DAVID GILMORE - From Here To Here
Criss Cross Jazz - 1405
David Gilmore - guitar; Luis Perdomo - piano; Brad Jones - bass; E.J. Strickland - drums
This release was created as a tribute to Gerry Teekens Sr, the founder of Criss Cross Jazz records. Teeken’s Netherlands based label became the home for many of the generation of rising players throughout the 1990s, and Kenny Garrett, Steve Wilson, Benny Green, Bill Charlap, Chris Potter, Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Orrin Evans, and Seamus Blake all made their debut on Criss Cross. Given this history, and the personnel on this recording, you might expect to be treated to some very high-end contemporary NYC jazz, and you’d be absolutely right. ‘Focus Pocus’ starts off with some ominous chording and knotty unison parts before bursting into high-velocity swing over which Gilmore files, his tone full and rounded and his articulation awesomely clean and precise at any tempo. There’s a brief return to the vamp so that Strickland can do his polyrhythmic thing, longtime Ravi Coltrane associate Luis Perdomo flies away in a dazzling display of contemporary language. The high standards are maintained throughout this collection of Gilmore originals and a couple of seldom-seen standards - Bill Evan’s ‘Interplay’ gets a reverent reading that preserves the poise of the original while maintaining the urgent energy of the quartet throughout Jone’s effortlessly virtuosic solo statement, and Sam River’s ‘Cyclic Episode’ provides fertile ground for some brisk interaction. ‘Child Of Time’ introduces acoustic guitar for a hushed, proggy feel that’s full of atmosphere: ‘When And Then’ has an electric bass shuffle that evokes echoes of Steely Dan: ‘Innerlude’ as the title suggests is all introspective textural explorations with a very creative approach to the rhythm part writing: ‘The Long Game’ is underpinned by a dancing bass ostinato, and ‘Free Radicals’ has stunning extended solos from everyone. The playing and writing are of the very highest quality, and the quartet are so cohesive that the diversity in the writing doesn’t detract from the unity of the album as a whole. This is definitely an album for those who enjoy a lot of very high end electric guitar playing - parts are reminiscent of what one of Chick Corea’s Akoustic bands might sound like if Al DiMeola had somehow been invited as well - but there’s much to marvel at and enjoy for all fans of high-end, high intensity jazz.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Criss Cross Jazz - 1405
David Gilmore - guitar; Luis Perdomo - piano; Brad Jones - bass; E.J. Strickland - drums
This release was created as a tribute to Gerry Teekens Sr, the founder of Criss Cross Jazz records. Teeken’s Netherlands based label became the home for many of the generation of rising players throughout the 1990s, and Kenny Garrett, Steve Wilson, Benny Green, Bill Charlap, Chris Potter, Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Orrin Evans, and Seamus Blake all made their debut on Criss Cross. Given this history, and the personnel on this recording, you might expect to be treated to some very high-end contemporary NYC jazz, and you’d be absolutely right. ‘Focus Pocus’ starts off with some ominous chording and knotty unison parts before bursting into high-velocity swing over which Gilmore files, his tone full and rounded and his articulation awesomely clean and precise at any tempo. There’s a brief return to the vamp so that Strickland can do his polyrhythmic thing, longtime Ravi Coltrane associate Luis Perdomo flies away in a dazzling display of contemporary language. The high standards are maintained throughout this collection of Gilmore originals and a couple of seldom-seen standards - Bill Evan’s ‘Interplay’ gets a reverent reading that preserves the poise of the original while maintaining the urgent energy of the quartet throughout Jone’s effortlessly virtuosic solo statement, and Sam River’s ‘Cyclic Episode’ provides fertile ground for some brisk interaction. ‘Child Of Time’ introduces acoustic guitar for a hushed, proggy feel that’s full of atmosphere: ‘When And Then’ has an electric bass shuffle that evokes echoes of Steely Dan: ‘Innerlude’ as the title suggests is all introspective textural explorations with a very creative approach to the rhythm part writing: ‘The Long Game’ is underpinned by a dancing bass ostinato, and ‘Free Radicals’ has stunning extended solos from everyone. The playing and writing are of the very highest quality, and the quartet are so cohesive that the diversity in the writing doesn’t detract from the unity of the album as a whole. This is definitely an album for those who enjoy a lot of very high end electric guitar playing - parts are reminiscent of what one of Chick Corea’s Akoustic bands might sound like if Al DiMeola had somehow been invited as well - but there’s much to marvel at and enjoy for all fans of high-end, high intensity jazz.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
