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Andy Aitchison Quartet: You Ain't Never
ByOf the two, Garrick is more like the younger, more rambunctious brother while Aitchison is older and reticent; and in the era of William, Duke of Cambridge, perhaps stately as well. You Ain't Never has more than ample evidence of Aitchison's instrumental lineage. This may take him all the way to Stephane Grappelli and even further into the European realm. He plays with a slurring, languid majesty, and with broad glissandi and sometimes with blithe vibrato and galvanic double stops. His lines loop and gambol in mad parabolas that sometimes seem to stop in midair before falling with delightful abandon, only to catch a musical thermal, thereby soaring again into the azure falsetto of the music's melody, and from there to dip and tumble into a roaring ocean of throaty tenor and bass. It seems that Aitchison needs no other musician to accompany him on his breathtaking musical sojourns, but he does come with a remarkable cohort.
Jeff Green on semi-acoustic guitar, is a wizard on his instrument, while the right honorable Dave Kelbieperhaps the most underrated rhythm guitarist, and a player who has replaced the invaluable drummer in many a trio, quartet and more on countless occasions, eliciting the question: drummer, who? And then there is the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic bassist, Paul Moylan. None of these players back Aitchison up; they take direct part in the creative process and Moylan makes no bones about this, right off the bat, on Aitchison's minor blues, "You Ain't Never." Green flies in the face of convention when he takes over the soloing chair and it is all breathtaking magic from there on; even the bashful Kelbie, who is given to oblique and acute chords, takes his share of the spotlight on a superbly aching version of "I Can't Get Started."
Every chart is cut with jewel-like precision, and while the glitter reflects all the musicians it is Aitchison's show; and a remarkable, memorable show it is.
Track Listing
You Ain't Never; Willow Weep For Me; Six Appeal; Just Squeeze Me; Blues in the Air; Night and Day; Stars Fell On Alabama; This Can't Be Love; I Can't Get Started; It's Only a Paper Moon.
Personnel
Andy Aitchison: violin; Jeff Green: semi-acoustic guitar; Dave Kelbie: acoustic guitar; Paul Moylan: double bass.
Album information
Title: You Ain't Never | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Lejazzetal Records