Wanna know what a solo guitar can do? Check out this album by Mary Halvorson. She takes a wide swath of jazz pieces and makes each one as individual as a fingerprint. The most eye opening is the first track, a read of Oliver Nelson’s “Cascades” that uses a fuzzy and distorted guitar to create some otherworldly atmospheres. Much cleaner and accessible is “Blood” and a Joe Pass-like read of McCoy Tyner’s “Aisha.” The strings sparkle on “Platform” and a wonderful vibrato rings true on “Cheshire Hotel.” A prismatic read of Ornette Coleman’s “Sadness” sits well next to a spacious and spacey verson of Ellington’s “Solitude.” Each interpretation has its own mood, making the material fresh on its own terms. Impressive.
Firehouse 12 Records