Greeson and Ludwig are well-established local artists, and the instrumental album is a stunning work, also informed by adversity. Conceived as a tribute to Greeson’s first wife, who, after a long bout, died of congenital heart disease in 2006, the album has been almost a decade in the making and, as Greeson says, was part of his healing process. One song, “The Prophet,” was used in the recently aired PBS documentary, “Wabash: Life On The Bright White River,” and it is from this that the album takes its title. But nothing can truly prepare you for the beautiful instrumental work that lies within.

The intertwining of Greeson and Ludwig’s acoustic guitars is gorgeous, almost mystical, but nevertheless is rooted in fine pop hooks and excellent songwriting. Opener “Awakening” lays out the template with the double picking of the acoustics sending forth a crystal clear sound and, if I’m not mistaken, also contains the occasional nod to the Moody Blues. “Llama Dance” has one guitar strumming and the other picking, with signature hooks dotting the landscape. “Winter Banks” has a stunning “chiming” sound, while “Gypsies On The Wabash” starts with a mellow sound but evolves into a blues-jazz hybrid of great originality. 

“Tunnel Of Trees’ provides more of an edge to the proceedings than the other tunes, underscored by some Mellencamp-like chord changes, while “Prayer Without Words” is almost classical in its elegance. For this listener, acoustic guitar discs sometimes induce drowsiness and inattention, but that is never the case with this album, as the top-notch songwriting and playing commands, indeed, demands, your attention throughout.

While Greeson has put out laudable works before this, his partnership with Ludwig has yielded something even finer. Highly recommended!