Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John Stein: Portraits and Landscapes

209

John Stein: Portraits and Landscapes

By

View read count
John Stein: Portraits and Landscapes
Once in a while an artist comes along who simply takes you by surprise and that in turn is what keeps jazz the evolving and appealing art form that it is. Such is the case with guitarist John Stein, a mainstay on the Boston jazz scene and an established artist who certainly is deserving of wider appreciation. For his third set as a leader, Stein finds himself allied with the German-based Jardis label, a concern that focuses exclusively on fine guitar jazz. In a set of ten pieces composed exclusively by Stein, with the exception of “Moonlight in Vermont,” the case is strongly made for this serious mainstream swinger who comes through with the kind of skillful and deceptive simplicity that marks the work of such fellow guitarists as Tal Farlow, Johnny Smith, Jimmy Raney, and Mundell Lowe. Actually, with the line-up on hand and the overall style, this reviewer was strongly reminded of the classic, but obscure Guitar Groove album by Rene Thomas.

Throughout the disc, Stein paces things remarkably well. Pretty pieces such as “Sarlat” with Bill Thompson’s airy flute work contrast well with the Brazilian-tinged numbers like “Samba Nights” and “Rio Con Brio.” The blues and more soulful vistas are also part and parcel of Stein’s musical landscapes. Bill Thompson lends his strapping tenor to several numbers with great results, while Larry Goldings reminds us that he can play piano with the same degree of individuality and refinement that already distinguishes him as a master organ grinder (Goldings does sit down at the B-3 for “Sammy”). Well worth the extra effort it may take to track down this one, guitar fans are clearly in for a treat!

Track Listing

Samba Nights, Moonlight in Vermont, Be Ooo Ba, Sarlat, Mister Dave, Madelyn, Sammy, Rio Con Brio, Ben J Man, Switch-a-Roo

Personnel

John Stein
guitar

John Stein (guitar), Larry Goldings (piano & organ), Bill Thompson (flute, alto & tenor saxophone), Keala Kaumeheiwa (bass), Greg Conroy (drums)

Album information

Title: Portraits and Landscapes | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Jardis 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.