PRAISE FOR POSTCARDS:
GUITARPLAYER.COM
“On this exquisite disc, San Francisco-based fingerstyle guitarist Teja Gerken plays a nice mix of originals and a composition each by five of his fellow Bay Area guitarists. Played solo on steel-string, nylon-string, and 12-string acoustic guitars in a variety of tunings, the music is gentle and relaxing throughout, yet at the same time subtly stimulating. Gerken’s technical facility is obvious, his performances impeccable, and his tones gorgeous—but that virtuosity is entirely at the service of the music, and never overshadows it.” – Barry Cleveland
KFOG RADIO, San Francisco:
“Best New CD’s of 2005 List” August 2005 (Acoustic Sunrise show).
GUITAR9.COM, August 2005
“A guitarist’s guitarist with equal appeal for the non-musicians out there. His Postcards album is highly recommended.”
MINOR 7TH: ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC REVIEWS, August 2005
“A a fine CD of good guitar music.”
BRIDGE GUITAR REVIEWS, July 2005
“Postcards is a very versatile album with varied skilled techniques, brilliant melody lines, appealing moods of a superb guitarist who knows to absorb a listener.”
PRAISE FOR ON MY WAY:
LISTEN.COM, 1999
“This sounds as if Michael Hedges, Paco De Lucia, and Bill Monroe are all fighting over a guitar. This exceptional musician combines elements of folk, jazz, bluegrass and just about any style you can think of, into his seamless, lightning speed guitar workouts. Gerken plays World Fusion without losing his own identity or watering down styles.”
FOLK ROOTS, UK, 2000
“Very impressive technique and tuneful.”
BLUESTIME, Italy, 2001
“This young guitarist, who amazed us with his expertise and his knowledge of the instrument. Thanks to his capabilities to sustain melody and rhythm with precision and confidence, Teja Gerken has all the potential to become a guitar hero. On My Way is very appealing to an audience of non-guitarists, but if you are a guitarist yourself, then this CD is definitely ‘a must have.’”
DIRTY LINEN, December 2000/January 2001
“Bay Area guitarist Teja Gerken’s first solo recording shows him to be a fine technical player.”
THE GUITARIST, January/February 2000
“Teja Gerken’s first CD is a collection of mostly original compositions for solo fingerstyle guitar. Gerken, a fixture on the San Francisco acoustic scene, has studied jazz with Duck Baker and contemporary guitar with Peppino D’Agostino. He has also studied and performed as a flamenco guitarist. So it’s not surprising that his music shows a variety of influences. His compositions are solid, imaginative, and well played.”
PRAISE FOR LIVE PERFORMANCES:
DRESDNER NEUESTE NACHRICHTEN, Germany, November 2005
“Teja Gerken is certain to make the hearts of steel-string guitar fans beat faster.”
GILROY GUITAR GALLERY NEWSLETTER, December 2006
“This is an artist that, while building on the sound blocks of the past, creates a sound wall for the future. With hints of classical, folk, and fingerstyle, this avant-garde player took our tickets for a bullet ride on strings. Mesmerizing, haunting, and enviable.”
MANNHEIMER MORGEN, Germany, October 2001
“Gerken’s compositions seemlessly connect different styles, and result in pearls of dexterity and expression.
”PETALUMA ARGUS COURIER, December 12, 1997
“Gerken’s original compositions are complex, personal instrumentals ornately convoluted with uncharted passages intended for on-the-spot improvisations, reflecting the guitarist’s manifold tastes and influences.”