Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dave Isaacs: Flying

Dave Isaacs: Flying

By Glenn Astarita
October 18, 2005
View read count

Guitarist Dave Isaacs leads the New York City-based Jackalope Junction band, and with this trio release he improvises melodies within the context of interrelated music genres. Primarily performing on electric guitar, Isaacs works with his rhythm section to navigate through country-blues, rockabilly style swing, and other mediums for him to strut his stuff. On "Front Porch Swing, he overlays a Hammond-B3 groove to complement his jazzy single-note lines. The guitarist alters his sound and mode of attack, primarily to raise the pitch or place a bit of emphasis on the band's ascending movements. To some extent, the hybrid country-swing vamp led by Isaacs' slick-picking maneuvers should appeal to fans of the late guitar-slinger Danny Gatton.

Isaacs lays it all out rather nicely as he periodically implements a bottle-neck for some hot n' nasty, wailing blues licks. The guitarist tones the session down a few notches during his nimble-picking acoustic work on "Waterfall. But he also slams the pedal to the metal in spots.

Overall, he conjures up a tasteful series of events, often dappled with attractive harmonic patterns. And his ability to ad-lib the melodic content of these pieces, framed upon structured grooves, transmits his conviction and astute musicality.

Track Listing

For True; Front Porch Swing; Eight Avenue; Sunrise; La Mosca; Shadows Waltz; Waterfall; The Lonesome Gunslinger Saves The Day; Winter's Lullaby; Xango

Personnel

Dave Isaacs

guitar

Dave Isaacs: guitars, Hammond B-3; Bob Stander: bass, bass guitar synth, drum programming; Steve Holley: drums; Al Speed: Hammond B-3 (3).

Album information

Title: Flying | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Shadow Brook Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Good Night, and Good Luck
< Previous

Odem
Next >

Support All About Jazz

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.