reviews
- May 2011 – Article on Red Planet in the StarTribune by Tom Surowicz
- April 2009 – Article on Dean Magraw in The Podium’s Blog
- March 2009 – minor7th.com review of Foxfire by Rick Gebhard
- November 2008 – Dean Magraw, Musical Explorer by Pamela Espeland
- June 2007- JazzPolice review of Unseen Rain by Andrea Canter
- April 2007 – Unseen Rain Review by Tad Simons
Quotes
“Magraw is a guitarist’s guitarist – talented, skilled, adventurous, and never lacking the playful spirit behind his ever-present smile. He sees the threaded connections between all music, threads that might seem disparate to most others. In a world that asks us to define, categorize, and compartmentalize, Magraw (true to form) runs against the grain and simply asks us to listen. And we should.” The Podium
“This truly masterful musician mixes rhythmically intoxicating, atmospherically composed groove cocktails.” Scenario
“He is all over his acoustic guitar, inventing chords, bending strings, rolling the bass note like distant thunder and squeezing sounds out of the instrument that should not, it seems, be possible… This passionate music, genuine compositions that come from the heart.” Michigan Daily
“He belongs in the world elite of flatpickers.” Logo Regensburg (Germany)
“He can bend, tap, pluck and pick with the best of them, but he’s more concerned with making the instrument swoop and glide above a varied terrain of styles and influence… Impossible to pigeonhole, and impossible to ignore, Magraw deserves to stand amongst the ranks of John Renbourne, Leo Kottke, and Michael Hedges, A class act.” Dirty Linen
“With Magraw’s capable guitar… you can expect high energy, intelligent compositions… challenging, joyously melodic.” Patriot Ledger
“Magraw bends all the right notes, sneaking in unusual chord substitutions and harmonics, and accenting the rhythms with sharp offbeat strums.” Berkeley Express
“Dean Magraw is an outstanding guitarist and knows his equals in the likes of Michael Hedges, Ralph Towner, and Steve Tibbetts.” New Folksounds (Netherlands)
“…so liquid, lyrical and effortless that it’s like listening to a dancer.” Steve Tibbets
“This man is a nightmare for all flatpickers!… Clean lively and imaginative… My desire would be a live CD.” Musikblatt (Germany)
“The depth and range of feeling Magraw is able to evoke with tonal colors and soundscapes is unbelievable.” Folk Mickel (Germany)
“Amazing! Absolutely astonishing! Not since Michael Hedges’ Arial Boundaries have I been this in awe. Magraw’s technique is flawless, but the magic is in his versatility, style, class, and feeling.” Acoustic Access
“Creating an aura of introspection, even when the playing burns red hot.” Chicago Tribune
