Solidly inspiring Northwest jazz Bryan Smith – THIS IS WATER: It was quite interesting for me to learn that Bryan’s saxophone work had been recorded at JackStraw studios, where I performed a live album called SONARCHY many years ago (Doug Haire was the engineer for that show)… he sent me this March, 2018 release, and it’s clear from tunes like the 4:47 “Greatest Hits” that he has mastered his instrument… a very solid tune that you’ll find yourself listening to over and over again.
What I especially dug about his playing is that he’s not (at all) afraid to venture into “different” territories, as he does on the 5:43 closer, “Buckles“… the pace is laid-back, and features some very professional/notable NW jazz players… Ryan Meagher on guitar; Matt Tabor doing piano; Andrew Jones on bass and Jonas Oglesbee doing drums…
The 4:37 “Made of Glass” has some excellent bass from Andrew, and will give you new perspectives on your day – every time you play it, by the way… I also loved Matt’s piano solo (at around the 1:52 mark) on this piece… this song will definitely make it onto my iPhone (something reserved for only the “special” tunes).
The song that brilliantly stood out from the others is titled “With Unison“, and it clocks in at 8:01 (the longest piece on the album, by the way). The pacing on this song is elegant, giving room for each of the players to express inner emotions that will touch your heart, I’ve no doubt… Ryan’s guitar solo on this tune is among the very best I’ve heard (yet) in 2018!
I give Bryan and his crew of professionals a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.98 for this excellent aural adventure. Get more information on Bryan’s Bandcamp page for the album. Rotcod Zzaj
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