Pieces of Road

Stuart Weber’s PIECES OF ROAD is a heartfelt, profound homage to the spirit of the American West. At once traditional and original, the classical guitarist manages to capture the essence not only of his native Rocky Mountains, but of nature and comfort at large.

Weber celebrates his landscapes in sound with the elaboration and care they justly deserve. It comes as no surprise that the guitarist claims to have been inspired by the long Montana winters to compose this music: if one were to imagine the perfect soundtrack for such a setting, this would be it.

Anniversary Waltz is a charismatic, warm dance with none of a traditional waltz’s rhythmic rigidity, but all of its sentiment and musicality. This track features Weber himself on one of two guitars, along with Antigoni Goni, an internationally renowned Greek guitar virtuoso. The quartet is rounded off by sisters Angella Ahn and Maria Ahn— on violin and cello respectively— who are two-thirds of The Ahn Trio, a dynamic group advancing new compositions in the classical tradition. Anniversary Waltz makes for a fitting warm-up before the album’s core, Pieces of Road.

Each movement traces a road that the composer traveled often in his youth. The Old Way bids tribute to the hard won routes that now lay abandoned alongside the new, highly engineered pavement. Sunken Highway describes a road bed forever lost to the rising waters of a reservoir. Sweetgrass Hills is a frolicking shot down the gravel road; cresting a dozen stomach turning, giggle inducing hills before finally coming to a stop at the grandparents’ ranch.

Weber’s impeccable playing contributes tremendously to PIECES OF ROAD. His ability to not only conceive, but also to perform the music to perfection is a great blessing – both for the artist as well as for the listener.