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Mitch Seidman, electric and acoustic guitar; Mark
Shilansky, piano; Paul Del Nero, acoustic bass; Luther Gray, drums
Astonishing, remarkable, who are these people? I have never heard
of them before, and I have the feeling that I should have. The liner notes
tell us that these four guys have been around a bit. There are credentials
enough for Seidman (anyone with the barest knowledge of German would be
unable to resist the joke) who leads here, and right well he does at the
job. Shilansky is something of a revelation, however. One has the feeling
of listening to a pianist of enormous accomplishment and Kenny Wheeler,
Clark Terry, Phil Woods and Herb Pomeroy seem to have agreed in the past.
Del Nero and Gray can also rack up a few big-time names as previous partners.
The entire set is of the guitar persuasion and all of the tunes (including
Seidman's own, of course) are from the pens of well-known guitarists. Seidman
also touches upon the writing of four European guitarists and what one finds
most compelling is his obvious familiarity with all of the material, but
not just melodically for he seems to have caught the flavor, the nuance
of the various tunes and their respective writers. Del Nero and Gray contribute
mightily to the spirit of inventiveness and Shilansky can be absolutely
captivating. His explorative work is thoughtfully executed and rendered
with a lovely tone. Recommended. Nice to hear a recording that really is
going somewhere. May the gods continue with them.
by LawrenceBrazier
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Copyright Jazz Now, February 2003 issue, all rights reserved
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