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Jonathan Kreisberg: Shadowless
by Glenn Astarita
A nascent modern day guitar hero, Jonathan Kreisberg's sixth solo effort, Shadowless, glistens with multihued rays of light amid memorable material and technical brilliance. With his band generating solicitous support and soling mechanisms, the proceedings soar into the jazz cosmos on the sizzling “Twenty One." Kreisberg's broad chordal vernacular is heartily emphasized, as he trades fours and spars with saxophonist Will Vinson. Featuring buoyant and odd-metered unison runs, Kreisberg weaves in between the rhythm section's fluid underpinnings, ...
Continue ReadingJonathan Kreisberg: Shadowless
by Dan Bilawsky
Guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg has gained a lot of visibility through his sideman work with organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, but his talents are occasionally downplayed in that role. When left to fend for himself, as on this eight song program, the full breadth and depth of his artistry is revealed. Kreisberg wanted to follow up his gentle, standards-only Night Songs (Criss Cross, 2009) with a more potent musical brew, and Shadowless easily fits the bill. Kreisberg kicks things ...
Continue ReadingJonathan Kreisberg: Shadowless
by John Kelman
In a landscape populated by forty-something guitarists like Kurt Rosenwinkel and thirty-something six-stringers like Lage Lund, Jonathan Kreisberg stands alone. Sure, he's got the chops and linguistic sophistication of a group of peers who are the clear next step beyond the innovations of Pat Metheny, John Scofield and Bill Frisell , but what separates Kreisberg is his interest in expanding the sonic potential of his instrument; one of smaller subset of guitarists who approach the inherent orchestral nature of their ...
Continue ReadingJonathan Kreisberg: Unearthed
by Matthew Warnock
The world of jazz guitar has long been filled with some of the most storied names in jazz history. Artists such as Charlie Christian, Johnny Smith, Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny and John Scofield have all become recognized as some of jazz's greatest innovators and most prolific performers.In a day and age when it seems that jazz, and jazz guitar, has been through just about every transition, amalgamation and innovation possible, there are still new voices emerging to take ...
Continue ReadingJonathan Kreisberg: The South of Everywhere
by John Kelman
When thinking of younger guitarists making a difference, names that seem to crop up often are Rosenwinkel, Monder and Rogers. Undeniably fine guitarists all, but add Jonathan Kreisberg to that list. New for Now (Criss Cross, 2005), demonstrated Kreisberg's successfully transition from his early days as a prog-rocker and fusion-meister to modern mainstreamer, while Unearth (Mel Bay, 2005) made clear his imaginative compositional skills, blending cerebralism with a grounded, visceral edge. The South of Everywhere continues Kreisberg's evolution on a ...
Continue ReadingJonathan Kreisberg: The South Of Everywhere
by Glenn Astarita
New York-based guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg provides a lesson or two here, on his second date for Mel Bay Records. It's not all about chops or technique. He adds credence to that notion via thoughtful compositions and small ensemble-led arrangements that communicate his penchant for fusing power-packed dynamics with memorable melodies. Kreisberg is well-equipped in the technical domain. But it's more about quality and substance that underscores this largely exhilarating effort. With everyone's favorite session keyboardist Gary Versace manning ...
Continue ReadingJonathan Kreisberg: Unearth
by Eric J. Iannelli
Two objective characteristics set Unearth apart from guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg's four previous releases. First, it's a quintet outing, as opposed to the trios that created his eponymous 1996 debut, Trioing (2000), Nine Stories Wide (2004) and New for Now (2005). Second, it's original material from start to finish, which yields a strangely contradictory effect. Kreisberg the musician subsumes himself into a larger group, leaving himself less exposed as a performer than he would be in a trio, but Kreisberg the ...
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