Search - Bobby Broom :: Stand

New Boss Guitarist

James B | Kansas City, Mo. United States | 10/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is unreservedley the best jazz guitar cd I've heard since Bern Nix's first (& only cd) from the early 90's. First of all going back and recording jazz covers of 60's rock hits was a great idea. The choices, in almost every case, are unusual. 'Stand' by Sly and the Family Stone and 'The Letter' by the Boxtops were great rock, but not the grist for jazz treatments. 'The Letter' for example uses 8 quarter notes in the first two bars all accented pretty much evenly. Pretty boring stuff when stripped of the vocal line. Broom, instead of playing around the limitations of the song's structure, plays the intro pretty straight and still manages to make the theme very interesting. Part of how he achieves it is through his guitars sound-big vivid articulated notes played a bit flat, very little loud/soft dynamics, and what seems to be a sort of unique do-it-yourself understanding of chord changes. If I have any reservations it's with the drummer..or I should say the drums. I hear the same splash of cymbal on all the uptempo numbers..no variation in tone or attack and after awhile I have to force myself to tune it out. But hey, this is very minor stuff compared to the huge rewards Broom delivers. I'd love to see him perform live in a concert setting. Stunning music."

Then Is Now

Mitch Bogen | Somerville, Massachusetts | 01/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With "Stand," Bobby Broom has recorded powerful interpretations of some well known 60s hits, which the artist identifies as having affected him greatly as a youngster. I must be about the same age as Broom, for these songs were the soundtrack of my youth as well. Broom's renditions remind me how great these melodies are, and while I certainly feel nostalgia while listening, mostly I hear the guitarist's deep emotional commitment and intelligent variations upon the themes. Broom and the band came up with creative arrangements that make even the most familiar melodies sound fresh. Frankly, I was worried about hearing "The House of the Rising Sun" yet again, but even that warhorse works here!This performance looks affectionately to the past without being overly sentimental. And its superb improvisations keep you focused in the here and now. That's art."

Very good

amundson@atlantic.net | Palm Harbor, Fl United States | 01/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoyed this cd quite a bit. It is not one of those life-altering recordings that makes you rethink the way you've been playing and listing to music, but it is a very solid performance. The band swings and drives through the tunes. Broom really gets some of these tunes sounding better than I've ever heard them. The surprise was how great Monday, Monday sounded. It's such a square tune, but it sounds really hip and bluesy. Not all of the songs on this cd come out great, but of all the new guitar cds, this one of my favorites."