Bob Ardern

His music has been described in some circles as Nova Scotia new age blues.

Regardless of what you call it, there is no denying that Bob Ardern is one of Canada’s premier acoustic finger-style guitarists.

Mr. Ardern, who moved from Ontario to the historic UNESCO Town of Lunenburg back in 2007, recently completed his third CD, “Wires, Rosewood & Roots,” which is scheduled for release in early April. - South Shore Now

I’m looking closely at the photo of guitarist Bob Ardern to determine whether he’s got more than two hands. Judging by some of the intricate fretwork on his Wires, Rosewood & Roots CD, I can’t help but wonder. Seriously though, this veteran musician who hails from Nova Scotia, is one talented picker. His acoustic fingerstyle playing draws inspiration from the likes of early Al Stewart, Leo Kottke, Doc Watson, and English folk guitarists John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, among others. Bob’s own unique style is diverse and combines elements of folk, classical, jazz, and Celtic. - Michael Diamond

When I first saw the cover of acoustic guitarist Bob Ardern's Wires, Rosewood & Roots, I suspected I was in for a treat. The front and back cover close-up photograph (almost approaching macrophotography) of a guitar are so detailed and beautiful that I hoped and even believed that the music contained within would be up to the task of meriting such a fantastic pair of images. I was right. Ardern is yet another fingerstyle guitar player whom I had previously not heard of but who I am now an "ardent" (pun intended but the word stands just the same) fan of and will be paying close attention to his future releases. - Zone Music Reporter

"The night I started to listen to Wires, Rosewood & Roots I was starting my 40 mile commute home in a blizzard. It became the perfect soundtrack to my snowy trek home. The first track Dusty's Train was just what I expected to hear based from the picture on the cover of the cd. Open strings, natural harmonics, finger picking. It's a very beautiful, soothing piece." - MusikReviews.com

Fingerstyle guitarist Bob Ardern follows up his critically praised Wires, Rosewood & Roots with Craftsman, a solid successor which once again shines the spotlight on this artist's unique style in a field well populated with talented players. As on the previous disc, Ardern is joined by producer David Findlay (bass, piano, keyboards, and more), Kev Corbett (percussion) and Alyssa Wright (cello). Ardern (as he did on Wires, Rosewood & Roots) credits Findlay with knowing "...when to leave the guitar alone and when to add other instruments..." and he is right on both counts. As before, when others join Ardern, it sounds like they have been playing together for years. Three tracks are solo guitar (including a solo version of Paso Doble which features both Corbett and Findlay in the previous take).

Many of the tracks are uptempo, finger-snapping, and toe-tapping in nature, such as the opening Tiddleywinks, which manages to be both uptempo yet has an air of subtle foreboding. Corbett's percussion and Findlay's bass and high hat lay the ground work for some of Ardern's most adept fingering. Pipe Dream weds a rural waltz feeling (with hints of Ireland) through its languid rhythm by Corbett on bodhran and Findlay's pipe organ. Ardern's carefully measured melody keeps step with the others and one can almost visualize couples dancing, hand in hand, near a cabin in the last 1880s era. On Capo Breton Lullaby, a solo number, Ardern slows things down, fittingly so given the track's title. Schrodinger's Cat may be the only acoustic guitar song named for an experiment that illustrates "...the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics applied to everyday objects." I can’t speak to that, but it’s a fun, light-hearted number with some well-placed glockenspiel by Findlay giving the tune some whimsy. Ardern kicks up his musical heels on Nova Scotia New Age Blues (Bob lives in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia), laying down some tasty jazz/blues licks at the outset, soon joined by Findlay on percussion and, later, Wright on cello. While the track starts off as blues-influenced, later on the music sounds more like the classic swing from "Quintette du Hot Club de France" which featured such luminaries as Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. Bellringers, while not sedate, is less cheery than some of the other songs here, and as on "Tiddleywinks," the use of minor chords and notes paints the piece in a darker hue at times. While percussion is absent, Findlay contributes on piano and celesta. The second solo number is Still Waiting and Ardern's fingering technique is aptly showcased as he pulls off some deft note combinations in spinning a midtempo number that carries an air of dramatic tension. The longest track on the CD is Winding Down (8:12) and it's an appropriate title for sure. Ardern's guitar playing is more reflective here than anywhere else on the album, approaching an aesthetic similar to Will Ackerman, patiently wending its way along a gently meandering path, featuring an understated undercurrent of subtle synth pads by Findlay. The CD closes with two version of Paso Doble (this was the second song title that had me going to Google and Wikipedia for explanations). Paso doble is a type of traditional Spanish dance style, and you can hear that influence both in Ardern's melody and in the interplay between guitar and percussion, bass and trumpet. There is a restrained but palpable sense of passion and a hint of danger in the track, which explodes at the 4:10 mark when some serious energy comes into play. Closing the album is a solo version of "Paso Doble" which maintains the spirit of the previous take without any accompaniment.

Craftsman is an apt title for this highly listenable and hugely entertaining recording. Bob Ardern takes the making of music seriously, but not the music itself, i.e. there is a lot of fun present on the recording, and while there are some quieter or slightly darker moments, they are few and far between. Along with his guest players, Ardern puts his "craft" on display throughout the album, not in an overly showy "look-at-me" way, but in simple, unostentatious fashion that leaves no doubt as to the quality of the "product." I have little doubt that Gustav Stickley and Charles and Henry Greene would be proud to feature this music in a house designed by the latter with the former's furniture gracing the interior. - Zone Music Reporter