Record Reviews

STEPHEN MCHALE ~ WEIRD GLITCHES NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5391524028102) ~ IRELAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Irish guitarist / composer Stephen McHaleFind albums by this artist, currently residing in Valencia, like many other young European Jazz musicians who study and / or teach at the local branch of the Berklee School of Music. The album was recorded with fellow Berklee cohorts, like Polish keyboardist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist, Spanish keyboardist Ricardo CurtoFind albums by this artist, Ecuadorian bassist Daniel ToledoFind albums by this artist, British drummer Joshua WheatleyFind albums by this artist and several others. The album presets eight tracks, seven of which are original compositions by McHale and one is a standard by Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist, arranged by Toledo. From the very first note of this album it becomes immediately apparent that McHale is a "different" guitarist, with a superb individual sound and attitude, which supported by his outstanding compositions create a rare musical experience in a world filled by hordes of wannabe guitar stars. Throughout the album McHale demonstrates an astounding diversity and versatility, which spans everything from melodic lyricism, to Avant-Garde distortion, a truly unusual phenomenon. The seven original pieces are all fabulously crafted and fondly remind me of the compositions by John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist, who is my favorite guitar composer (and player of course), because he is "thinking" about guitar and its myriad of sounds when he composes music. This is about the highest compliment I can pay to the young McHale, hoping to hear more of his creations in the not too distant future. It is difficult to define this music stylistically; the electric guitar, keyboards and bass immediately suggest Jazz-Rock Fusion, but on the other hand there are not that many classic Fusion elements present here, so perhaps Electric Jazz is more appropriate. Regardless of the genre associations, this is simply some of the best music I have heard in quite a while in that particular aesthetic proximity and it is a blast to listen to from start to finish. It must be said that McHale gets a truly outstanding support by the team of musicians, who play on this album, many of which are already stars of their own, like Orzechowski, who is taking the Polish Jazz scene by storm and who gets my unvarying support for his work since his first steps. But all the other players herein are simply a dream team in every respect, and without them this album would not be as perfect as it is. To summarize, this is a most impressive and exhilarating debut release that deserves all the attention it can get, and one that surely will make many guitar enthusiasts extremely happy, if not immediately than surely in time, as it takes a while to absorb and appreciate the Artistry involved. Hats off!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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DANIEL TOLEDO ~ ELAPSE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 889211081240) ~ ECUADOR ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Ecuadorian bassist / composer Daniel ToledoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio setting with excellent Polish Jazz pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist and British drummer Joshua WheatleyFind albums by this artist. The album presents five original compositions by Toledo and one standard composed by Miles DavisFind albums by this artist. Orzechowski is of course one of the top young Jazz pianist in his country and in the last few years his activities have been documented mainly in the role of a solo piano player, therefore this recording should be of great interest to all Polish Jazz fans. Toledo emerges on this debut recording as an excellent bassist of a highly personal style, which is characterized by groovy pulsations, which are usually produced by electric bass guitar rather than by the upright bass, and a danceable attitude, which most probably has its roots in his South American roots. But he is definitely also a highly talented composer and his tunes serve as ideal vehicles for the trio to explore and develop the basic melody lines into lengthy improvisations. Naturally the pianist draws most of the listener´s attention, as he is the main soloist here. Toledo made a wise choice combining forces with Orzechowski, as there are very few such versatile and skillful pianists as him. It´s a pleasure to hear Orzechowski keep the groove and funky feel of this album alive, even on the slow pieces, which display a more lyrical approach. Wheatley fits the bill perfectly, supporting the bass with his steady rhythmic patterns, keeping time and at the same time allowing for a lot of rhythmic fluidity, which makes the music much more interesting. This approach is strongly felt on the trio´s interpretation of the Miles Davis composition, which is given a highly unusual treatment. Overall this is definitely a superb debut effort, as well as one of the most personal / unique albums that I happened to listen to in 2014. Hopefully this trio will produce more of such gems in the future. I can´t wait to see where it will all lead to. Nice work Gentlemen!

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