Album Review: Uncommon Measures from Lyle Workman

-

Album:  Uncommon Measures
Artist:  Lyle Workman
Label: Blue Canoe Records
Website:  www.bluecanoerecords.com/lyle_workman

Guitarist Lyle Workman's latest release Uncommon Measures mixes elements of jazz fusion, power pop rock, and romantic symphonies.  Joined by a 63-piece orchestra of multiple instruments conducted by John Ashton Thomas that includes glockenspiel and a choir led by Aleta Braxton, Workman combines cinematic soundscapes with power rock surges.  Recorded at Abbey Road Studio in London, England, Workman's arrangements capture the musicians ever-changing state of flux, continually moving and extending, pluming and spiraling, immersing listeners in a cauldron of swirling figures and emanations.


"North Star" starts off the recording with a menagerie of jazz fusion expressions, power pop rock riffs and romantic symphonies, forming multiple streams traveling parallel and sporadically crisscrossing.  Soaring strings are layered in blazing guitar chords and fiery keys, amassing a bustling cinematic score paired with jazz style trimmings.  Airy violin strings provide a solemn start to "All the Colors of the World," which build into multiple crescendos braided into Workman's glittering guitar chords.  The music moves organically, shaping clutching dynamics.

The grooving beats in the chassis of "Noble Savage" are propelled by the pop/rock tremors of Workman's guitar as the flaring strings stencil angelic-like silhouettes.  The smooth rolling beats of "Arc of Life" are paneled in cruising guitar chords that lift the arrangement by building it up with searing streaks that stroke the wavy knolls.  "Imaginary Word" extends the recording into jazz-inspired hues with horns that singe the dance-funk rhythm.  Workman's charring guitar chords enhance the smoking motifs of the track.  Keeping on track with a funky rhythmic strut is "Unsung Hero," adorned in swirling strings and fuming horns, entrenched in unleashing a free spirit.  

The recording proceeds with the ethereal beauty of “Labyrinth of Love,” threading smooth bluesy ethers clinging to the peaceful swells of Workman's tender guitar chords and grazing strings.  "Rise and Shine" once again lifts the recording with upbeat and breezy instrumentation, producing a sunny atmosphere.  "Our Friendship," the only track on the CD that is not composed by Workman but by John Ashton Thomas is a whirlwind of frothy guitar chords, soaring and ascending, rising and towering above the calming strings that shoot gentle sprouts along the track.

Instrument parts are layered and sewn together, making for a recording that paves new paths, sprouts new shoots, and travels without knowing its destination guided by a free spirit.  His penchant for cinematic soundscapes complemented by jazz fusion and power pop rock attributes boosts Lyle Workman to the level of artistic visionary.

Musicians:
Lyle Workman: electric and acoustic guitar and keys
Vinnie Colaiuta: drums
Abe Laboriel Jr.: drums
Toss Panos: drums
Donald Barrett: drums
Matt Chamberlain: drums
Tim Lefebvre: bass
Dan Lutz: bass
Sam Wilkes: bass
Jeff Babko: electric piano, organ
Charlie Bisharat: violin
Wade Culbreath: vibes, marimba, glockenspiel
Katisse Buckingham: alto sax
Ron Dziubla: tenor sax
Jamie Hovorka: trumpet
Chris Bleth: oboe, flute, clarinet
Greg Leisz: pedal steel

LACHSA Choir:
Aleta Braxton (choir master)
Skylar Lehr-Bryant
Leilani Patao
Rachel Goodman
Monique Ramirez
Coco Mori

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: Becoming Marlene Dietrich from Myriam Phiro

-
Image
Album:  Becoming Marlene Dietrich Artist:  Myriam Phiro Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.myriamphiro.com Smooth jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro introduces a new generation of music listeners to jazz standards that made Marlene Dietrich famous in her time from the 1920's to 1940's with Phiro's new release Becoming Marlene Dietrich .  Although Phiro immerses herself in melodies that had been Dietrich's trademark tunes, Phiro tailors the songs to her likeness.  Her illustrious mezzo-soprano register is higher on the vocal spectrum than Dietrich's contralto pitch, which stamps the tracks with her own unique nuances and inflections.  Her treatment of the verses is finessed with a distinctly soft, feminine touch and a delightfully, hypnotic resonance, setting her style apart from Dietrich's. Her vocals cradle the lyrics of "Quand L’Amour Meurt," written by Georges Crémieux and Octave Millandy, with a warmth that penetrates the listener's soul as Hyuna Park...
Read more

Album Review: The Ways In from James Zollar

-
Image
Album:  The Ways In Artist:  James Zollar Label:  Label: JZAZ Records Websites:  https://www.rsberkeley.com/james-zollar https://www.discogs.com/artist/954763-James-Zollar https://wyntonmarsalis.org/personnel/detail/james-zollar A straight-ahead jazz oeuvre, The Ways In from bandleader and trumpet player James Zollar resumes a quest where pioneers of the trumpet's sympathetic vibrations like Clifford Brown and Bill Coleman left off.  Zollar shows audiences the delightful, melodious tone of the trumpet, moving in harmony with an array of brass, woodwinds, and rhythm instruments. The robust wails of Zollar's trumpet strutting languidly along "Do Nothing 'till You Hear From Me" emotes an enduring personable trait, unwavering persistence in the face of being dejected.  The recording switches to a joyful atmosphere in "Swing Spring" with jangly beats from percussionist Chembo Corniel, interfacing with the buoyant ripples generated by Michael Rorby's trom...
Read more

Album Review: Globetrotter from Luca di Luzio

-
Image
Album:  Globetrotter Artist:  Luca di Luzio Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.lucadiluzio.it   Guitarist Luca di Luzio's upcoming CD, Globetrotter  is an assortment of contemporary jazz tunes bridging funk, blues, soul, and Latin music.  Comprised of a few jazz standards and a handful of original works written by Luca di Luzio, a prolific guitar player who studied different styles of music, the recording expresses his personal vision of jazz guitar based on melody and groove.  Joining Di Luzio in his vision are bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Dave Wecki, keyboardist George Whitty, and saxophonists Max Ionata and Alessandro Fariselli. From dance-funk numbers like "Jazzlife" and "Elisir" to the soft billows and reflective moods projected in "Smile" and " Buena Suerte," Di Luzio's artistry stems from his vision to make music that is aesthetically pleasing.  "Sunshower," a tune written by Kenny Barron, is a pr...
Read more