Geoff Hansplant “Pilgrim’s Progress”

“Pilgrim’s Progress” is a foot stomping collection of Piedmont Blues numbers in the tradition of Blind Blake and Reverend Gary Davis, but with the lyrical sensibility of today’s contemporary singer songwriters. This is an album driven by groove centered fingerstyle guitar and quirky lyrics, but set off with crisp percussion and the occasional jazz violin. The guitar lines are in turn hypnotic and lyrical, always with an underlying sense of movement to propel the listener on their own journey. The thirteen songs in this collection are all reflections on different aspects of the “journey of life” and encompass our hopes, dreams and of course, regrets. In due course, explorations of the joyousness of love, the spiritual journey, the frustrations of life’s detours and the sorrow at the passing of life all take the stage. In January of 2011, “Pilgrim’s Progress” was named Album of the Month on Llew Garner’s prestigious Blues Show at Radio Warrington in the UK and it has been garnering acclaim across Europe. Yet, at heart this is a purely American album, in the fine tradition of American folk and blues music. Here is what RadioIndy had to say about it:

Talented artist, Geoff Hansplant, and his wonderful Folk album, “Pilgrim’s Progress,” will take you on an interesting musical journey of life’s trials and tribulations. His moving lyrics reflect life’s ups and downs, the dreams we have, and the regrets for what we may have done. The upbeat and catchy songs, “Zoe’s Cakewalk” and “Black Dog Boogie,” are instrumentals featuring some excellent guitar playing that flows with a nice polished technique. The title track, “Pilgrim’s Progress,” is an easy moving song with Hansplant confidently singing the melodic lyrics. You’ll like the rousing song, “End of the Line,” as it has a nice slide guitar effect and a subtle flavoring of Country flair. Fans of Folk music will find the delightful songs on the album, “Pilgrim’s Progress,” to be novel and a refreshing collection of music that is genuine about its roots and sound.
-Diane and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team