U.K. born / U.S. based guitarist Steve Gibb released ZigZag on CD way back in 2002 so it’s with great relief to hear that he’s back in 2021 with The Boatman. Well regarded in the instrumental rock guitar community, Steve takes a somewhat different turn on The Boatman. In contrast to the guitar sounds inspired by the 1960s sound of his early guitar heroes The Shadows, the all-acoustic fingerstyle guitar sound of The Boatman sounds more influenced by traditional Celtic and Scottish acoustic music as well as Irish jigs popularized in years past by U.K. guitarists like John Renbourn, Gordon Giltrap. The album also skirts the perimeters of classical guitar music in the traditions of greats like John Williams and Julian Bream.

One track here “Highland Cathedral” is actually renowned as a bagpipe piece or even a hymn-like tune. Another piece here, track 5 “Invisibility”, written by the late pianist Laurie Zeluck Carter, sounds like a cross between traditional folk music and Windham Hill style New Age and is a perfect fit for Steve’s exquisite fingerstyle guitar sound. There’s no doubting Steve’s mastery of the solo instrumental guitar fare presented on The Boatman. Though the album is not exactly New Age music, it is quite meditative and superbly relaxing. The Boatman casts its sonic net far and wide and, with its 12 tracks, clocking in at 51 minutes, The Boatman makes for a highly entertaining acoustic guitar collection of traditional tunes and Steve Gibb originals.