The Guitar Player's Resource
Into The Distance is the title of Scottish guitarist Bob Robertson's fingerstyle CD-R, and the album features his innovative picking techniques over a collection of instrumentals and vocal numbers (about half and half). The music, which features originals and four covers, could be described as folk/rock, with a great deal of intense figerpicking, which allows the energy of the pieces to each the listener. The instrumentals such as "Solo Blind", "Bane Of My Life" and the title track would probably be generally more compelling for guitar fans, as the vocal numbers, by necessity, use the vocals to carry the tune, as opposed to the guitar (and Robertson has, by his own admission, a somewhat limited vocal range). It was a lot more fun to listen to the instrumentals and conjure up images about what the songs meant. Some tracks feature percussion, others, a bit of electric guitar, but for the most part, it's Robertson's guitar playing that carries the CD - be sure you check it out, especially if you'd like to hear some interesting picking ideas.
Bob is 38 years old and has been playing guitar seriously for about 25 years. He is classically trained, and is most comfortable with acoustic guitars. Over the years, Bob has developed some very individual picking techniques. After training in the classical tradition, he gradually moved over to the folk scene, which is quite big in Scotland. Due to the limitations in this style, Bob eventually adopted a folk/rock style. When recording, he generally works alone, with just his guitar and his voice.
Robertson is marketing his CD-R through a couple of online sites, and is currently seeking more publicity and recognition for his songs and playing style.
Robert William Robertson
Scotland
Web site: www.bobrobertson.net