William Flynn: The Songbook Project

The Songbook Project from guitarist William Flynn provides jazz enthusiasts with great arrangements of some top-flight songs from the popular music catalog. On this album, one can hear jazz versions of music by the Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and Jewel.

The musicians all add color to the music. "Tonight Tonight" opens with harmony provided by Pete Mills' saxophone and Flynn's guitar. This is followed by charming and ebullient solos by pianist Lucas Holmes, Flynn and Mills. "Champagne Supernova" is given a soulful reading and a funky backbeat. Flynn's guitar provides an enthusiastic solo over joyful bass and drum lines. "You Were Meant for Me" offers up some sunny romance. On "Codex," Mills paints a solemn picture with his sax solo while Holmes tastefully keeps the piano line close to the Radiohead original.

"There There" gets a soulful reading as well. The introduction of a blues feel to the piece is highlighted by the up and down Mill's solo and Flynn's choice of chords. Chris Guthrie's energetic backbeat drum solo emerges near the end of the song to add oomph to the musical reading. The album wraps up with a pensive recital of "Lights in the Sky." Bassist Nathan Smith, Holmes, and Flynn all add to the introspective mood.

Whether relaxed and cheerful or expressive and brooding, Flynn and his crew add new dimensions to "the songbook."