Dave Stryker: Stryker with Strings Goes to the Movies

Guitarist Dave Stryker, who is at home in any venue, Goes to the Movies on this ambitious album, wherein his working quartet is greeted by a thirty-piece orchestra with strings and four talented guest artists. There are some gems here—Henry Mancini's "Dreamsville," Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Edelweiss," Ennio Morricone's theme from Cinema Paradiso among them—and a few pleasant surprises as well.

Songs in the latter group include "You Only Live Twice," from the James Bond film of that name; the mellow "Cavatina" from The Deer Hunter, and the session's jazziest number, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's "Flirtbird," the first of two selections from Anatomy of a Murder (the other is "Low Key Lightly," featuring violinist Sara Caswell).

Much of the music, as arranged by Brent Wallarab, is slow-paced, with the strings most prominent behind Stryker's expressive guitar. As for the other members of Stryker's group—pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Jeremy Allen, drummer McClenty Hunter—they may as well have stayed home, as none of them is singled out save on the closing "Edelweiss," sans strings and orchestra.

Besides Stryker and Caswell (who is also heard on the opening number, "In Your Eyes" from Say Anything), solo space is basically shared by the guests: alto saxophonist Greg Ward ("Taxi Driver," "Flirtbird"), flugelhornist Mark Buselli ("Flirtbird") and trombonist Jim Pugh ("Moonglow," from the film Picnic). The only song not yet mentioned is the forgettable theme from the movie Shaft.

When describing this enterprise, the word "ambitious" is certainly not misused; on the other hand, neither would "tiresome" or "lethargic" be too far out of bounds. It depends on one's point of view. The opinion here is that much more could have been done, in the choice of material and especially the way it is presented. Movies can and should be far more graphic and interesting than this.

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