Jazz Articles

Rik Wright's Fundamental Forces: Subtle Energy

by Geannine Reid
October 13, 2016

Guitarist Rik Wright returns with Subtle Energy, an album that continues his exploration of well-crafted originals and band chemistry, again in a quartet format, but with a slightly more relaxed approach to the music compared to his earlier quartet records. The Seattle-based guitarist's previous releases were based on a trilogy of primary colors, Blue (2013), Red (2014), and Green (2015). Make no mistake though, Wright is still bringing the heat and over the course of each composition the listener will ...

Rik Wright's Fundamental Forces: Green

by Jack Gold-Molina
January 30, 2016

Rik Wright is a Seattle based guitarist inclined toward the styles of the fusion-esque rock of Andy Summers and John Abercrombie as much as the post bop stylings of Miles Davis and Charles Mingus. On this album, as with his previous two outings, he teams up with reeds and flautist James DeJoie, acoustic bassist Geoff Harper, and drummer/percussionist Greg Campbell. From the opening phrases of the first tune, “Contradiction," the band demonstrates its intensity and ability to blow ...

Rik Wright's Zen Tornado: Zen Tornado

by Eric J. Iannelli
April 11, 2005

Zen Tornado, as the name alone might imply, is a tempestuous brew of jazz fusion with moments of almost transcendental tranquility. The eponymous ensemble, a semi-conventional five-piece unit, is led by guitarist Rik Wright, and the resulting debut full-length has a distinct thrust and direction that suggests Wright was able to get precisely what he wanted out of the group (some performers, like drummer Simon Grant, are longtime friends and collaborators of his) without suppressing individual initiative or spontaneity.

Wright ...