The five "Zombie-Sonata Rags" have Lawson using his favorite themes from early 19th century European guitar sonatas, and imagining these sonatas emerged from some swamp in America a century later as ragtime duets, zombies of what they were in a bygone era. Koholeth Rag, an earlier original by Lawson, is unusual for being written in a minor key and using imitative procedures more typical of a Baroque fugue.

The "Sonata for guitar and ukulele" is a new work that may be appreciated by lovers of the diminutive, often under-rated instrument. The lively first and third movements, while technically challenging for the ukulele, make good use of the instrument's ability to produce spicy chords and note-clusters. The classical form of the sonata has a tendency to hide just how many blues and jazz riffs and chords are serving as the foundation. The contrasting middle movement "Jury Duty" slowly reveals an appropriately pensive fugue.

The Prelude and Fugue in F minor represents a fraction of a cycle of 24 Preludes and Fugues for both solo guitar and guitar duet.

The "Guitar Sonata #2 in C major" opens with a sonata Allegro whose first theme is literally a 12-bar blues. The Maestoso offers a slower, lovely-sounding lullaby. The "Guitar Sonata in G major", performed on 8-string classical guitar, uses open G tuning. The first movement "Hobo Spider Blues" opens with a slide blues variation-form inspired by Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, while the second movement "Ragged and Sor(e)" changes to a solo rag influenced by music of Fernando Sor. The third movement "Ricardo de Yakima" returns to the slide guitar with a laid-back country blues feel.

1. Carulli's Zombie Sonata Rag (after Op 21 1 and 2) (Jeremiah Lawson)
2. Prelude in F Minor (Jeremiah Lawson)
3. Fugue in F Minor (Jeremiah Lawson)
4. Giuliani's Zombie Sonata Rag (from Op 15 61 and 150) (Jeremiah Lawson)
5. Presto Moderato 'Moving In' from Sonata for Ukulele and Guitar (Jeremiah Lawson)
6. Maestoso 'Jury Duty' from Sonata for Ukulele and Guitar (Jeremiah Lawson)
7. Menuet and Trio 'Summer in the Park' from Sonata for Ukulele and Guitar (Jeremiah Lawson)
8. Sor's Zombie Sonata Rag (after Op 14 15b 22 and 25) (Jeremiah Lawson)
9. Diabelli's Zombie Sonata Rag (from Op 29 Sonatas 2 and 3) (Jeremiah Lawson)
10. Allegro from Guitar Sonata 2 in C Major (Jeremiah Lawson)
11. Maestoso from Guitar Sonata 2 in C Major (Jeremiah Lawson)
12. Koholeth Rag (Jeremiah Lawson)
13. Hobo Spider Blues from Guitar Sonata in G Major (Jeremiah Lawson)
14. Ragged and Sor(e) from Guitar Sonata in G Major (Jeremiah Lawson)
15. Ricardo de Yakima from Guitar Sonata in G Major (Jeremiah Lawson)
16. Matiegka's Zombie Sonata Rag (from Grand Sonatas 1 and 2) (Jeremiah Lawson)

Listen to: the entire album.

Release date: 02/05/2016
Daniel Estrem lives in Minnesota USA

Tagged as: Classical, Contemporary, Instrumental, Composer: Jeremiah Lawson, Classical Guitar

1. The Melodious Birde - Keyboard Music By William Byrd by Colin Booth: solo harpsichord music
2. Messe a l'usage des Couvents by Craig Hanson: exquisitely moving Baroque organ music
3. Sylvius Leopold Weiss Suites en si Bemol et la Majeur by Mauricio Buraglia: a marvelous classical spiral of lute sounds
4. Stile Moderno, Stile Antico by Thomas Walker: Lute music of 17th century France and Italy
5. Le 9 sonate per violoncello solo e continuo by Vito Paternoster: cellist extraordinaire
6. Patrons of the Lute by Daniel Shoskes: A feast of Baroque lute
7. Influenza Italiana by Ensemble Mirable: rare and extraordinary music of the Baroque
8. Instant Fires by Poeticall Musicke: Late Renaissance and Early Baroque music, historically performed
9. CD2-JS Bach-Six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord by Ingrid Matthews and Byron Schenkman: baroque violin & harpsichord
10. Ancient Mosaic with Guitar by La Reverie: Recreating traditional music from a modern perspective
11. Fogliano to Froberger - A Century of Ricercars by Colin Booth: solo harpsichord music
12. Pasquale Pericoli - Sei Sonate a Violoncello e basso by Vito Paternoster: cellist extraordinaire
13. Musica da Camera by Streicher Trio: classical chamber music on period instruments
14. Sister Awake by Jeni Melia: Elizabethan lute and folk song
15. CD1 - Bach - The Six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin by Lara St John: Bach violin concertos
16. Josquin des Prez Lute Settings by Jacob Heringman: renaissance lute
17. Alessandro Piccinini by Paul Beier: solo lute of the Italian renaissance.
18. SL Weiss on 11 Strings by Paul Berget: renaissance lute, modernized.
19. Le Tresor dOrphee by Antoine Francisque by James Edwards: baroque guitar music
20. New Jazz Galaxy by Jive Ass Sleepers: chilled out grooves & uptempo funkathons

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