Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Hristo Vitchev Quartet: In Search of Wonders

26

Hristo Vitchev Quartet: In Search of Wonders

By

Sign in to view read count
Hristo Vitchev Quartet: In Search of Wonders
Bulgarian-born San Franciscan jazz guitarist/composer Hristo Vitchev leads an experienced quartet on this double-CD collection of attractive modern jazz. This is his seventh release as a leader, and the third with this quartet (allowing for a change in the drum chair), following Familiar Fields (First Orbit Sounds Music, 2013) and Song For Messsambria (First Orbit Sounds Music, 2009). His influences are eclectic, but the chamber jazz sound of tracks like the piano solo "Stay (Prelude)" and the guitar/piano duet "We Search For Wonders" are balanced by a more generally energetic sound. "Old Theme" even includes a section where the players trade fours, an unexpected nod towards bebop performance practice in what is otherwise a contemporary jazz program..

Vitchev is joined by pianist Jasnam Daya Singh (also a duet partner on Heartmony (First Orbit Sounds Music, 2012) and The Secrets of an Angel (First Orbit Sounds Music, 2009), bassist Dan Robbins, and drummer Mike Shannon. Their long playing history shows: they sound like a band, listening and responding, each member actively contributing to the sound. The program opens with "The Transitory Nature," a melodic, pastoral song that recalls the Pat Metheny Group. Vitchev's compositions share a sunny, melodic, extroverted quality with Metheny's writing, and his playing has the same qualities. A fine technician, he never indulges in technical display for its own sake.

"It May Backfire" features an infectious flamenco-tinged theme, lending the whole tune a unique rhythmic groove. Other rhythmic treats include the distinctive rhythm of "Without Words, As the Full Moon Shines" (which gives drummer Shannon a chance to shine soloing under a vamp), and the subtle bossa of "The Invisible Stairway" (where the usual bossa nova rhythm is implied, rather than stated directly).

The group took the music on the road before recording it, which gives the performances a comfortable, lived-in quality. What they lose in the energy that can come from responding to new material, they gain in all the players being confident enough in their parts to be able to relax and listen to each other, and arrangements that have had time to evolve and find their own level. Vitchev has provided the quartet with a fine set of tunes that does not overstay its welcome over the course of a double album.

Track Listing

Disc 1: The Transitory Nature; It May Backfire; Post Nubes; Fuchsia Brown Eyes; In Search of Wonders; Almost Home (Intro); Almost Home. Disc 2: Falling in Orange; Old Theme; It Is Here, Somewhere; Stay (Prelude); Stay; Without Words, As the Full Moon Shines; The Invisible Stairway; We Search for Wonders.

Personnel

Hristo Vitchev: guitar; Dan Robbins: bass; Jasnam Dava Singh (Weber Iago): piano; Mike Shannon: drums.

Album information

Title: In Search of Wonders | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: First Orbit Sounds

Comments

Tags


For the Love of 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 create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.
View events near San Francisco
Jazz Near San Francisco
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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