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Steve Shapiro: Plan To Be Spontaneous
BySophisticated jazz-pop sets the scene as Shapiro shares the spotlight with vocalist Lucy Woodward and saxophonist Jeff Coffin on "Extremely Moderate." Moving on to the fusion-forward title track, the leader adds electro allure with his Wernick Xylosynth mallet controller, guitarist Oz Noy brings his characteristic heat to the music, and bassist Mark Egan and drummer Carter McLean lay down the law from below. Further diversifying his portfolio with the Frank Zappa-indebted "Chrome Dinette," Shapiro marries zany and virtuosic asides to blues rock language with some help from the tight-and-tasty combination of Egan, guitarist Shane Theriot and drummer Joel Rosenblatt.
Bringing sensitivity to the surface at the album's midpoint, the vibraphonist offers the haunting "Outono." Penned in the '80s, this first recording of the ballad receives a beautiful treatment that benefits from Shapiro's leading light, Egan's fretless bass work and guitarist Pat Bergeson's tasteful work. Then it's off to future funk on "Candygram for Mongo," featuring Noy; over to the slick "Smellonious Funk," with Coffin and Shapiro upping the soul factor; and out with "I Am Not a Robot," a modernist soundscape bridging the leader's thoughts and reflexes with those of guitarist Bob Lanzetti. Variety truly proves to be a virtue on this appealing set, and Steve Shapiro is perfectly at home in every world he creates and enters.
Personnel
Steve Shapiro
vibraphonePat Bergeson
guitarJeff Coffin
saxophoneMark Egan
bassOz Noy
guitar, electricJoel Rosenblatt
drumsShane Theriot
guitarBob Lanzetti
guitarLucy Woodward
vocalsCarter McLean
drumsAlbum information
Title: Plan To Be Spontaneous | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Solidtone Recordings
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About Steve Shapiro
Instrument: Vibraphone
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Steve Shapiro
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Plan To Be Spontaneous
Solidtone Recordings
Lucy Woodward
Jeff Coffin
Oz Noy
Mark Egan
Carter McLean
Frank Zappa
Shane Theriot
Joel Rosenblatt
Pat Bergeson
Bob Lanzetti