Listening to this recording was a fine and surprising treat for me. The purity of sound and musicianship of this work is breathtaking. It’s the kind of release that permits the fullest expression of the artist’s craft, in this case- Don Ross’ extraordinary finger style play, thirty years in the making.

When he was eight years old he began his self-taught study of music on the acoustic guitar. Ross now plays primarily the baritone guitar, but also has skill with normal scale and long scale acoustic guitars, and he is a maestro at letting the instrument sing with his unique and award- winning fingering style. There isn’t one single number that stands out from the rest, since they are all cleanly rendered with heart, sincerity and a loving respect for the graceful magic of the fretted apparatus.

Ross’ tunes cover resonate moods that include flamenco timbres (“Zarzuela”) and some touches of funk (“Lucy Watusi”). But, for the most part, these melodies defy categorization and are more about the mood and sentiments behind their creations than they are about any approximation at genre or style.

For instance, the mellow “This Dragon Won’t Sleep” was composed at night, while his infant daughters were quietly dreaming. Others tunes were arranged to reflect Ross’ then- state-of-mind. “Midnight March” was composed during his honeymoon in Italy; “Catherine” is dedicated to a favored aunt who passed away and “Thin Air” was written during his first Canadian tour as a gesture of gratitude for having made it through.

To get a better idea of what these sounds are like, think of the gentle and airy tones of America, or the laid back strains of Seals & Crofts or Dan Fogelberg – without the vocals, and only with guitar. To get an even better idea, listen to the master himself, because in the end, Don Ross is all about the grace that music lends to our lives and the intimate richness of all its gifts.