Wildwood Flower

Recorded and Mixed at: Echo Music & Recording Ltd. St. John's, Newfoundland October, 1986 Gordon Quinton's last record, "Woodnight Moon" (Pigeon Inlet PIP-739, 1982), received many enthusiastic reviews. In one of Canada's leading music magazines, Country Music News, the reviewer praised Gordon's "superb guitar work" and suggested that it would be interesting to hear the Windsor, Newfoundland, native pick guitar on some contemporary songs and a few country standards. For this, his third album, Gordon has answered that request, as well as introducing some new traditional tunes of the kind that those of us who consider ourselves Gordon's fans have come to enjoy hearing him play. The tunes on this album reflect Gordon's familiarity with the work of the great musicians of the American southeast (Elizabeth Cotten, Doc Watson, the Carter Family), and southwest (Bob Wills, Leon McAuliffe) as well as his knowledge of several centuries of music, from O'Carolan's 17th century modalities through uptown numbers like "Bye Bye Blues" and "Wheels". In addition to his broad repertoire, Gordon has a unique touch on the guitar. At times one is reminded of the sound of accordion music by his use of a sharp attack on notes followed by a quick damping, giving a staccato sound as heard on old time tunes such as "Rippling Water Jig" and the medley of "Skipper Lost His Guernsey" and "City Of Savannah." At other times Gordon uses vibrato to create a sustained sound which one associates with unamplified steel string guitar. Equally adept with flat pick or finger picking, he moves easily through complex chord patterns and a variety of rhythms. Throughout this album he is given able support by a group of musicians with whom he has played frequently; they are familiar with his music. Gordon is a virtuoso guitarist, a great technician; but what one hears first in his music is his own strong sense of musical appropiateness, his personal vision. Many of these songs are old favourites, but you've never heard them played the way Gordon plays them. It's a musical treat well worth the listening. Neil V. Rosenberg Author of Bluegrass: A History (Urbana: U. of Illinois Press, 1985) November 3, 1986. I would like to thank the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and all others who made this project possible. Gordon Distributed by: Gordon Quinton Box 6285 St. John's, Nfld. A1C 6J9