Strung Out
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Cat 'n' Mouse
ECM Records
In a bit of a surprise, it wasn't John Abercrombie's long-standing organ trio mates, Dan Wall and Adam Nussbaum, who survived from his previous ECM album, but rather guest violinist Mark Feldman. The guitarist was impressed enough with Feldman's contributions...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Jazz Flamenco Guitars
Purchase
While it lacks creativity, the title spells it out: Jazz Flamenco Guitars (Purchase PCC D0401; 60:28) pairs two guitarists of divergent styles-Doug Munro, the electric jazzman, and Mariano Mangas, the nylon-string flamenco player-in a Latin-jazz setting...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Out of the Darkness
Sons of Sound
Bob Sneider plays with a glassy, clear tone, a touch of the blues and a countrified sunshine, all of which are reminiscent of Herb Ellis. Spending time as a sideman for Nat Adderley, Nick Brignola and Freddy Cole, among others, Sneider has only recently...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Living Now
Stunt
The Danish guitarist Soren Lee sounds remarkably Scolike on his latest recording, Living Now (Stunt STUCD01132; 55:37). Lee's slightly less distorted guitar-less than Scofield post-A Go Go, that is-and familiar phrasing, paired with Jesper Nordenstrom's...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Anna's Dance
Reservoir
For Anna's Dance (Reservoir RSR CD 167; 51:55), guitarist and relative youngster Roni Ben-Hur set himself up with a band of wily old veterans, touting resumes long enough to burn out a perfectly serviceable ink-jet printer. He sets a deceptively high bar...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Changing Times
SteepleChase
With the high-energy Changing Times (SteepleChase SCCD 31510; 63:30), Dave Stryker gets in one last end-of-the-millennium reference (the session was recorded in late '99) while also acknowledging the recording's preoccupation with nonstandard time signatures...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Ebb
Labor Records
The Derek Bronston Group cultivates a nocturnal, frequently dour vibe throughout Ebb (Labor LAB 7029-2; 49:56), a recording that starts out in jazz-rock territory but quickly downshifts into ballads. The nominal leader/guitarist shows the most promise as...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Stand!
Premonition
Staying refreshingly clear of any grandiose new standards pronouncements, Bobby Broom arranged a host of sunny '60s/'70s R&B and pop tunes for Stand! (Premonition 6691790754 2 6; 65:14) not only because the recognizable melodies connect with an audience...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
The Flow
The proper strains of Emmanuelle Somer's oboe on the CD-opening cover of a Shostakovich string piece seem to announce an album of neoclassical austerity on Gal Ziv's latest recording, The Flow (Cadence CJR 1125; 66:55). The album foils that expectation right...
May 2002 By Aaron Steinberg
Fourth World
Between The Lines
In late 2000, James Emery performed an informal concert with this group-Joe Lovano, saxes and percussion; Judi Silvano, wordless vocals, flute and gong; Drew Gress, bass-in Middletown, N.Y., and enjoyed it so much, he decided to record with it. The resulting...
