"Alec Stone Sweet didn’t just transpose 16 oldtime dance tunes, Appalachian folk pieces, and originals from clawhammer banjo to guitar for this album; to preserve the idiomatic flavor of these melodic, mostly modal pieces, Stone Sweet transposes, as best he can, the clawhammer style itself to guitar. To approximate the five-string banjo sound on many pieces, Stone Sweet retunes his guitar and replaces his low E with a high treble string to create tunings like the G G D G B D setup he uses on “Farewell Trion.” He also uses the thumb/index-finger clawhammer banjo picking technique to play the melodies and drones of these tunes. The entrancing result is enhanced by the sonority and rich sustain of Stone Sweet’s guitar. The material is a good mix of well-known tunes—“Angeline” and “Cluck Old Hen,” among them—and more obscure pieces, like “Texas” and “Joe Bane’s Reel.” Throughout, Stone Sweet’s rhythmic sense and phrasing are spot on, and he gives the music the drive it needs without ever sounding hurried or overwhelming the simple melodies. Compulsory listening for guitar fans, Tumblin’ Gap is the kind of surprising recording that inspires new guitar movements."

Ron Forbes-Roberts Acoustic Guitar Magazine

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