Shane Theriot: Still Motion

Hailing from New Orleans, guitarist and producer Shane Theriot is a solo artist and upper-echelon session ace amid his stints with Hall & Oates, Ben Folds, and the Neville Brothers as the list goes on. Indeed, he has that soul-funk New Orleans vibe going on. But Theriot's far-ranging capabilities include jazz and blues, yet more importantly, he has that very special touch and feel that morphs into his musical persona, regardless of genre. On this outing, he assembles a formidable support system, including fabled New Orleans-based musicians, drummer Johnny Vidacovich and bassist James Singleton along with drummers extraordinaire, Jim Keltner and Kirk Covington, who alternate duties on a per-track basis.

The production is largely built in medium tempo funk and rock motifs with a few jazzy breakouts and other deviations or mini reconstruction efforts, marked by Theriot's crisply articulated phrasings via emphatic notes, crunching chord patterns and spirited solos. Moreover, the respective drummers inject solid beats, press rolls, off-beats, quirky tempo changes and punchy straight-four grooves with slick maneuvers intertwined into a given theme.

"Long Money" is an up-tempo ballad, featuring the guitarist's polytonal dynamics, framed with chutzpah and succinct melodies. Here, vibraphonist Matt Dillon adds soft colors, paired with the leader's congenial hooks. But "Mid City Ditty" is a swinging jazz blues, accelerated by Vidacovich's sweeping metrics and peppering accents. And the final track "At The End Of The Day," opens with Leni Stern's brief, yet uplifting spoken word, followed by Theriot's sublime voicings and sparkling solo that culminates into an airy mood-evoking tone poem, complete with tantalizing fabrics of sound.

While Theriot's previous solo albums have delved into the jazz-fusion space, while not forgoing the funk groove element, Still Motion is a downhome type venture, overhauled with a modern uplift, and abetted by the guitarist's technical savvy and compassionate performances.