SEEING THROUGH

Listen to SEEING THROUGH by Rick Hayward.

This is about as obscure as I can get. I downloaded this Rick Hayward album on a lark and I like it quite a bit. Let me quote a little:

"A beautiful solo debut from Rick Hayward -- a guitarist who'd played on numerous blues and rock sessions for the Blue Horizon label as a session musician, but who steps out here with a gently folksy voice of his own! The set's almost all acoustic -- and features Rick on sitar, mandolin, bass, bongos, and a bit of drums as well -- sometimes instrumental, with a lyrically jazzy inflection to his sound -- sometimes with a bit of vocals, which have a fragile quality that's quite different than Hayward's more confident guitar."

That bit of "difference" is key to the success of this song. The playing is totally confident and professional. ...And the singing is classic sideman-gets-a-song. Just like Ringo's vocals are charming in their limitedness, Mr. Hayward's vocals here are likeably modest.

Photo: In repose (3).