Open Mic, November 16, 2006 · While working as an archivist for classical composer Philip Glass, Zeb Gould started recording some work of his own. In college, Gould had developed a repertoire of fingerstyle instrumental works for the 12 and six-string guitar. His sessions in Glass' studio resulted in the album All of the Morningbirds, which includes the track "The Green Line," Gould's interpretation of a bustling Metro station.

Originally from Indianapolis, IN, Gould went to college in Bloomington, Ind. While studying, he practiced fingerstyle guitar by learning and deconstructing the works of John Fahey, Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges. Gould opened for acts such as Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Kim Ritchie, Edith Frost and Sue Garner and became involved with the band Magnolia Electric Co.'s side projects. In one such project, he played lead electric guitar with fingerpicks for the Cinnamon Girls, a Neil Young cover band that played entire records as sets.

After graduating, Gould moved east to New York City with Megan Weeder. Weeder, a violinist, joins Gould on "Two Sisters," the last track on his album.

 ...Gould's ace card...is a compositional intelligence departing from the mainstay of the style's wont. Like Peter Lang, he incorporates elements not easily identified but which expand the parameters of the ouevre nicely. A bluegrassy base remains the heart, but there are ample change-ups and time shifts, including wistfully languid passages, tone mutations, liquid themes, and a myriad of colorative devices...
...Gould tries his hand at singing on one cut and reveals not just a marvelous set of pipes but a very good sense of multiple harmonies and where they ought to go, tracking himself as a quartet, bringing out a CSNY complexity and sonority...

 "...If 'All of the Morningbirds' is any indication, Gould fits right in with [Leo Kottke and John Fahey].
The album opens with 'A Spider's Quest for the Sun," which deftly blends a rootsy melody line with Gould's frenteic fingerpicking. It's a good example of how enjoyable the genre can be as a flurry of notes intertwine the melody line, enhancing and enriching it far beyond its simple origins.
As rich as "Spider's" sound is, "Hedwig" is equally spare. Gould utilizes silence as well as he does noise, structuring the delicate, moody melody with finesse. There's a somber yet hopeful quality to the song, which stands as a reminder to how much emotional weight can be created with just one instrument in the right hands.
Equally impressive is "Consuela," which balances noise and silence with its tasteful fingerpicking and enough space for the composition to breathe. There's enough of a Mexican feel to justify the title while reminding us of our neighbor to the south's rich six-string heritage.
Gould's day job is working for Philip Glass, who's likely the most renowned American avant-garde composer alive. It would be a stretch to say that working as Glass's archivist has influenced Gould's music, but Gould shows an insight and appreciation for composition that many of his fingerpicking peers lack..."

 In the world of guitar heroes, the brass balls of rock and roll reign supreme.

Jimi Hendrix famously lit his guitar on fire at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival; Pete Townshend smashed his guitars like pumpkins on doorsteps. In contemporary music culture, the guitar has become virtually synonymous with volume, rebellion, and swagger. But there's another kind of guitar hero, one your high-school self wouldn't tack up on your bedroom. Zeb Gould, a soft-spoken and bespectacled twenty-something from New Jersey, is that other hero. An incredible technician on the six- and 12-string acoustic guitar, Gould stays true to his finger-picking roots while managing to incorporate some more progressive harmonic and rhythmic expressions, all of which will be on display during his Friday night performance the Postcrypt Coffeehouse.

Gould boasts an even more distinguished range of influences. "Leo Kottke's definitely a huge influence-a lot of people will hear that initially," he says. "I don't claim to be unaffected by his style."

But while he's chosen a more unusual path than other aspiring masters of the instrument, he hasn't forgotten is roots.

"I'm primarily self-taught," he said. "My dad played the guitar, but I never picked it up until my friend started playing when he was 12 years old. He was totally into Metallica. So, it was like, yeah, sweet, I'm gonna play some rock and roll music! So I started around 12, took lessons for about six months, and then started to do stuff on my own."

Listening to Gould's 2006 LP All the Morning Birds, it's difficult to believe he's nearly devoid of musical training. The man plays blindingly fast and with an emotional depth that rescues it from hollow virtuosity. But what's most impressive is his ability to keep things interesting over the course of 12 tracks, 10 of which are solo guitar instrumentals.

The compositions are so musically rich, they could be mistaken for a whole band: percussive slaps of the hand, a rattling of the strings, bass lines in the lower register complemented by melodies in the upper register. Despite the dominance of instrumental material on his most recent release, Gould appears to have a liking for more traditional vocal songs as well.

"I like to write a lot of songs with lyrics," he said. "In fact, I'm gonna start working on another record, and it's going to be predominantly lyrically based with the guitar instrumentals almost working like a bridge between songs. I had all these guitar compositions lying and I decide, 'Alright, I'm gonna make a guitar record.'"

For a young musician, Gould seems comfortable in his role as a solo artist. Although he continues to play in bands and has collaborated with members of Magnolia Electric Co., he appears to have found his calling in the controlled environment of solo performance. And as far as he's concerned, there's only room to grow.

"I play banjo now, so for now that's keeping it really interesting-I guess I haven't hit that seasoned solo performer stage," he said. "I guess after a while it's like-so many notes! So many guitar notes! I can't hear anymore!"

 Having opened for folk heavyweights Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Zeb Gould must be something special. His bio says that he studied the art of fingerstyle guitar and the music of Fahey, Kottke, and Hedges. All I can say is that it shows. All of the Morning Birds is an intense trip through the countryside and yet is not overladen with “quick” fingerpicking or reoccurring themes. Only one song is sung, but each song tells a distinct story. It paints a delicate picture and shows off the skills of an up and comer in instrumental guitar.

 "Listeners who enjoyed the early recordings of John Fahey and Leo Kottke won't miss the obvious nod to those influences on Zeb Gould's "All of the Morningbirds, a collection of 12-string guitar songs. Gould practically channels Kottke with a driving, percussive style on "A Spider's Quest for the Sun," "Consuela," "End/Beginning," and "Young Icarus." According to the label's press release, Gould spent time in New York working as an archivist for composer Philip Glass, which might account for this eclectic potpourri. "Hedwig" has a sparse, almost piano-like color to it, while "Interlude" is bracketed by over 25 seconds of silence before and after the fading track. There is one vocal on the CD, "Locomotive Blue Streak," with harmonies reminiscent of Crosby, Still, Nash, and Young's early work. The album closes with the only ensemble piece, "Two Sisters," where Gould is joined by Megan Weeder on violin and Sam Crawford on piano. The eleven cuts on this record will satisfy those who like 12-string guitar playing, and will recall perhaps the heyday of that medium..."