Steve
Wildey, "Little Man" 809502-01, 2002
There's nothing quite like opening a letter from home. It
reminds us of what was best about those growing years,, and if we are far away,
will kindle a warmth like a winter's evening in front of the hearth. Steve
Wildey captures that warmth so well on the leading cut of his first CD, the
self-produced "Little Man". "Letter From Home" is a fingerstyle gem with a
beautiful flowing melody in the midst of a strong debut by Mr. Wildey, a great
way to begin a fine first offering. More than any other song on the CD, "Letter
From Home" reveals talent both in composition and execution. He is able to
effectively weave his melodies without losing the listener, something which
can't be said for a lot of "new acoustic guitar" music on the scene. The
recording at a few spots shows a roughness not uncommon with early efforts, but
I have to admit, I really enjoy listening to it. Wildey shows off considerable
chops in varied form. "Yellow" reminds me of Alex DeGrassi 's chordal changes,
while "Seasons of Life" shares some of Peppino D'Agostino's lyricism. Multiple
guitar parts work well together on the Latin-influenced "Girls of Panama", and I
thought for a minute I was on the beach with them. "Love's A Twister", is a
playful Travis-picking rollick, joined by the hot, bluesy "Big Red Rolls", and
the sweet title cut, "Little Man", dedicated to his son, who at a tender age may
not yet fully appreciate his dad's fingers, but I'm sure he likes what he hears
from these 11 songs. I know I did.
© Kirk Albrecht
November/December, 2002
"Little Man"
self-produced, 2002
Little Man
is a CD for those who like guitar music and who like to have a relaxing album to play to unwind or to meditate.Steve Wildey is an accomplished musician and composer who will entrance and delight any lover of good music. I do not hear any individual hit tracks on this CD, but I find the complete work very satisfying. No track stands out because all are good.
I would purchase this CD before any of the many offerings of "rain forest" or "deep ocean" sounds if I wanted a CD to unwind with or to have in the background as I write.
It would be very interesting to hear Wildey play some works by other composers or perhaps his interpretations of traditional tunes, as his guitar playing and style are very pleasing.- Rambles
written by Nicky Rossiter published 10 May 2003
"Steve impresses me with his guitar work and musical sensibilities. He is always welcome on my radio show".
Michael Stock
Little Man by Steve Wildey
www.omegaguitars.com"I'm currently running a long repeat loop of Steve's track Seasons Of Life. I do this once in a while when a song just grabs me. I'll have no problem having that piece loop for hours and it seems to become more enjoyable with each play".
"This CD a great recording and really captures Steve's emotion and the great tone of the Blanchards he plays. Kudos to both the player and the builder".
Regards,
Kevin Gallagher, Omega Guitars
Stroudsburg PA.
I finally got to meet Steve, true gentleman acoustic guitarist/composer, and hear him pick last night at Cafe Eleven in St. Augustine, Florida. He played his beautiful Blanchard Sugarpine (the ''Cone of Need''). Mighty impressed I am by this magical, musical, and gorgeous, creation. The Blanchard rosette is really a standout on stage under the lights. Steve has loads of energy on stage and is definitely an advanced fingerstylist of the interesting and creative camp. None of that boring doodling stuff. Strong melodies with wonderful tensions and textures throughout his playing. A great mix from ballads to rockin' blues to something close to what I consider classical rock. He gave the audience a taste of what is to come on his next album and it will be great for certain.
~ Cheryl Watson.
Steve's personality and guitar playing are both very engaging. He is always
welcome here at the cafe we consider him one of the finest guitar players to
play here and are very happy the he chose our place for his CD release party.
~Laurie Oudin owner Main St.Cafe'
~Krome Ave, Homestead FL.
"All I was missing was a glass of wine. Listening to Steve play reminded me of some of the most comfortable things I can think of. Definitely great music, can't wait to book him back again"
~Ann Cox, Owner "Heavenly Temptations"
~Main St. Boonton NJ