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Joshua Gerowitz: Solano Canyon
A non-exhaustive Internet search didn't reveal much in the way of biographical information on young guitarist Joshua Gerowitz, but on the opening track "Smooth as Ice," he would appear to be a potential jazz-fusion guitar hero. Atop a simple hook and a loose groove, armed with a significant bite, he weaves a stylization that nestles between experimental guitarist David Torn and Jimi Hendrix, as he shreds his guitar into miniscule bits, framed with malicious sounding EFX and sharp-edged phrasings. And Louis Lopez' gusty trumpet solo atop an ascending motif on the following track "Hamburger Island #1," imparts a brief and wily oeuvre featuring Carmina Escobar's wordless chants and a vibe that adjoins dark metal and avant-garde abstractions.
The band injects offbeat bluesy statements with unison phrasings along with other movements accentuated by the leader's crunchy, steely and mind-bending notes, abetted by rousing horn passages and extended note sorties. However, they invoke latter-day Coltrane on "Morning Landscape Illusion," which is etched on searching aspects and bassist David Trachina's sullen arco lines. Moreover, "Chicken, Cigarette, Bed #2," is another open-ended and blossoming work tempered by Lopez' softly woven notes, before Gerowitz raises the bar with his intense strumming towards closeout. Indeed, Gerowitz is a creative soul with hugely impressive chops, as his keen vision is assertively concentrated on blazing newer trails.
Track Listing
Smooth as Ice; Hamburger Island #1; Swoot; Morning Landscape Illusion; Hamburger Island #4; Chicken, Cigarette, Bed #2; Hamburger Island #3; Angels Point.
Personnel
Joshua Gerowitz: guitar; Louis Lopez: trumpet (1-7); Colin Woodford: drums, (1-7); Jake Rosenzweig: bass (2, 5, 6, 7); Carmina Escobar: voice (2, 5, 7); Joe Santa Maria: saxophones (1, 3, 4); David Tranchina: bass (1, 3, 4).
Album information
Title: Solano Canyon
| Year Released: 2018
| Record Label: pfMentum
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