Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Wolfgang Schalk: Wanted

Wolfgang Schalk: Wanted

By John Barron
September 27, 2008
View read count

Guitarist/composer Wolfgang Schalk draws inspiration from his experiences on the New York and Los Angeles jazz scenes. These varied musical environments have led the Austrian native down a divergent musical path, colored with a variety of textures and moods. For Wanted, his fifth release as a leader, the guitarist teams up with pianist Geoffrey Keezer, drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith and the late bassist Dave Carpenter. The combined musicianship of the quartet is a powerful force, skillfully exploring a set of progressive jazz originals penned by Schalk.

Schalk's single-note lines, on both electric and acoustic guitar, evoke the pin-point precision style of Pat Martino with the acumen of Pat Metheny. With a stripped-down tone, the guitarist rips through the title track, "Monroe Street" and "W 46" with inventive phrasing, adhering to a traditional jazz guitar aesthetic, yet remaining void of cliche. By contrast, listener-friendly tunes like "A New something" and "And Harry Said Goodbye" bring out a more patient and lyrical side to Schalk's improvising.

A musical high-point of the disc is the up-tempo "A Hip Bop," a hard-swinging, modal workout, providing ample stretching room for all. The tune features Smith's explosive drumming, Carpenter's flawless walking pulse and Keezer's flowing spontaneity—one of many examples of sophisticated musical camaraderie found throughout this exceptional release.

Track Listing

Wanted; A New Something; Monroe Street; W 46 (for Wes Montgomery); What Makes Me Think; A Hip Bop; And Harry Said Goodbye (for Harry Pepl); Last Minute.

Personnel

Wolfgang Schalk

guitar

Wolfgang Schalk: guitars; Geoffrey Keezer: piano; Dave Carpenter: bass; Marvin "Smitty" Smith: drums.

Album information

Title: Wanted | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Frame Up Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Ignaz Pleyel: Clarinet Concertos 1 a...
< Previous

In These Shoes
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.