Most instrumental CDs, and I’m sure you’re familiar with this, throw out 10 or 12 tunes and leave it up to the listener to interpret moods and what inspired them. Bless Peter Prima-more for taking away some of the guesswork on his debut CD with a sort of Cliffs Notes approach. The keyboardist and TV-jingle writer actually takes the time to explain the genesis of each of his 12 songs, which goes a long way to enjoying them even more. That’s something you don’t get when downloading, and reminds us why packaged CDs can still be the way to go when purchasing music.
Recorded live in his Manhattan studio, Grancia leans liberally on his jazz, Western, Brazilian and rock influences, but at its heart this is a jazzy chamber recording with viola, cello, harp and woodwinds. Primamore’s notes come in handy quickly with the lead track, “Silver Stones.” It has a light Latin feel, but gets its title from the wreckage of the fallen Twin Towers. Listen to it-it works. Likewise, Primamore explains that “Free Western” is his homage to the Allman Brothers, with guitarist Chieli Minucci going off on free-spirited solos.
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