Tomkins Square calls this a reissue, and it is--kinda. The first seven tracks were recorded from 1972-1975 (during the time he recorded his Gentle Wilderness set, which has also been re-issued). One of them, "For Marsha," is a different version of a track on that album. The last piece, "Three Sisters," was recorded in 1999. For all that, I'm not sure these pieces have actually been released before.

Rick Deitrick Coyote Canyon (Tomkins Square)

Housekeeping aside, these acoustic instrumental guitar works are obviously from a different era. Deitrick's virtuosity is channeled into giving these songs a sense of place. His work is gentle, but not simple. There are few (if any) harsh sounds.

If there was such a thing as an audio western landscape, these pieces are that. Keenly observed, it's easy to hear rain falling in the desert or marvel at the stark beauty one's surroundings. While Deitrick's inspiration was the area near his home in Arizona, I hear echoes of the high prairie in New Mexico (where I went to high school) as well.

His genius is leaving space. Deitrick doesn't rush. He takes his time to fill his canvas. And he leaves us with wonder.

Jon Worley