Larry Coryell will always be best known for arguably being the first fusion guitarist, but his career has been quite wide-ranging ever since the late '60s. On Shining Hour , he mostly sticks to jazz standards other than his own "Floyd Gets a Gig" and Brian Torff's "Apathy Rains." Several of the selections are identified with Miles Davis including "Nefertiti" and "The Sorcerer" but there are also hard swinging versions of "All the Things You Are" and "My Shining Hour." Coryell, whose playing works well in this (for him) rare setting although he is not really a boppish improviser, interacts with pianist Kenny Barron (who sometimes takes solo honors), bassist Buster Williams and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith.
One of the more exciting jazz musicians to emerge in the first decade of the 21st century, Baltimore-based pianist Lafayette Gilchrist blends progressive 1960s post-bop experimentation with driving, accessible grooves. TOWARD THE SHINING PATH, Gilchrist’s second album, builds on the strengths of his debut to deliver a thoroughly appealing post-modern jazz ride. Whether exploring loose-limbed stride-funk fusions (“New Jack”), riff-driven jams (“Elephant Dance”), or lush, winding melodies (“Unsolved, Unresolved”), Gilchrist displays deft skill with a melodic line that is always surprising. Fans of contemporary pianists such as Jason Moran and Brad Mehldau would be well advised to check out this sophomore release from an up-and-coming talent.
The great-great-grand-daughter of writer Leo Tolstoy, Viktoria Tolstoy had been a jazz singer in Scandinavia for over a decade when she recorded Shining on You. Tolstoy has a beautiful voice and can hold notes for a long period perfectly in-tune. This outing really does not give her much of a chance to sing jazz for the emphasis is on her interpretations of the lyrics.
The Neo-Classical style that acts as a foundation to Ashram’s music is usually built upon the moods of pianist Luigi Rubino, who sets a black and white cinematographic mannerism to the songs, hereby uplifted by violinist Edo Notarloberti’s arrangements, a performer well-known from various previous collaborations with other Napolitan projects, and whose soaring violin phrases confer a moving brilliance and distinct character to the project. Sergio Panarella, the group’s singer endowed with a beautiful crooning voice, adds the lighter tones to Ashram’s creations, by contributing also with a couple of acoustic guitar-based mellower Folk ballads now and again…