Guitarist and composer Fabrizio Sotti released his much anticipated jazz album Inner Dance earlier this year after taking a hiatus from the jazz world. For the past few years Sotti was making a name for himself in the hip hop and rock world, and was keeping himself busy working with well known artists like Dead Prez, Q-Tip, Tupac Shakur, Jennifer Lopez, and Whitney Houston.
This is the debut recording of Croatian guitarist Ratko Zjaca. It is comprised of original material penned by Zjaca and saxophonist Stanislav Mitrovic.
One huge benefit of professionally reviewing jazz guitarists is discovering new voices. There are many fine players today who go largely undiscovered.
Sending My Love is a laid-back, smooth-jazz album by guitarist Norman Brown. Featuring nine original tracks, with a cover of the Kenny Loggins song “Celebrate Me Home,”
It’s All About Groove by New York based guitarist, and Vermont native, Ethan Mann. Mann, who relocated to New York in 1991, currently leads the organ trio featured on this recording, consisting of Chip Crawford, keyboards, and Greg Bandy, drums. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Mann has studied with such jazz guitar luminaries as Rodney Jones and Jack Wilkins, and is currently on faculty at Crestwood Music Education Center and Manna House Workshops in East Harlem.
I had to smile, just a little when after inputting Lee Ritenour’s 2010 album 6 String Theory into iTunes, it came up listed as genre “unclassifiable.”. I couldn’t have put it better myself, thanks Steve Jobs.
Guitarist Eric Krasno has enjoyed a long and varied musical career. He was a founding member of the bands Soulive and Lettuce. Krasno has worked with jazz players such as Joshua Redman, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Chaka Khan. He also appeared with hip-hop artists 50-Cent, GZA and Talib Kweli.
This is the 3rd opportunity that I have had to review Stryker and Slagle. I always look forward to hearing them and am never disappointed. This is a band that has much to offer.
Ralf Krebs is based in Berlin, Germany. He began his musical career by studying Latin percussion and drumming.
This is my first exposure to guitarist Alex Machacek. He was born in 1972 and raised in Vienna, Austria.
