guitar Archive

Julian & Roman WASSERFUHR – Landed in Brooklyn – ACT

Julian & Roman WASSERFUHR – Landed in Brooklyn – ACT

Julian & Roman WASSERFUHR – Landed in Brooklyn – ACT 9829-2, 56:59 (3/17/17) ****½: Beautiful charts and ensemble work, highlighted by supremely confident and accomplished trumpet playing. (Julian Wasserfuhr; trumpet & Flugelhorn/ Roman Wasserfuhr; piano, marimba, seaboard/ Donny McCaslin; tenor saxophone/ Tim Lefebvre; bass/ Nate Wood; drums) It’s nice when siblings can get along, but […]

McRae – The Great American Songbook – Atlantic (1972)/ Pure Pleasure (2017) – double vinyl

McRae – The Great American Songbook – Atlantic (1972)/ Pure Pleasure (2017) – double vinyl

McRae – The Great American Songbook – Atlantic SD 2-904 (1972)/Pure Pleasure (2017) stereo double vinyl, 71:17 ****: Jazz chanteuse delivers a versatile set on a vinyl re-mastering of a 1972 concert. (Carmen McRae – vocals, piano; Joe Pass – guitar; Jimmy Rowles – piano; Chuck Domanico – doublebass; Chuck Flores – drums) Pure Pleasure […]

Eraldo Bernocchi and Prakash Sontakke – Invisible Tracks – RareNoise

Eraldo Bernocchi and Prakash Sontakke – Invisible Tracks – RareNoise

An international summit meeting between two progressive guitarists. Eraldo Bernocchi and Prakash Sontakke – Invisible Tracks [TrackList follows] – RareNoise RNR069, 48:44 [11/18/16] ****: (Eraldo Bernocchi – baritone guitar, electric guitar, electronics & producer; Prakash Sontakke – lap steel guitar) Those who think they know the RareNoise label may not know as much as they […]

Audio News for March 24, 2017

Chuck Berry Dies – The “Father of Rock & Roll” is gone at age 90.  He was one of the first inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He combined beguiling narratives, fusing rhythm and blues with country and western to transfix the U.S.  Bill Clinton called Berry “one of the 20th Century’s […]

Benson – In Flight – Warner Brothers

Benson – In Flight – Warner Brothers

Benson – In Flight – Warner Brothers 0798 (1977)/Pure Pleasure (2017) stereo vinyl, 37:56 ****: Jazz guitarist’s foray into pop sounds great on re-mastered vinyl. (George Benson – guitar, vocals; Phil Upchurch – rhythm guitar; Ronnie Foster – electric piano, Mini-Moog; Jorge Dalto – clavinet, acoustic piano; Stanley Banks – bass; Harvey Mason – drums; […]

Tango Under the Stars, Blu-ray (2016)

Tango Under the Stars, Blu-ray (2016)

A wonderful evening of tango-related works in the Hollywood Bowl. Tango Under the Stars, Blu-ray (2016) Performers: Gustavo Dudamel and the Hollywood Bowl Orch./ Angel Romero, guitar/Lalo Schifrin/ Tango Buenos Aires Dancers/ Seth Asarnow, bandoneon Director: Michael Beyer Studio: C Major (Distr. by Naxos) [3/24/17] Program: LALO SCHIFRIN: Concerto for Guitar and Orch. No. 2; […]

Mary Halvorson Octet – Away With You – Firehouse

Mary Halvorson Octet – Away With You – Firehouse

Guitarist Mary Halvorson expands her band and her compositional strengths. Mary Halvorson Octet – Away With You [TrackList follows] – Firehouse 12 FH12-04-01-024, 55:53 [10/28/16] ****: (Jonathan Finlayson – trumpet; Jon Irabagon – alto saxophone; Ingrid Laubrock – tenor saxophone; Jacob Garchik – trombone; Mary Halvorson – guitar; Susan Alcorn – pedal steel guitar; John […]

Erik APPLEGATE: – Two’s Company – Artist Alliance

Erik APPLEGATE: – Two’s Company – Artist Alliance

Erik APPLEGATE: – Two’s Company – Artist Alliance, 57:17 (2/1/17) ****: (Erik Applegate; bass/Dana Landry; piano/ Steve Kovalcheck; guitar/ Paul McKee; trombone/ Kenyon Brenner; tenor saxophone/ Tom Amend; piano) A fine bassist collaborates with five faculty members of the University of Northern Colorado on a set of duos. Sometimes I grow a little tired of […]

Baron Tymas  (guitar) – Montréal

Baron Tymas (guitar) – Montréal

Baron Tymas (guitar) – Montréal [TrackList follows] – Self, 50:30 (Avail. as MP-3 from Amazon) ***: They should be encouraged to continue on their creative journey. (Baron Tymas – guitar; Joshua Rager – piano; Sage Reynolds – acoustic bass & bass guitar; Jim Doxas – drums; Guests: Jeri Brown – vocal on track 5; Charles […]

Jonathan Finlayson and Sicilian Defense – Moving Still – PI

Jonathan Finlayson and Sicilian Defense – Moving Still – PI

Strategy and movement from a jazz master. Jonathan Finlayson and Sicilian Defense – Moving Still [TrackList follows] – PI Recordings PI67, 52:15 [10/15/16] ****: (Jonathan Finlayson – trumpet, producer; Miles Okazaki – guitar; Matt Mitchell – piano; John Hébert – bass; Craig Weinrib – drums) Trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson is like an expert chess player. He […]

Al Muirhead – Northern Adventures – The Canada Sessions Vol. 1 – Chronograph

Al Muirhead – Northern Adventures – The Canada Sessions Vol. 1 – Chronograph

Al Muirhead – Northern Adventures – The Canada Sessions Vol. 1 (TrackList follows) – Chronograph CRO 46, 57:58 [1/27/17] ***: A Canadian excursion into the Great American Songbook. (Al Muirhead – trumpet, Flugelhorn & bass trumpet; Tommy Banks – piano 2/6/10; Guido Basso – Flugelhorn 2/6/10; Mike Murley – tenor saxophone 4/9; Chris Andrew – […]

GIULIANI, CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO & VILLA-LOBOS: Guitar Concertos – Narciso Yepes, g./ London Sym. Orch./ English Ch. Orch./ Luis Antonio García Navarro – PentaTone

GIULIANI, CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO & VILLA-LOBOS: Guitar Concertos – Narciso Yepes, g./ London Sym. Orch./ English Ch. Orch./ Luis Antonio García Navarro – PentaTone

GIULIANI, CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO & VILLA-LOBOS: Guitar Concertos – Narciso Yepes, g./ London Sym. Orch./ English Ch. Orch./ Luis Antonio García Navarro – orig. quadrophonic recordings from 1977, remastered in 2014 – Pentatone SACD PTC 5186-202, 61:49 (4/14/15) ****: Beautifully restored and played four-channel guitar concertos by Yepes and the London Symphony. What a treat this disc […]

Nate NAJAR – This is Nate Najar – Candid

Nate NAJAR – This is Nate Najar – Candid

Nate NAJAR – This is Nate Najar – Candid 79979, 50: 58 (10/31/16) ****½: (Nate Najar; nylon string guitar/ James Suggs; trumpet/ Matt Home; drums/ John Lamb; bass) An odd nylon string guitar/trumpet combo makes for a unique bossa-swing ensemble. On this eponymous debut, Nate Najar plays jazz on an unamplified classical guitar in the […]

WOLF! – 1-800-WOLF! – Royal Potato Family

WOLF! – 1-800-WOLF! – Royal Potato Family

Canis lupus rockus. WOLF! – 1-800-WOLF! [TrackList follows] – Royal Potato Family 020286222316, 35:14 [10/14/16] *****: (Scott Metzger – guitar; Taylor Floreth – drums, percussion; Jon Shaw – bass, keys) The wolf is a potent symbol. It’s no wonder the wolf has been used as a musical name by blues shouter Howlin’ Wolf; hard rockers […]

Richard Pinhas and Barry Cleveland (guitars etc.) – Mu – Cuneiform

Richard Pinhas and Barry Cleveland (guitars etc.) – Mu – Cuneiform

Two iconoclastic guitarists weave together an experimental, improvisational session. Richard Pinhas and Barry Cleveland – Mu – Cuneiform, Rune 426, 48:20 [1/16/17] ****: (Barry Cleveland – producer, mixer, guitar, Moog guitar, bowed guitar, bowhammer guitar, E-Bow guitar, sitar guitar, M-Tron, Vocalizer 1000, kalimba, zither, gong, incidental percussion, percussion programming, samples; Richard Pinhas – guitar, guitar […]

Stephen Crump – Stephen Crump’s Rhombal – Papillon Sounds double vinyl

Stephen Crump – Stephen Crump’s Rhombal – Papillon Sounds double vinyl

Stephen Crump – Stephen Crump’s Rhombal – Papillon Sounds PS51514 stereo double vinyl, TT: 59:33 ****: Jazz bassist and composer releases an unusual tribute album. (Adam O’Farrill – trumpet; Ellery Eskelin – tenor saxophone; Stephen Crump – doublebass; Tyshawn Sorey – drums) Stephen Crump has established a solid reputation as a musician, composer and bandleader. […]

Amendola vs. Blades – Greatest Hits – Sazi

Amendola vs. Blades – Greatest Hits – Sazi

Camaraderie and friendship on full display. Amendola vs. Blades – Greatest Hits [TrackList follows] – Sazi sr004, 47:39 [10/7/16] *****: (Scott Amendola – drums, cymbals, co-producer; Wil Blades – Hammond B-3, Hohner Clavinet, co-producer) What is the sound of deep-rooted friendship? Cajoling and jokes. Finishing each other’s sentences. And in case of drummer Scott Amendola […]