Artists:Sam Pacetti & Gabriel Valla

Sam Pacetti & Gabriel Valla

“...a major talent in the world of acoustic guitar. If Kottke, Fahey, and Procter are household names where you live, consider getting familiar with Sam Pacetti's work.This young guitarist is an enormous talent. Whether playing a reel, covering Martin Simpson or dishing out a ravishing original, Pacetti is a simply astonishing guitarist..." - Eric Fidler, AP.

Sam Pacetti from St. Augustine, Florida, has achieved a dazzling command of the steel-string guitar. Sam learned flamenco at the knee of his Cuban grandfather, pursued classical guitar studies in his early teens, and became the protege of Travis-style master Gamble Rogers for the last year of Gamble's life.

Sam Pacetti's first CD, Solitary Travel, was released nearly ten years ago, when he was 22. It got airplay on NPR, Sam was voted best new artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, everything was in place for a grander success, and... Pacetti disappeared. Well, not if you lived in St. Augustine, Florida, where he performs Monday nights at the Mill Top Tavern, and there was an occasional Southern festival gig. A poor quality soundboard CDR recording "Live at the Mill Top" showed the man could still make a steel-string guitar catch fire and burn. He hung some drywall and did some surfing, but the real journey is the quiet one. This recording reflects that journey, through loss and rapture and loves too fragile to survive, all the more passionately embraced. Somewhere along the line, Sam became an extraordinary interpreter of other writers' material. Needless to say, Union is beautiful, and for the most part Sam and musical compadre Gabriel Valla's guitar parts are presented more in support of the songs than as showpieces for their prodigious instrumental skills: "Ft Worth Blues" is Steve Earle's poignant tribute to the life of Townes Van Zandt; Leslie Smith's "Dark Horses" comes from her first cassette recording:

Gabe Valla sings lead on Kate MacLeod's classic "Lark in the Morning"; the two make a picker's feast of "Wildwood Flower." "Augustine" is one for the repeat button, a soaring, gorgeous melody, tracing the prodigal's return to the Goddess. Michael Smith's "There" closes, stating so elegantly that all we need for love and wonder is already in our hands. Yes, indeed. And welcome home. -AC.