Jeff Greinke: Ride

With Ride Seattle based keyboardist Jeff Greinke combines ambient electronic dreamscapes with rock rhythms and melodic hooks on pieces such as the title track - “Ride”, “Just Like That” and other originals. And along with super bassist Fred Chalenor and drummer Greg Gilmore, Greinke pursues solid rhythmic frameworks in support of his multifarious approach to loops, samples and synths. Bass Clarinetist Craig Flory provides nuance and perhaps a variegated outlook on several of these well-conceived and expertly executed pieces. Throughout, Greinke moves forward sans the eccentricity or contrivance that is found on recordings produced by some of his peers as the musician’s imaginative concepts blend exceedingly well with a standard four beats to the measure approach. The keyboardist often augments his ethereal patterns with mood evoking, jazz-based lines performed on the electric piano or with guitarist Randy Neal’s commanding attack and robust themes yet Greinke’s arranging skills and clever utilization of space translates into a thoroughly memorable affair that sustains interest! - Hence, this recording ages rather well and might very well be recognized as a glowing achievement for a genre that occasionally rests on its sometimes formulaic laurels. Highly recommended!

* * * * ½ (out of * * * * *)