Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jonathan Kreisberg: Shadowless
Jonathan Kreisberg: Shadowless
ByBritish expat saxophonist Will Vinsonanother up-and-comer whose delivery consistently transcends his promiseis back from South of Everywhere. Everyone is, in fact, with the exception of Gary Versace, who's replaced by pianist Henry Hey, meaning that this regularly working group hit the studio with an extant chemistry felt from the first note. But this time, Kreisberg's significantly expanded sonic palette includes the octave-split, overdriven grunge and, at times, synth guitar-like tone of the high velocity, high energy "Stir the Stars," where Vinson sets the bar high with an incendiary solo metand raisedby Kreisberg. A combination of sitar-guitar and copious distortion drive "The Common Climb," another set highlight. .As with the rest of Shadowless, however, Kreisberg doesn't just dial up a specific sound for a song; instead, he kicks specific components in and out, creating a constantly shifting wealth of textural variety.
Despite his inherent compositional complexity, Kreisberg appeals to both the head and the heart. There's no denying the demands of his fiery opener, "Twenty One," but despite this irregularly metered song's "find the one" challenge, its lyricism and compelling energy render academic assessment irrelevant. That Kreisberg, sporting a clean and warm hollow-body tone, is clearly on top of its knotty changes, and one tumult of a pulse from bassist Matt Penman and drummer Mark Ferber, only speaks to the guitarist's inherent sophistication; that the melody is also inherently singable speaks to his ability to layer accessible hooks, making even the most difficult chart feel organically approachable.
Kreisberg's warm tone also defines the title track, a stunning duet with Hey where the context's intrinsic nakedness spotlights both players' ample skill at playing over, around and through a piece with energy not unlike Chick Corea and Gary Burton's longstanding duo; Hey and Kreisberg similarly challenged as tag-team partners, effortlessly shifting musical responsibilities between themselves. It may last only a couple seconds, but a brief run of chiming, Lenny Breau-like harmonics at the song's end reveals even more about Kreisberg's prodigious, encyclopedic talent.
The sole cover, George Gershwin's "Nice Work If You Can Get It," swings hard, but with a knotty arrangement that fits in perfectly with the rest of the set. Shadowless is a testament to Kreisberg's burgeoning talentand a clearly successful goal to transfer the energy of the stage to the sterile conditions of the studio.
Track Listing
Twenty One; Stir The Stars; Shadowless; Zembékiko; Long, Like A Mercury Day; The Common Climb; Defying Gravity; Nice Work If You Can Get It.
Personnel
Jonathan Kreisberg
guitarJonathan Kreisberg: guitar; Will Vinson: saxophone; Henry Hey: piano; Matt Penman: bass; Mark Ferber: drums.
Album information
Title: Shadowless | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: New for Now Music
Comments
About Jonathan Kreisberg
Instrument: Guitar
Related Articles | Concerts | Albums | Photos | Similar To