Chris Camozzi: Slow Burn

On Slow Burn, Chris Camozzi displays a wicked arsenal of guitar technique; from the sunny, melodic vein of Earl Klugh territory to pop, blues and prickly funk, he’s pretty much got it covered. What’s missing on this album are arrangements to spotlight his style, rather than covering it up. The tendency here is to get too synthy: keyboards swath Camozzi’s doodling play on the sweetly melodic “Curves,” for example, and detract from the darker, retro colors of “Hip Pocket,” which, with the guitarist’s pop melodic melody properly lit, could have been a gutsy, rootsy piece. Camozzi’s ear for melody is likewise crowded out by the melodrama in “Something About Her” (a lovely melody gone sappy) and “Friday’s Child” (which could have been truly poignant but for a lethargic groove). The album’s best moments deviate from the formula: “Snack Shack,” a laid-back funk, with knuckling percussion and mute horn trading licks with Camozzi’s needling guitar, and “Tommy’s Joynt,” the album’s most freewheeling piece and another funky romp, which gives the guitarist some well-deserved room to rattle and run.

Originally Published July 1, 2001