This album is the expression of a musical and personal new start. There are in life crucial moments when we open a new road, when we realize new progress, when we make a jump forward. It is in oneself that one can bring forth a determination which generates the future, which feeds on errors and failures of the past and transforms them into enlightened creative strength. "Turning Point" arose from this tension. This new opus also represents the beginning of my immersion in the world of open tunings and the profound echoes of the harp guitar's sub-bass strings. Vibrating with all the emotion that feeds my inner world, the music is painted in the colors of the images which animate me. Glances at the world, intense moments of life. "Turning point" - the story begins today … Philippe Fouquet Septembre 2009
I was introduced to Philippe Fouquet a few fateful years ago by my creative assistant, Frank Doucette. Though a world apart (California and France, respectively) Frank and Philippe knew each other through both being proud owners of six-string acoustic guitars made by luthier Kathy Wingert (and so automatically "brothers" in a select rarified, private "club"). Frank and I both enjoyed Philippe's guitar playing and compositions, and were especially intrigued to find that he had recorded one early piece on a vintage kontragitarre, Vienna's version of a harp guitar. It goes without saying that we immediately began to prod and pester Philippe over the next few years to do something more on the harp guitar. We were finally rewarded with a wonderful submission from Philippe for the 2008 Harp Guitar Dreams compilation. All the more rewarding was Philippe's willingness to collaborate, and we spent a considerable amount of time - and for Philippe, several recording sessions - working on his piece until it was a perfect candidate for the Dreams project. We were mutually excited about Philippe's new harp guitar techniques and resulting composition. Alas, at the last minute, we were forced to face the fact that intonation, stringing and recording problems with his temperamental, antique instrument were preventing us from getting a suitable final track to fit with the others. I had to make the heart-wrenching decision to pull the track for the sake of the project. If you haven't already guessed - yes, I was the source of Philippe's "turning point." I could never have imagined the speed and extent to which Philippe would not only recover, but re-invent himself, "rising from ashes" like the proverbial phoenix. Within the year, he had commissioned the unique new harp guitar played on this album, improved his harp guitar techniques seemingly tenfold (while creating new techniques and tunings), written a staggering amount of brand new music - on both harp guitar and six-string - and recorded it. And it was it all great. Turning point, indeed. The title track stands as testament to Philippe's driving passion, and reveals his heart. In fact, if I had to describe Philippe and his music in one word, it would be easy: passion. In every song, in every note, this heart seems stripped bare for all the audience to hear, feel and absorb. It is joyous, sad, uplifting and heart-wrenching. It is life. Not to change the subject, but another passionate, and very popular, French acoustic guitar player, Pierre Bensusan, owns a harp guitar - an outrageous instrument commissioned long ago and never played. Frank and I bug him about it every time we see him. No longer. The world finally has a passionate French harp guitarist - his name is Philippe Fouquet. Gregg Miner September 2009
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PRESENTATION TEXTS OF THE PIECES AND MP3
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