Jazz Uncorked
By David Ginochio

March 2001

Jazz Uncorked
Archive

Deerfield Ranch Pinot Noir Sebastopol Syrah Sunce Cabernet Simonsig Estate Wines Deerfield Ranch Wines Sobon Estate Barbera Peterson Zero Manipulation Roche Merlot & Pinot Noir Yorkville Cellars Wooden Valley Wines Milone Zinfandel Argonaut Syrah Claudia Springs Zin Pellegrini's Cab Westover Cab Storrs Grenache Tocai Friulano Lodi "Fancy Quest" 1998 Il Chiaretto Guest Columns Jacky Terrasson Prunotto R.H. Phillips' Malbec

Estate Syrah Argonaut Winery 1998 By David Ginochio Upon the discovery of Champagne somewhere around 1670, some monk, a Dom something or other, supposedly exclaimed to the other guys in the abbey, “Come quickly, I’m drinking stars.” If he was around today, and happened to taste the 1998 Estate Syrah from Argonaut Winery, I’d imagine he’d swear he was drinking the very essence of the earth, kissed by the sun. Hidden in the backwoods of California’s Gold Country, Argonaut has been making award-winning wines since the mid-1970’s. A decadent pour of this elegant Syrah reveals a beautiful, thriving, nearly opaque purple color, a nose teaming with burnt sugar, vanilla, smoke, cassis and tar, and absolutely irresistible flavors of the aforementioned earth, tobacco, bacon, orange, chocolate and spices. Brimming with fruit, friendly tannins, a full body, and a silky mouth feel, this bold, jammy, extracted Syrah is a gorgeous example of what can be realized in California with this noble grape. Score: 91 Visit the Argonaut Winery Web Site

Big Ideas Jack West & Curvature Ahead Behind By Glenn Astarita 8-string acoustic guitarist Jack West melds organically induced homespun themes with blues and jazz overtones on his fifth release, titled Big Ideas. Here, “Jack West and Curvature” renders subtle intimacy along with pumping beats and atmospheric propositions as the guitarist makes every note count whether pursuing bluesy bottleneck slide choruses or jazzy lines amid enticing harmonic relationships with cellist Mark Summer and marimba performer Joel Davel. Drummer Scott Amendola, primarily known for his ongoing affiliation with guitarist Charlie Hunter, rounds out an overall sound brimming with quaint melodies and expansive interplay. Pieces such as “Something About the Dream” and “This Life Reprise” are comprised of cyclic movements, sublime harmonies, East Indian undercurrents and brisk soloing by West, Summer and Davel. However, on “Same Planet, Different Universe”, West fuses jazz-based voicings with Caribbean and Classical elements atop Amendola’s delicate brush work and the band’s buoyant passages and multihued tonalities. Overall, Jack West presents the listener with a hybrid approach to jazz yet the artist’s memorable compositions and glimmering technique bespeaks a fertile imagination, further enhanced by Lee Townsend’s insightful production and the musician’s sympathetic interaction. Recommended! Visit the Jack West Web Site