Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Hristo Vitchev Quartet: Familiar Fields

3

Hristo Vitchev Quartet: Familiar Fields

By

Sign in to view read count
Hristo Vitchev Quartet: Familiar Fields
New Age jazz from a guitarist very much in the Pat Metheny tradition. Hristo Vitchev was born in Bulgaria but now lives—as do a great many other New Agers—in San Francisco. He wrote the music on this album some time ago but says the songs "were constantly searching for their own voice, their own identity, and their own place in this multi- dimensional sonic universe."

So he has now kindly given them a CD all of their own.

The songs are dreamily repetitive and while on occasion the "m" in that adjective needs to be changed an "r," there's still much of interest.

"The Mask Of Agamemnon," for example, is built on a hauntingly lyrical progression and features solid solos from the leader and pianist Weber Iago, who was born Weber Ribeiro Drummond in Rio de Janeiro but changed his name "in homage to the Roma people."

He wears a turban because he is currently a Sikh. A New Age publication, Mindful Magazine, recently hailed him as a "world famous pianist." This may be a trifle premature but he is very good.

The title song is in two parts. Iago states the theme with embellishments, underpinned by Dan Robbins' bass. Robbins then takes over briefly before Vitchev comes in with a delicately constructed solo that always reflects the spirit of the piece. The theme is restated against a dark chord progression before a fade into Part Two. Here the mood, largely handled by Iago, is gently nostalgic. Vitchev contributes a nicely understated solo towards close of play.

On the sleeve he describes how it felt to hear this and his other compositions take shape: "I felt as if I was walking through Familiar Fields yet everything I saw along the way I saw for the first time. As we played note after note, I realized that the music had finally found its resting place, its new life, filled with its own emotions, memories and many colorful characters..""

Track Listing

Ballad For The Fallen; Wounded By A Poison Arrow; The Prophet's Daughter; They Are No More; Familiar Fields Part 1; Familiar Fields Part 2; The Mask Of Agememnon; The Fifth Season; Willing To Live.

Personnel

Hristo Vitchev: guitar; Dan Robbins: bass; Weber Iago: piano; Mike Shannon: drums.

Album information

Title: Familiar Fields | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: First Orbit Sounds

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.