Nice record man!
Brooke Sofferman | Boston | 10/26/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I went to see John with Brian and Adam trio at the Regattabar in Boston last week, and picked up this record from John after the show. Great show and really nice record! The thing that impressed me the most, was the dynamics the trio used, and the intesity they provided, without sheer volume. They used space as their co-pilot, and the variable compositions kept it fresh and exciting. Plus, I got to hear John's new uberbass, which sounded glorious! Not to mention Brian's square/round badge Gretsch combo white sparkle kit/Spizz's/Zildjians and Adam's Gibson! The CD also features some Chris Potter (who always sounds great) and some nice string quartet arrangements, featuring John's wife on cello. Grab this record, it's happenin.............."
Stylistically ambivalent
hanyi ishtouk | Budapest, Hungary | 02/20/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"which perhaps comes as a result of featuring on the same menu a postbop guitar trio (#1, 3, 5, 9), augmented with Chris Potter's tenor sax on three tracks (#2, 4, 8), as well as programme music arranged for a string quintet/quartet against/alongside John Patitucci's 6-string bass guitar or bowed double bass lines (#7, 11-12). These latter modern chamber music pieces somewhat remind the listener of the bassist-composer's earlier effort, "Heart of the Bass" (1991, Stretch).
Worthsome offerings (#3-7, 9) are the serene 'circular' and the ballad called 'folklore', both of which showcase guitarist Adam Rogers' lush tone and his decent solos. He also plays classical guitar on his own composition 'dry september' and on Manuel de Falla's (1876-1946) wailing 'Nana' (the bowed double bass melody seems to be in E Phrygian mode, while the guitar line occasionally employs G sharp/A flat that turns the aforementioned minor scale into major...) T. Monk's 'evidence' is among the highlights, too, courtesy of its jazz-rock/funk treatment -- at least as far as the 'head' is concerned. As usual, drummer Brian Blade's contribution is worthy of praise.
Less interesting are the title song and the two starting tunes, with their sterile mood and l'art pour l'art approach. There are two solo pieces on the album: the bluesy-spiritual 'Jesus is on the mainline' (double bass) and 'tone poem' (6-string bass guitar). Running time: 67.05 min.
P.S. The interplay of J. Patitucci and A. Rogers is further demonstrated on the guitarist's latest release, "Sight" (2009, CrissCross)."
