If you know your history of recorded music, the original concept of a “record album” was a collection of 78 rpm records that were put into a actual album, sort of like a photo album. You’d take out each record from its jacket and play it over and over until you memorized it. My dad had a bunch of these, the coolest one being Earl Hines’ Orchestra with Billy Eckstine singing “Jelly, Jelly”. Dad was a bebopper!
Anyway, guitarist Cody Steinmann is doing kind of the same thing, putting out a number of independent and separate singles, united by the fact that he’s teamed with the same rhythm section of drummer Abinnet Berhanu and bassist Christ Bates. Each song has its own distinct charms and while each having its own personality, Steinmann’s personal tone and style comes through, and comes through attractively.
His delivery is a kind of mix of modern jazz a la Kurt Rosenwinkel, producing clean lines around Berhanu’s crisp shuffling sticks on the hip shuffle of “Another Blues Head” and adding a bit of Asian harmonies as he chimes on the impressionistic “Because I Think She’s Beautiful”. He gives some dark and smokey hues following Bates’ intro on “Sydoc” and rocks assertively a la Dick Dale over Berhanu’s waves as well as giving palpable chords over the propulsive drive of “Not Sappy At All”.
All of the songs have a “live” and organic feel, with a foot in modern tones and the other in swinging blues with a dash of metal shining brightly. A nice direction for six stringers to follow. Can’t wait for a whole product. Liner notes, anyone?
https://codysteinmann.bandcamp.com