Selected Quotes
“Russ is a musician’s musician. For many years he made every film he played on for us better. His talent and his heart always announce his presence.”—Ken Burns
Barenberg’s touch on the guitar strings is simply a delight. This wistful title tune feels like a caress on your skin. The other instrumentals here alternately dazzle the mind, soothe your spirit and fill your heart. This is a collection of lyrical, “new acoustic music” of the highest order., and I recommend it without reservation. —Robert K. Oermann, Music Row
Acoustic guitar maestro.—USA Today
Wow, listen to Russ Barenberg…incredible.—John Fogerty
A Picasso on his instrument.—Charlie Haden
Russ Barenberg is one of those guitarists whose name is held in reverence by all guitarists. Of course, he’s also a very fine mandolinist. And an even better composer. —All Music Guide
Clearly a master of his craft. The album is a thing of rare beauty.—americanaUK
One of the “quiet genius” players of our time, Russ Barenberg continues to astound with his creativity and dexterity as well as his understated talent as a composer. When at Last is a flawless album that will endure.—Sing Out
Russ Barenberg is a guitar superstar. I review a lot of fine albums every month, but few achieve the status of an instant classic.—Vintage Guitar Magazine
Tremendously coherent and exquisitely original–a suite of gorgeous and diverse lyric instrumentals, alive, emotive and animated.–Bluegrass Now Online (on Halloween Rehearsal)
Character, maturity and joy, smooth and warm, like a deep friendship with great humor at its heart–a romance from start to finish.- -Bluegrass Now Online (on When at Last) One of the finest acoustic guitarists in the world. A modern classic.—listen!nashville.com
Barenberg practices the art of the tune; that means you can whistle, hum, sway and dance the night away to his elegantly simple, virtuoso performances. I love an album like this. It’s acoustic, beautifully structured, very determined yet soulful, and all about ensemble playing.—Hittin’ the Note
There’s humor here, love and wit, as well as reflection, thoughtfulness, peace, and exploration.—Folkwax
Few guitarists so perfectly blend a mastery of roots music traditions with melodic originality, or so finely balance muscularity with delicacy, and each moment of the album is shaped by these artistic dualities.—The Nashville Scene
A hypermelodic, harmonically suave sound that has influenced all forward thinking flatpickers. One of the guitar’s most lyrical composers.—Acoustic Guitar Magazine
“Russ is such a solid player, and his soloing is so lyrical. He reminds me to keep a melodic idea strong in my solos. He’s one of those great improvisers, like Jerry Douglas and Stuart Duncan, that always have a great melody in their solos.”—Bryan Sutton
“You’ll never find a better compositional style than this in the folk-chamber-jazz world, and Russ’s singing tone and incredibly well-constructed solos may never be topped.”—Chris Proctor
Russ Barenberg’s name belongs near the top of the list of great guitar pickers of the last generation. —countrystandardtime.com
