Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Guillermo Bazolla Summer Quartet: 3D

145

Guillermo Bazolla Summer Quartet: 3D

By

View read count
Guillermo Bazolla Summer Quartet: 3D
Perhaps no instrument was affected more by the advent of rock and roll than the guitar. Pioneers like Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix, while accomplished musicians in their own right, ushered in an era where earnest teenagers picked up the guitar because they felt that anyone could play it, and play it well. Everyone wanted to form a rock band and simply being able to pound out three chords became enough to write passable songs. Soon graffiti told us that Charlie Parker was no longer God; Clapton was. Arguably the guitar is now the most popular instrument today, but no one yearns to be Wes Montgomery over Kurt Cobain.

Fortunately there are still musicians out there who are dedicated to preserving the legacy of the guitar in jazz: clean melodic lines and craftsmanship instead of snarling power chords. One such fellow is Guillermo Bazzola, who hails from Argentina and is part of the strong Latin American jazz scene along with pianist Adrian Iaies. As such, a strong Latin subtext infuses the entire album. Shades of the dark, melancholy beauty of Wayne Shorter albums like Speak No Evil are also evident here; songs like “Sambeta” and “Cinco” are not just bedrocks for improvisation, but are strong, melodic tunes in their own right.

The lack of piano is the quartet gives the musicians plenty of space to stretch out and gives the album an airy, relaxed feel. Possessed with a seemingly effortless technique, Bazzola plays as if he was picking up grains of sand with tweezers; patiently, carefully, and precisely. He has chosen accomplished musicians to back him; Rodrigo Dominguez in particular is gifted at playing colorful, undulating melodies that glide over the changes.

Even with rock and roll, great music is played as if it truly comes from the soul; this is what separates the earnest dabblers from the skilled performers. Bazzola is definitely in the latter category. His excellent album is definitely worthy of attention from here in the States.

More information about Guillermo Bazzola can be found on his web page at http://www.geocities.com/ghbazzola.

Track Listing

Sambeta, Waltham Rose, 3D, Cinco, Nuevo Dia, Pequeno, Impulse!, Bulgarus Profanus.

Personnel

Guillermo Bazzola, guitar; Rodrigo Dominguez, saxes; Rodolfo Paccapelo, bass; Hernan Mandelman, drums.

Album information

Title: 3D | Year Released: 2000

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.