Guitarist TONY FATE first came to prominence as the slinger/main songwriter for the asskicking rock ‘n’ soul band the BELLRAYS; Half Virgin is his first statement of purpose since leaving the ranks. It’s a collection of 21 brief instrumentals and sketches, one instrument per track, most of them sounding improvised. Given Fate’s well-known jazz influences, you might expect these pieces to blaze out into the wilderness as quickly as possible. But Fate’s skilled fingers are matched only by his finely honed musical instincts, and he keeps the songs tight and tuneful. Variety is also his watchword – from the bluesy “My Car Broke Down,” the melancholy “The Day I Met the Devil” and the steely “Too Bad I Hate Ya” to the Eastern-tinged “Sakura Explosion,” the rocking “Your Roadhouse is My Roadhouse” and the Doc Watsonized “The Day Before My Birthday,” Fate strides confidently down several stylistic roads and ends the journey well every time.
Half Virgin is available for $5 from Vital Gesture Records, 6017 Eucalyptus Ln., Los Angeles, CA 90042.
http://myspace.com/tonyfateguitarsamurai
