Teja Gerken and Doug Young released their first album of duets in the spring of 2020, just days before the world shut down due to the COVID pandemic. The praise the album received from the press (Acoustic Guitar said it offered “Modern fingerstyle guitar at the highest level”), fans, and peers was bitter-sweet, as the duo was unable to perform the album’s material live for almost a year after its release. However, not long after the initial adjustment to the reality that was 2020, Teja and Doug began discussing new pieces to arrange, working via video calls and recordings in their respective home studios to start adding to their repertoire. Several of the tunes on this album got their start during this time, while others were worked out in real time and road-tested at the gigs that eventually returned. All the tunes on this album continue Teja and Doug’s approach of creating interlocking guitar arrangements that take advantage of the sonic possibilities offered by pairing different types of guitars, tunings, and capo positions. The repertoire on The Water is Wide represents new interpretations of some old favorites, standards from the folk/Celtic tune book, some pop tunes, a bit of classical, a piece written by a dear friend, and more. In other words, the album is not unlike a typical Teja and Doug concert, which is bound to be more about presenting a varied program of tunes that the duo enjoys playing than about any particular genre.

The Locktender’s Reel
Written by our dear friend, Portland, Oregon-based guitarist Eric Skye, “The Locktender’s Reel” was the first tune we arranged and recorded after releasing DUETS in 2020. Working on our parts during the first COVID lockdown, we recorded the tune long before we’d actually be in the same room playing it together.

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Martin OM, CGDGCD, Capo II
Doug: Martin OM-LJ, DADGAD, Capo II

Si Bheag, Si Mhor
Probably Turlough O’Carolan’s most famous composition, “Si Bheag, Si Mhor” is one of the most widely played pieces of the Irish music repertoire. Both Teja and Doug played other guitarists’ solo arrangements in the past, ultimately coming up with a duo version that is informed by having absorbed countless interpretations of the tune. 

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Lowden O10, CGCGCD
Doug: Ed Claxton Malabar, DADGAD Capo V

Josefin’s Waltz
Written by former Väsen guitarist Roger Tallroth, “Josefin’s Waltz” has become a contemporary string-band standard. Teja arranged a solo guitar version of the tune after editing a Peghead Nation octave mandolin lesson of the piece by Joe K. Walsh, and Doug added a second part.

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Martin OM, DADGAD, Capo V
Doug: Ed Claxton EM DADGAD

Takoma
Teja wrote “Takoma” after seeing Leo Kottke perform, and he recorded a solo 12-string version on his album Test of Time. This version is still on 12 strings, but spread out over two guitars!

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Lowden O10, CGDGBD
Doug: Kent Hamblin SJ, DADGAD Capo V

Little Martha
Written by Duane Allman and featured as an acoustic guitar duet (with Dickey Betts playing a second part) on the Allman Brother’s Eat a Peach, “Little Martha” is a fun tune to play in Open D or Open E tuning. We were inspired by both the original as well as Leo Kottke’s fabulous version, and while Doug’s part is very close to what Duane played, Teja found a baritone guitar addition that greatly expands the tune’s sonic imprint. And check out Teja’s eBow solo!

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Mario DeSio baritone, AEADF#B
Doug: Kent Hamblin GC, DADF#AD, Capo II

Bermuda Triangle Exit
Stefan Grossman wrote “Bermuda Triangle Exit” as a solo guitar piece, but later also played it in his duo with John Renbourn. In this version, Teja plays Stefan’s part, while Doug uses an electric guitar to create a vibe that recalls Renbourn’s electric playing in Pentangle and other settings.

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Martin OM, Standard
Doug: Eastman John Pisano Archtop, Standard

Gymnopédie No. 1
French composer Erik Satie wrote his Trois Gymnopédies in 1898, and while all three are popular, the “Gymnopédie No. 1” has become one of the most famous piano pieces of all time. Teja learned the classical guitar arrangement that his baritone part in this recording is based on many years ago, often creating an improvised section using a looper pedal in the middle of the piece. When Teja got his Mario DeDio baritone guitar in 2013, the Gymnopédie was one of the first pieces he performed on the instrument, and adding Doug’s standard guitar part results in a tonal range that is not unlike a piano.

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Mario DeSio baritone, BEADF#B
Doug: Kent Hamblin GC, Standard

The Water is Wide
“The Water is Wide” is an old English traditional song that has been performed and recorded by countless artists in both vocal and instrumental approaches. Doug came up with a solo guitar version several years ago, and this arrangement expands on it with Teja’s lush second part. 

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Martin OM, CGCGCD, Capo II
Doug: Ed Claxton EM, DADGAD

Embryonic Journey
Written by Jorma Kaukonen and featured on the Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow, playing “Embryonic Journey” has been a rite-of-passage for countless fingerpickers. In this version, Doug mostly sticks to Jorma’s original solo guitar part, while Teja doubles the melody and fills out the sonic space on slide guitar.

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: National Style 1, CGCGCD, Capo II
Doug: Kent Hamblin GC, DADGBE

A Toye for Two Lutes
Written by English Renaissance composer Thomas Robinson, the piece consists of four sections that alternate and repeat between the two players. Teja first heard the piece on John Renbourn’s album The Hermit, and ultimately learned to play it from Vermont guitarist and fellow Renbourn aficionado Flynn Cohen, with whom he recorded a COVID-era video of the piece. In this version, Teja plays a nylon-string classical guitar, while Doug plays steel-strings, further adding to the arrangement’s interwoven structure.

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Kenny Hill Ruck Model, DADGBE
Doug: Kent Hamblin GC, Standard

If You Could Read My Mind
Doug suggested working up a Gordon Lightfoot tune the day after the Canadian songwriting icon’s passing in 2023, and he presented a gorgeous solo arrangement within a couple of days. Teja’s addition of a baritone guitar part showcases the instrument’s ability to function in a bass role, while also providing harmony and lead lines.

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: Mario DeSio baritone, BEADF#B
Doug: Ed Claxton EM, DAEF#AC#, Capo II

Greensleeves
Another English folk tune that is of course also known as “What Child is This?” when it comes out at Christmas time. Doug had arranged a solo guitar version for his book of holiday tunes, with Teja eventually coming up with a slide guitar part to add. This arrangement borrows ideas from Duck Baker’s great version.

Guitars and Tunings:
Teja: National Style 1, CGDGCD, Capo II
Doug: Kent Hamblin GC, Standard

Cover photo by Teja Gerken

Recorded by Teja Gerken and Doug Young in their home studios

Mixed and mastered by Doug Young