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Kaveh Rastegar: Light Of Love
ByLight Of LoveRastegar's leader debutis both exactly what you'd expect and a complete departure from any norm. It's not a jazz date, it's not a rock or pop record, it's not a soul jam, and it's not a production piece. It's actually the overlap in the Venn diagram connecting all of those areas (and many others). In short, it's a manifestation of Rastegar's very nature as a binding force.
With a diverse cast of vocal and instrumental individualists in play, Rastegar is able to give each track a completely separate identity while still lacing all of his material together. Opening with the harmonically-tethered rock of "Bad Ideas," Rastegar lets his voice and mind shine. Then he shifts the light away from himself, turning attention toward his friends and colleagues. vocalist Gaby Moreno fronts the quietly stirring "Cuento Ilogico," drummer Chris Dave adds some dried drum flair to a pair of instrumental groove trips, Mike Viola injects a radio-friendly pop element to the mix with his vocals on the all-too-brief "Roll Call," and David Garza rides atop the slick and hypnotic snap of the title track. Through it all, Rastegar is simultaneously raising it all up and holding everything down.
The second half of the album, no less impressive in scope and diversity, can be summed up by a highlight reel that finds AMES aiming for empyrean realms in her vocal work on "Accidents Waiting To Happen," trumpeter Nicholas Payton riffing on the (occasionally) stutter-stepped funk of "Long March," Dawn Richard releasing an intoxicating perfume of lyrics on the slow and sizzling "Lavender," and Becca Stevens beckoning with her relatively naked singing. If you want to hear Rastegar in a specific setting, look back to the first paragraph here. But if you want to see what he's capable of when left to his own devices, Light Of Love is the place to go.
Track Listing
Bad Ideas; Cuento Ilogico; Cat Woman; Roll Call; Tom Tom; Light of Love; As Long As You Love Me; Accidents Waiting to Happen; Long March; Lavender; A Little Too Late; Luz Do Sol.
Personnel
Kaveh Rastegar
bass, electricKaveh Rastegar: bass, guitars (1, 2, 7, 11), keyboards (3, 5, 11), vocals (1); AMES: vocals (8); Becca Stevens: vocals (11); Gaby Moreno: vocals (2); Dawn Richard: vocals (10); David Garza: vocals (6); Mike Viola: vocals (4); Josh Lopez: guitar (7-10); Chris Bruce: guitar (8-10); Jeff Babko: keyboards (2, 12), Rhodes (4, 6); Brandon Coleman: keyboards (8-10); Chris Dave: drums (2, 3, 5, 6, 12), percussion (2, 3, 5, 6, 12); Scott Seiver: drums (1, 4, 7-11); Nicholas Payton: trumpet (9); Garrett Smith: trombone (9).
Album information
Title: Light of Love | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Ropeadope
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About Kaveh Rastegar
Instrument: Bass, electric
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