Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John Stein: Watershed

17

John Stein: Watershed

By

Sign in to view read count
John Stein: Watershed
Jazz guitarist John Stein has produced many recordings throughout his career. Watershed is his fifteenth album and a special one at that, marking his retirement from academics and the beginning of a new chapter in his life. A former professor at Berklee College of Music (his alma mater), Stein is now fully engaged in producing the deep grooves and rhythm-based and breezy-styled melodies that make this album such a wonder to listen to, repeatedly.

Recorded while on tour in Brazil, Stein assembled a world-class group of Sao Paulo-based musicians including bassist Frank Herzberg, drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario, keyboardist Daniel Grajew and reed man Teco Cardoso—who together make the music of Watershed a "magical achievement."

The particulars of this recording make the Brazilian influence obvious, as the light and delicate opener "Rio Escuro" reveals, though less prominent on the perky and aggressive "Kobe," where the drummer and guitarist push and pull throughout the tune. The two opening pieces are among seven Stein originals, though he also includes several standards including the Ric Marlow composition "Taste of Honey," featuring a delicious Stein arrangement.

The soft spot of the album goes to "Mystified," finding Nazario on the brushes, Grajew on light keys and the leader plucking the strings with warmth. "Wally," however, is just the opposite, showcasing the entire band on a playful and frisky moment. Saxophonist Cardoso comes to the fore playing the alto on Joe Henderson's "The Kicker," while the leader delivers a new rendition of guitar great Jim Hall's "Waltz New."

A truly tender highlight and keeper of this set belongs to Stein's interpretation of the Henry Mancini classic "Dreamsville," as the music begins to wind down revealing a few more precious encounters to enjoy such as "Charlotte," "Cisco," before closing on the boisterous and explosive "The Hang."

Clearly a Watershed moment for John Stein who crafts one of the most compelling recordings on the jazz landscape today. Complete with musicianship, talent and noteworthy on many fronts, this is one album that is enjoyable from beginning to end.

Track Listing

Rio Escuro; Kobe; Taste of Honey; Brazilian Hug; Mystified; Wally; The Kicker; Waltz New; Cisco; Dreamsville; Charlotte; The Hang.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Watershed | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Whaling City Sound

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.