ALBUM:
On My Way
TAYLOR USED:
712-CE
355
SONG CLIPS:
Nairobi
28k | 56K
Seven Years
28k | 56K
CONTACT INFO:
Life Rhythm Music
P.O. Box 806
Mendocino, CA 95460
(707) 937-1825
E-mail:
teja @dnai .com
Web:
www. teja gerken .com
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Readers of Acoustic Guitar magazine will recognize Teja Gerken's name as the monthly's
Gear Editor. He's also an accomplished fingerstylist who has studied with fingerpicking
gurus Duck Baker, Peppino D'Agostino, Alex de Grassi and Chris Proctor. Gerken makes his
own mark with On My Way, an ambitious, richly textured collection of solo fingerstyle
compositions. The predominantly original collection incorporates alternate tunings,
harmonics, two-handed tapping and other percussive techniques, and is shaped further by
Gerken's formidable musical vocabulary and improvisational prowess. His musical palette
stretches around the world, embracing jazz, classical and flamenco elements, and On My Way
draws inspiration from the likes of Frenchman Peter Finger ("Darjeeling"), the sanguine
vibe of '60s African acoustic guitar music ("Nairobi"), and the serendipitous discovery of
a halfway point between two alternate tunings ("Penny For Your Thoughts").
Gerken is a familiar face in the the Bay Area acoustic music scene, where his live
performances shuffle original material into an eclectic repertoire that includes Bach,
Russian composer Dmitri Kabalevski, Eric Satie, and jazz giants John Coltrane and
Theolonious Monk. Gerken is also a regular host of the Player's Night series at Strings
in Emoryville, California, and has shared the stage with such acoustic masters as John
Renbourn, Laurence Juber, Tim Sparks, Franco Morone, Woody Mann, and Mike Marshall.
Gerken refers to his '95 712-C as his "main" guitar. He likes its versatility and its
facility for creating a good mic'd sound. He also used a 355 on "Berlin at 2 a.m." and
says it had "amazing sustain and bottom-end."
"There is a lot of imagination and intuition in Teja's compositions. His material stretches from African influences to free improvisations. I truly enjoy it."
— Peppino D'Agostino
"Gerken's original compositions are complex, personal instrumentals ornately convoluted with uncharted passages intended for on-the-spot improvisations reflecting the artist's manifold tastes and influences."
— Daedalus Howell,
Petaluma Argus-Courier
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