Austrian guitarist
Gerald Gradwohl has been making great fusion records
for years. A highly skilled soloist, Gradwohl's style combines the hip
lines of a jazz player, with the technical proclivities of a shredder.
Though he has loads of session and sideman work in his background, his
solo projects - particularly
ABQ (Emarcy/Universal 2003), and
Tritone Barrier
(EMC 2007) - are what put him on the map as a force to be reckoned with
in the world-wide guitar community. Those albums featured keyboards,
horns, and laudable guests such as Bob Berg, Kirk Covington, and Scott
Henderson. For his latest recording,
Sally Beth Roe (Gtone),
Gradwohl changes things up and goes for a bare-bones, stripped down
approach. It's a pure trio album, recorded with few overdubs, and no
guests. The result is one of the rawest, rocking fusion discs I've
heard in some time.
Right from the opening whammy bar outburst
of the title track, the album's "live in the studio" feel is apparent.
It's a fun, loose recording, and the chemistry between Gradwohl and his
trio mates Farid Al-Shami (drums), and Jojo Lackner (bass) is palpable
throughout the disc. If I had to label
Sally Beth Roe
stylistically, "Heavy fusion" would be the best moniker to use, though
some tracks are closer to instrumental rock ("Time to Play"), or blues
("Blues For Ben," "Stevie"). Gradwohl seems to shine best on the
groove-based fusion material, where he can stretch out harmonically (as
a writer and soloist), and lock in with his band for some dynamic group
interplay. "Tunnel Elevator" and "Maths" are two great examples of
this.
"No Matter" is another standout track that is pure
fusion. It features some of Gradwohl's most legato-oriented playing on
the album (though he still throws in some insane Gambale-esque sweeps),
a nice bass solo from Lackner, and a great memorable melody. Listening
to this track and others, it's clear that Gradwohl knows well how to
arrange this type of material for a trio setting. His chords are often
deployed in short staccato bursts, and there's plenty of doubled lines
with the bass. There's a couple of fine ballads on the disc as well -
the acoustic and improvisational closer "Joni," and the deliberately
paced "Hope" (which is
not the Mahavishnu Orchestra piece of the same name, but it seems to take inspiration from some of that band's epic ballads).
Regardless of it's style, every song on
Sally Beth Roe
is driven by Gradwohl's guitar. Though he's got chops to spare
(particularly with his picking), Gradwohl's great strength is how
seamlessly he can drop in a cool altered line or triad-based idea in
middle of a shred-filled solo. And while he has an original musical
voice, he's not afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve either.
Pieces like "Maths" and "Viper" have strong shades of post-Tribal Tech
Scott Henderson, whereas "Wayne II" owes it's title and inspiration to
Wayne Krantz. And like those great players, he's not shy about his
tonal choices. Gradwohl favors a heavier rock-oriented tone throughout
most of the disc, which he sometimes kicks up a notch by adding
over-the-top fuzz effects. It's a very natural tone, however, which
enhances the live feel of the entire album.
A lot of great fusion has come out of Europe lately, and
Sally Beth Roe is no exception. Definitely recommended.
Gerald Gradwohl Trio - Sally Beth Roe (Gtone)Personnel:
Gerald Gradwohl - Guitar
Farid Al-Shami - Drums
Jojo Lackner - Bass
Tracklisting:
1. Sally Beth Roe
2. Tunnel Elevator
3. Joe's Place
4. Blues For Ben
5. Maths
6. Viper
7. Wayne II
8. Time To Play
9. Hope
10. No Matter
11. Stevie
12. Joni
Rich
List all reviews
