Banning Eyre – Bare Songs Vol. 1 (Lion Songs Records, 2024)
On November 15, 2024, renowned guitarist and Afropop Worldwide Senior Producer Banning Eyre is set to release his debut solo guitar album, Bare Songs Vol. 1. This collection of 14 tracks is the culmination of Eyre’s decades-long exploration of world music traditions. Indeed, it features original compositions shaped by his extensive study and passion for African guitar styles and American finger-style techniques.
The tracks on Bare Songs Vol. 1 were conceived during the 2020-2021 lockdown and refined at Coffeehouse Studio in Middletown, Connecticut, in 2023. The album features spare, delightful solo guitar pieces, settled firmly in various traditions. These are expertly performed, engaging, and heartfelt compositions aimed at conveying rhythm and melody over complex harmony or stylistic adherence.
Eyre’s musical career began in Bernardsville, New Jersey, where he first encountered the guitar at age five, thanks to his mother’s folk influences. Although his early attempts included trombone and banjo, Eyre found his true calling with the guitar amid the Beatles era, drawing inspiration from folk and blues music. His passion deepened during high school and college, where he studied classical guitar and ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University, leading him to explore a variety of world music traditions.
His career took a significant turn in the 1980s, when he joined Sean Barlow on research trips to Africa for the public radio series Afropop Worldwide. This exposure sparked a lifelong dedication to African music, particularly the guitar styles of Mali, Zimbabwe, and the Congo. Eyre’s commitment to learning from African masters, such as Djelimady Tounkara of Mali’s Super Rail Band and Zimbabwean musician Thomas Mapfumo, profoundly influenced his musical approach.
Over the years, Eyre has balanced his dual passions for music and writing, authoring notable works like In Griot Time: An American Guitarist in Mali and Lion Songs: Thomas Mapfumo and the Music that Made Zimbabwe. These books document his deep engagement with African music and culture, earning recognition in the ethnomusicology community.
Banning Eyre shared: “These songs are bare. They have no words, no vocals, no rhythm section backing. They are guitar solos and duos, sometimes lightly enhanced. Most are late-night creations, born and nurtured during the long, quiet nights of the pandemic. They distill over 50 years of folk, blues and rock roots, long-lost classical and jazz training, and decades of immersion in African fingerstyle guitar traditions. They aim to soothe, stimulate, provoke and inspire collaboration from others who may someday help clothe their nakedness. They are my children, and I hope you love them half as much as I do.”
Banning Eyre: guitars, bass, ilimba and Polynesian ukulele.
All songs by Banning Eyre, except “Lamban,” a traditional Mande song.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.