3.5/5
Keaggy’s first instrumental record. Not his best work but not a bad place to start. On the 1989 rerelease, Allmusic Guide gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and called it “groundbreaking.” Master and Musician brought Keaggy to the attention of many in the larger secular world.
On Master and Musician, Keaggy mixes acoustic and electric guitars with surprising ease. Some of the guitar tones are “70s” sounding but the album holds up pretty well. There are some very delicate tracks here but the album’s never boring. The production allows the songs to breathe without needless tweaks or overly present percussion. There is some keyboard work on the record but it never overwhelms.
Master and Musician is a bit of an A side/B side record. The A side being stronger. “Pilgrim’s Flight,” and “Suite-Of Reflections,” are some of the best.“Mouthpeice,” the opener on the B side, never should have made the cut. The next track “Follow Me Up,” feels cut from a 70s car chase. The record then gets back onto its timeless track. Perhaps sensing the weakness of side B, when Keaggy rereleased the record on CD in 1989, he added a new coda to the album, “Epilog/Amazing Grace.” A great track, it rebalances the quality of the album.
A wistful, emotional record worth the effort to track down. Keaggy released a double disc 30th anniversary deluxe edition in 2008. The bonus disc includes outtakes, commentary and alternate versions. He even took the album back out onto the road and made a live DVD.