Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Wolfgang Schalk: Space Messengers

217

Wolfgang Schalk: Space Messengers

By

Sign in to view read count
Wolfgang Schalk: Space Messengers
The music on guitarist Wolfgang Schalk's new release sounds as if it could have been recorded decades ago, and that's not a bad thing. Like older guitarists such as Jim Hall and Pat Martino and younger players such as Adam Rogers and Kurt Rosenwinkel, Schalk clearly deserves greater recognition for his own soulful articulation and deep skills.

Space Messengers follows 2002's Rainbows in the Night with (thankfully) the same band—including pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Andy McKee, and drummer Ian Froman. Their communication has gotten stronger, resulting in tighter performances. The title piece speaks volumes with a melody that's filled with hints of melancholy and much feeling. They literally swing into action on "Gossip and Schalk's hollowbody fretboard shines on "The Bell Song, where he explores the possibilities with a simple theme that contains alternating tempos and complex phrasing added by Kikoski's classical touch.

The stirring slower compositions, such as "Anyways and "Peoples, are balanced by the spirited jazz infused blues of "Why Ypsilon and "Hi There, reminiscent of Wes Montgomery and Grant Green. But the music is in no way nostalgic and shows the jazz guitar art form can still be vibrant without the use of modern techniques or gadgetry. This is most evident on the closing tour de force "Frame Up," featuring Schalk on a nylon-string guitar where the quartet reaches the apex of creativity and energy.

Track Listing

Space Messengers; Gossip; The Bell Song; Anyways; Why Ypsilon; Hi There; Peoples; Frame Up.

Personnel

Wolfgang Schalk: guitars; Dave Kikoski: piano; Andy McKee: acoustic bass; Ian Froman: drums.

Album information

Title: Space Messengers | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Universal Music Group

Comments

Tags


For the Love of 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 create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.