Andrew Cheshire: Guitar Noir (2002)

C. MICHAEL BAILEY,

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

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Published: May 1, 2002

Joe Pass in reduction

Guitar Noir is a moody little solo guitar soundtrack from the vastly underrated Andrew Cheshire. Cheshire is well known for having an omnivorous appetite for musical genre that is apparent on his five some releases on his record label Joule. Difficult to categorize, Cheshire's playing ranges from Jeff Beck Fusion to Joe Pass Mainstream.

A perfect soundscape for a dense and twisted mystery thriller, Guitar Noir finds Mr. Cheshire investigating the darker side of the solo jazz guitar. His playing is full of nervous scales and arpeggios. It is music typified by tapping one's foot while covertly waiting for the arrival of some mysterious character. Mr. Cheshire's playing is warm, as is the recording, which is made at a comfortable distance. For this critic, Guitar Noir is the most enjoyable of all of Andrew Cheshire recordings, though they are all uniformly fine.

For more information about Guitar Noir as well as the entire Cheshire discography, visit the Joule Records website .

Track Listing: Guitar Noir; Drama; Beating Heart; The Riddle; Poem; The Chase; Misterioso; Shadows; Catwalk; Journey; Quiet Rain; Introspection; Farewell; Guitar Noir (Reprise). (Total Time: 50:00).

Personnel: Andrew Cheshire: Guitars.

Record Label: Joule Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream