Introduction
"After the Ball" is an enchanting musical journey by American fingerstyle guitarist John Fahey, released in 1973. This album differs Fahey's customary repertoire of raw, primitive folk-blues guitar structures and pays homage to the Tin Pan Alley and ragtime music age. Famous for expanding the limits of standard steel-string guitar sounds and mixing diverse music genres throughout his career, Fahey's "After the Ball" showcases an amalgamation of early 20th-century popular tunes along with the guitarist's signature fingerpicking design.
Background
"After the Ball" was tape-recorded in the era when Fahey expanded his musical palate and try out different musical categories, from jazz and musique concrète to the nascent ragtime revival of the early 1970s. This duration saw Fahey exploring the capacity of his guitar playing beyond the rural blues roots that marked his earlier albums like "The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death" (1967) and "The New Possibility" (1968).
Drawing inspiration from the Tin Pan Alley songwriters and performers of the late 19th to early 20th century, Fahey crafted a collection of stunning and haunting tunes. The album took its name from "After The Ball", a traditional parlor song composed by Charles K. Harris in 1891. Fahey imbued these apparently quaint melodies with his special fingerstyle strategy and arrangement abilities, creating something fresh and captivating for the listener.
Track Analysis
"After the Ball" includes 10 tracks, with a runtime of about 43 minutes. The tunes on this album are a mix of Fahey's originals, conventional songs, and rearrangements of early popular music.
1. Lullaby and Reverie: Melodic, sweet, and gentle, this track sets the state of mind for the album. Fahey's soft and tender phrasing makes this an enchanting lullaby with a dreamlike quality.
2. After the Ball: This Charles K. Harris classic is equated into Fahey's fingerpicking style, highlighted by a melancholic grace that raises the tune's nostalgic theme.
3. Indian Pacific Railroad Blues: Fahey picks up the pace on this, creating a spirited fingerpicking blues piece reminiscent of his earlier works.
4. Beverly: A lovely ballad, this track showcases Fahey's extraordinary fingerstyle playing as he moves through the sophisticated tune.
5. Follow the Drinking Gourd: This traditional African American work-song showcases Fahey's mastery and enthusiasm for broadening his musical repertoire.
6. St. Louis Blues: Fahey's analysis of the traditional W.C. Handy song, blending blues and ragtime, is a testimony to his adaptability as a guitarist and a songwriter.
7. Maggie/What Have You Done with the Keys?: This assortment begins with a lovely performance of James A. Bland's "Maggie" and transitions into an engaging, syncopated "What Have You Done with the Keys?".
8. Take The "A" Train: Fahey's captivating rendition of the Duke Ellington classic is a fascinating exploration of the tune from a solo guitar viewpoint.
9. Replica Train Whistle/In the Northwoods: This track combines Fahey's signature railroad aesthetic with a delightful polyrhythmic ragtime piece.
10. Frisco Leaving Birmingham/I Don't Want Nothin' for Christmas: Striking a spirited, festive note, Fahey closes the album with an evocative and plaintive Christmas ballad.
Conclusion
John Fahey's "After the Ball" is a mesmerizing screen of musical flexibility, songwriting prowess, and extraordinary fingerpicking guitar strategy. By checking out the songs of Tin Pan Alley and ragtime, Fahey captured the spirit and feeling of a bygone period while showing his enormous creative range. Whether a fan of vintage Americana, blues, or folk music, this album makes certain to delight and fascinate anybody thinking about the power of solo guitar instrumentals.
Artist: John Fahey
John Fahey, an influential American guitarist, composer, and musicologist. Explore his inspiring quotes and journey here.
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