January/February 2009

Margaret Slovak Quartet
For the Moment
Slovak

By Bill Milkowski

Recorded in 1989 with pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Michael Sarin, this previously unreleased gem showcases guitarist Margaret Slovak’s delicate, deliberate lines, warm tone and lyrical touch along with her painterly compositional style. The introspective solo guitar piece “Twice” and luminous quartet numbers like “Charissa” and “Face of a Face” show an early Pat Metheny influence while the probing “November or April” and swinging title track are in the Jim Hall-John Abercrombie camp.