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The passing of guitarist/folk archivist John Fahey last year makes this new compilation even more poignant. A tireless innovator who re-introduced the lost beauty of the finger-picked, acoustic steel-sting guitar (by way of several samplers on his own Takoma label), Fahey was credited for launching the careers of Leo Kottke, Peter Lang and Robbie Basho (among many others) while providing one of the few pre-New Age, all-acoustic forums for guitar lovers. 

Curated by new music string-slinger Henry Kaiser, 156 Strings features 19 different guitarists and their distinctive approaches to the instrument. Like Fahey's enriching collections, 156 Strings features everyone from marquee players and obscure experimentalists, in a variety of  styles that will sway the soul and stagger the imagination. From the body tapping/string rattling technique of Fred Frith's "access" and the bittersweet melody of Richard Thompson's "How Does Your Garden Grow?," to the extended bow and scratching method of Janet Feder's "Lightning Strikes" and hot-bop licks of Richard Leo Johnson's "Hazard Play," this disc serves to affirm that the acoustic guitar is still music's most versatile, expressive and gregarious instrument. 

Followers should note the advent of several exceptional electric players here, like Mike Keneally, Nels Cline and Jean-Paul Bourelly, who rarely unplug except for this occasion. Exceptionally recommended.