Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Vic Juris: Blue Horizon

455

Vic Juris: Blue Horizon

By

View read count
Vic Juris: Blue Horizon
Sometimes you put on a disc and from the first note you know it's the real thing; honest, direct and completely unassuming, it resonates instantly. Such is the case with guitarist Vic Juris' new release, Blue Horizon. While there are certain precedents for what he does, he has a sound and approach all his own—and while he may not be the household name that some of his immediate contemporaries are, it is completely mystifying as to why this is so.

With a lineup that prominently features vibraphonist Joe Locke as well as bassist Jay Anderson, drummer Adam Nussbaum, and percussionist Jamey Haddad, Juris has created an album that manages to challenge without losing any of its accessibility. Like Pat Metheny, Juris shares the uncanny ability to take advanced harmonic concepts and mask them in deceptively simple sounding contexts. And the inclusion of Locke draws the line even further back to Metheny's first employer, Gary Burton, and his guitar-centric groups of the '60s and '70s. Still, while there is a certain lineage to Juris' music, he manages to imbue it with something indescribably him and completely modern.

Juris may have a warm electric tone that harkens to Metheny, but harmonically he is more directly related to John Abercrombie, with melodies that manage to be both singable and unpredictable. His formidable technique is evidenced only by the richness of his ideas; he is as economical as he is inventive. From the Brazilian- informed "Dancing Shadows" to the acoustic ballad "Soft Spoken," from the angular melody of "Kling On" to the more straightforward swing of "889," Juris is exciting, imaginative and, above all, lyrical. The best players manage to eschew predisposition, making each solo a unique experience, and Juris is clearly in that league.

Locke is, quite simply, the purist vibraphonist out there and, along with Stefon Harris and Steve Nelson, one of a small group of players who are truly developing the instrument's potential. His solos have that same sense of logical perfection so prevalent in Gary Burton's best work. John Abercrombie recently described Adam Nussbaum as "one of the most comfortable drummers in the world to play with—you can play anything with him and it all works because he's so adaptable and he swings so hard." On this record he continues to demonstrate why he remains in such high demand. Bassist Jay Anderson provides the perfect anchor and Jamey Haddad manages to colour the rhythm without getting in the way of the essential groove.

What is puzzling is how Juris, along with Locke and Nussbaum, can be musicians' musicians, high on the list for session and touring calls, yet eluding more widespread acclaim. On the strength of Blue Horizon , clearly in the running for this year's top ten list, it is the larger jazz public who is missing out. Anyone who hears this recording will know that this is what it's all about.

Track Listing

Dancing Shadows; Soft Spoken; Labyrinth; Kling On; Uphill; Gojo Duo; Sunset on Vega; Domo Duo; The Spanish Horse; 889; Vjay Duo; Blue Horizon; I've Heard That Song Before.

Personnel

Vic Juris
guitar

Vic Juris- guitars; Joe Locke- vibraphone, marimba; Jay Anderson- bass; Adam Nussbaum- drums; Jamey Haddad- percussion; Kate Baker- vocal on "Dancing Shadows."

Album information

Title: Blue Horizon | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Zoho Music

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.