This is a piece that is less scary to play than it is to read. Set in a shuffle rhythm in four sharps (with double sharps here and there), it might scare someone of Grade Four or Five standard, until they realise that much of the notational jungle is executed with a few slides and fixed shapes that are plonked about the fingerboard.
With a percussive and rhythmic opening secured by strumming on muted strings, the piece grabs the listener by the throat and gets his immediate attention. The boogie bass underneath is given full exposure here, and the 12-bar sequence that permeates the piece is given its first airing. Some parts of the piece scream Glenn Miller at me, but ifs fresh and the choice of key gives the piece lustre and a sparkle that contrasts agreeably with the lush but slightly-too-mellow-for-me Miller sound.
As the piece develops, there is a change of texture over the walking boogie bass when the piece moves into triplets. There are some enjoyable turns of phrase here and some bent notes too which all add to the fun. Every time a passage looks fearsome, a more detailed examination shows that it's all under the fingers. In fact the only thing that isn't under the fingers is the final six-note chord, and I nearly lambasted the composer for making the ending the most feared and awkward part of the piece. But then again, there are two beats rest before this chord - time to plait the fingers and double check everything before a lovely smoochy end.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)
