Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » James Sherlock: The Verb Not The Noun
James Sherlock: The Verb Not The Noun
BySherlock shares some of Jim Hall's precision and economya marriage of wonderful articulation and a feel for playing just the right note at the right time. But perhaps more than Hall, it is the spirit of Wes Montgomery which imbues Sherlock's soloing on swing-based fare such as the album opener "Goldilocks" and the delightful "Mousie" where his bluesy lines are punctuated by lightly dancing chords and bright harmonics. Anning and Fischer are a buoyant presence throughout, frequently coming into their own in the generous space which Sherlock's uncluttered arrangements afford.
There is a distinct division between Sherlock's archtop-led tunes and those featuring nylon string acoustic guitar. The former, with the exception of the atmospheric "Nathan of the North," fall fairly neatly into the swing-and-blues category, whereas the latter avoid such easy labelling. The first of the acoustic numbers is the handsome, brushes-driven "BenSamBen," which, refreshingly, places Anning's coursing bass solo before Sherlock's fleet-fingered response. "Watermark" sees pedal-filtered electric guitar ply a melodic course over a delicate acoustic blueprint. Though clearly a guitarist steeped in the tradition, there is enough evidence here to suggest that more experimental music lies within Sherlock's grasp.
A fine addition to his consistently impressive discography, The Verb Not the Noun makes the case for Sherlock as one of modern jazz's most elegant guitarists.
Track Listing
Goldilocks; Mousie; BenSamBen; 2 Key Blues; Hurry up and Wait; Nathan of the North; You Stepped On My Dreams; Watermark.
Personnel
Album information
Title: The Verb Not The Noun | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Self Produced
< Previous
Meet Tubist Jim Shearer
Next >
Anchor Points
Comments
Tags
James Sherlock
Album Review
Ian Patterson
The Verb Not The Noun
Self Produced
Domestic Arts
Sam Anning
Danny Fischer
Jim Hall
Wes Montgomery