Still Valentines Day, 1969: Live At the Matrix, San Francisco (Live)

Along with John Fahey, Robbie Basho and others, Sandy Bull was one of a handful of American guitarists who, not content with merely mastering bygone styles, used the folk and blues idioms of the ‘30s and ‘40s as a platform for the exploration of a myriad of musical styles. Bull exhibited a serious interest in Brazilian rhythms and Middle Eastern scales that caused his music to seem warm and inviting in contrast to Fahey’s more austere work. Though Sandy Bull’s first two full lengths Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo and Inventions are the best introduction to Bull’s style, the 1969 live recording Still Valentine’s Day finds Bull in previously uncharted territory, improvising wildly on oud and guitar over a series of pre-recorded backing tracks. Some of these tracks recall the tranquility of Bull’s earlier work, but the most interesting pieces, particularly the slow crawling twang of “Memphis, TN” and the free-floating arpeggios of “Bouree” hint at the emergence of a more brooding, dissonant sensibility. Though the sound quality is occasionally a bit rough, this recording is a revealing and invaluable addition to Bull’s woefully slim discography.