What a stunningly talented performer Andy Hall is. This solo video of ‘Squareneck Soul’ features just Hall and his squareneck Dobro guitar, notes slipping, sliding and tumbling. His nimble fingers and sweeping steel find a gorgeous melody. It’s captivating to watch and he makes the tremendously difficult appear effortless. Filmed at Etown Hall in Boulder, Colorado, the video is artistically shot and makes the performance feel genuinely intimate.
Hall, a member of The Infamous Stringdusters, has just released a new album – also called ‘Squareneck Soul’. On the record, Hall is joined by a host excellent collaborators, including Travis Book (The Infamous Stringdusters) on bass, Sierra Hull on mandolin, and Wes Corbett (Sam Bush Band) on banjo. There are also guest appearances from Billy Strings and GRAMMY-winning Ronnie McCoury on mandolin. It’s Hall’s first full-band album since 2008’s ‘The Sound of Slide Guitar’.
Hall says of the creative process and the new album: “‘Squareneck Soul’ is truly a project from my heart and my soul—a slide guitar record 15 years in the making. In June of 2022, I got fired up and wrote every day until I had the tunes I thought would work well for this project. I crafted them as a template for improvisation and hoped to get some of my favorite players to join. I’m grateful that I was able to get some of the best to join me! Writing and playing dobro music is one of my absolute favorite things to do, and I hope folks enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed making it.”
The Dobro is often not a lead instrument, yet it is a key sound in Americana and possesses a true musical magic when performed like this. Andy Hall is a real ambassador for the Dobro and anyone interested in squareneck slide should start here. Enjoy.
