Following the Muse Review
by Neal Walters
Dulcimer Players News
Volume 34, Number 1
Winter 2008
. . .[Sue] is renowned for her beautiful, inventive, and often harmonically complex fingerpicking arrangements. Now she is back with a wonderful new batch of tunes that cannot fail to bring tears to your eyes and a big smile to your face. . . .
. . . Her arrangements are meticulous and always creative . . .
She doesn't always fingerpick but she is at her introspective best when she does . . . [and] you're going to find yourself mesmerized as you listen.
. . . there's a part of me that says, "This is the way the dulcimer is supposed to sound." I suspect many of you out there will feel that way, too. It's plumb beautiful, as one of Sue's Texas friends might say. I'm very much inclined to agree.
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Heliotrope Bouquet Review
by KD of Dirty Linen
Number 54 - October/November 1994
Sue Carpenter . . . stretch[es] the boundaries of music performed on [the dulcimer]. . . . Fine technique, well presented with an interesting choice of material.
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Heliotrope Bouquet Review
by Carilyn Vice
California traditional Music Society
September-December 1994
Volume 11, Number 1
If anyone has ever heard Sue Carpenter perform in person, they know her high energy and enthusiasm is carried through into her playing. The recording, "Heliotrope Bouquet," is no exception . . .
Sue's arrangements . . . are lovely and not overpowered by accompaniment from other instruments. Her playing is clear and concise and she uses a fine combination of chords along with long runs of individually picked notes . . . . Sue takes an original artistic approach in recording her songs and she must have had fun recording these.
"Heliotrope Bouquet" was most enjoyable, both as background music and also when I sat still long enough to concentrate on each song.
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Heliotrope Bouquet Review
by Carrie Crompton
Dulcimer Players News
Volume 21, Number 1
January/March 1994
. . .In terms of recording quality and performance, this is top notch. The sound is full, resonant, larger than life even on solos . . . . Sue's plucks are round and golden, her strums breezy and silvery, her brushes white and feathery. I can get into individual notes of this recording as good musical experiences!
. . . Sue's own compositions are very strong and act as bridges between the others. I especially like her "Summer Deck-Adence" and "Homeless Siamese," a lullaby for a stray cat. Now if Sue were to make a book of these arrangements, advanced mountain dulcimer players would have their work cut out for them.
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Heliotrope Bouquet Review
by Hilary Schrauf
Metroland, Albany, NY
September 30-Ocober 6, 1993
Sue Carpenter . . . presents her sure-fingered playing . . . [and] nicely brings out the expressive vocabulary of [her] dulcimer.
Her unique style and sense of humor really shine here. . . .
. . . On traditional folk tune "Southwind" the layered fretwork by Carpenter and Susan Trump are like languid mountain breezes, the dulcimer lines seamless and graceful.
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Heliotrope Bouquet Review
by Greg Haymes
PREVIEW - Times Union
Albany, NY
August 12, 1993
. . . Sue Carpenter . . . explores the diversity of the dulcimer repertoire and pushes the envelope along the way.
. . . Carpenter actually makes . . . an old warhorse like Stephen Foster's "Oh Suzannah" scintillating in a poignant, fingerpicked arrangement that closes the album. And Carpenter's original songs-most notably "Summer Deck-Adence"-are lilting, melodic compositions.
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Patterns and Patchwork: Mountain Dulcimer Fingerpicking Made Easy
Reviewed by Carrie Crompton
Dulcimer Players News
Volume 18, Number 3
July/September 1992
. . . [Sue's] arrangements are the nicest I've ever played and allow the player to concentrate on technique. . . .
I believe this is the most complete instructional manual on right-hand technique for the mountain dulcimer yet published. . . .
This is a finely crafted, useful book, one that is sure to become a standard tutor for dulcimer players. And what a boon for us teachers!
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