Heaven Is Creepy

 (5 customer reviews)

I don't usually like instrumental albums from guitarists all that much. As a player myself, I often find that guitar works best in settings where it is not the sole object of attention.

But there are exceptions, and Jim Campilongo is one of them. Big time.

Jim Campilongo is one of the best guitarists you are likely to hear, and certainly the best Telecaster player you will ever hear. More than that, he is just one of the best musicians I have ever heard, with a love of tone, time and melody that simply makes his work crackle with energy and suspense. He knows his history, and freely echoes Roy Buchanan, Speedy West and Django Reinhardt without ever sounding stale or familiar. They are just ghosts in the room.

Campilongo plays with patience, impeccable timing and an off-kilter sense of humor that brings to mind the likes of Tom Waits as a singer and Thelonious Monk as a composer. Ragged edges are everywhere, slickness is nowhere to be found. Gorgeous,...Read more

Jim's guitar sounds a bit like Jerry Garcia met the Ventures on his cover of an old standard, Cry Me A River. Each track has it's own special ambience that keeps this mostly instrumental album from ever sounding too much the same. What an amazing player.

I've seen Jim so many times live and have always loved his playing and the group interplay. Oftentimes it's hard to capture the "magic" of a band that is so good live. This record really does exactly that: you get the feel a wonderful night at the Living Room in NYC with the stellar clean sounds of a high-end recording studio. Really inspired interesting playing from everyone with beautifully recorded sounds. Everyone's ideas are at once surprising and sophisticated, yet very accessible. I find myself listening to it over and over again.