will see US guitarist and songwriter Walter Strauss releasing PLANET SOLITAIRE, a collection of ambitious solo recordings inspired by a diverse world of influences. There are multilayered instrumentals for the kora, a twenty-one stringed West African harp, rendered fluidly on the guitar, this shown perfectly on the track Djimbaseh.Walter’s song writing moves from a soulful account of forgotten US history on the song Ishi, a tale about the last ‘wild’ native of North America who survived forty years of living in hiding to The Salamander, a catchy and funky feel-good song wrought through the eyes of a salamander.  The ambitious instrumental Gypsydish finds its roots in an unlikely assemblage of influences including an Oklahoma songwriter, the great traditions of the Spanish guitar and the kamal’ngoni, a West African hunter’s harp. Sitting comfortably alongside these fine tracks is a creative instrumental variation of the George Harrison penned epic Within You, Without You taken from the Sgt. Pepper’s album, a homage to Harrison’s exploration of Indian music and culture.Also featured on the eleven track release is a spirited re-working of an obscure Woody Guthrie track entitled The Great Historical Bum. Featured throughout is Walter’s singular guitar work, a mix of mastery and innovation, a multi cultural cocktail. PLANET SOLITAIRE has a fresh and unique sound immediately recognizable as Walter Strauss.

PLANET SOLITAIRE can be seen as an album of many elements, a mix of vocal tracks and instrumentals that cover a multitude of genres, folk, world, country and classical. On the vocal tracks Walter has that smooth wood smoke and whisky intimate delivery that pulls the listener in making them feel as if the song is for them alone.

Before embarking on his solo career, Walter had spent over fifteen years playing at festivals and shows throughout the United States, Canada and Ireland alongside such notable performers as legendary fiddle player Vassar Clements, Martin Simpson, Corinne West and Alex de Grassi. The past few years has seen Walter performing solo and with The Walter Strauss Trio comprising bassist Sam Bevan (David Grisman/ Joe Craven) and percussionist Kendrick Freeman (Alison Brown/ Rob Ikes).

A fan of any instrument with strings attached Walter has also toured as a duo with Malian kora master and 2010 Grammy winning artiste Mamadou Diabate and has also collaborated with Malian kamal’ngoni player Mamadou Sidibe.

“Glorious playing!” Bob Harris BBC Radio 2

“The man is class” fRoots magazine

Artist website: www.walterstrauss.com