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| Stephen D. Anderson Plays Bill Evans Art of Life Records present guitarist Stephen D. Anderson's recording debut "Remembering the Rain: The Music of Bill Evans". More than two years in the making, Stephen has created a sonic masterpiece with his unique solo guitar arrangements of Bill Evans' compositions. Stephen doesn't simply underpin the melodies of Evans's pieces with stock Jazz guitar chords on his way to improvising over their structures. Rather, he initially treats the forms of these compositions much the same way a Classical guitarist would approach the keyboard works of Bach or Albeniz: arranging them for his instrument while preserving as much as possible their original compositional integrity and unique character. After uncannily replicating the chord voicings, counterpoint and voice leading of Evans's original scores, Stephen returns to them as an improviser, basing his airy, lyrical inventions on the pieces' harmonic and melodic construction and seamlessly shifting their tempo, feel and mood just as Evans did. There's another significant presence drifting through the music on "Remembering the Rain". Stephen's old friend, the late Lenny Breau, was the first to capture Evans's musical ideas on guitar and in the process created a whole battery of innovative guitar techniques. Stephen makes use of some of these innovations in his own playing, particularly Lenny's simultaneous chord/melody technique in which two and three note, rhythmically independent chords support the melodic line. It's easy to imagine how delighted Lenny would have been to hear Stephen apply this device so beautifully and successfully to interpreting the music of the man who inspired the technique. But influences and inspiration aside, Stephen's deft playing and creative vision are the core of this CD, along with - of course - Bill Evans's timeless compositions. In tandem, these attributes make "Remembering the Rain" both a stunning solo guitar album and a stirring, heartfelt tribute to one of the greatest masters of 20th century music. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |