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| Eclectic Guitarist Stew Cutler Delivers Stunning Set Every Sunday Night New York City native Stew Cutler has never cared much for limiting his musical style. Whether as a master guitarist, producer, composer, or sideman playing with some of the greatest in the land, Cutler chooses to mix up jazz, soul, funk, and blues without care for any particular label. On his sixth album, Every Sunday Night (September 15) Cutler continues in the vein of creating music utilizing that sense of freedom, taking a serendipitous route following an idea he'd had brewing in his mind for a while: namely, the documentation of a treasured weekly residency. "I wanted to do a live recording in the place we play every Sunday - Arthur's Tavern in New York's Greenwich Village, " he explains. "However, since it became clear that it was going to be impossible to do it that way, I brought the band out to Queens and we basically played live. The overdubs and edits were kept to a minimum." The results proved to be bang-on in line with Cutler's vision, providing a unique, immediate sound sure to resonate with fans of his live set. "We are kind of an 'artsy bar band, '" he smiles. "And on this recording there is a 'bar band' aspect that I hope we take to another level." The contributions of musicians such as Bill McClellan, Julian Pollack, Nick Semrad, JT Bowen, and Bobby Harden are all prominently featured on the record, highlighting that particular magic that can only spring from a live performance. Also helping things along is the assistance of engineer Rich Gaglia, who also lent a hand in producing the collection. "His ears are amazing, I thinks he is kind of a genius, " raves Cutler. Cutler's long history of collaborative efforts is represented beautifully on Every Sunday Night in the form of several stellar songs he'd composed with fellow free-minded musicians. "There are a couple of gems, 'Miss D 'and 'TV Preacher, ' that were written by some people who are no longer here, " he notes. "Exposing those songs to the world feels great. Those songs would have just been forgotten." The set also includes a selection of covers, which Cutler and his crew enjoyed taking on. "We got to put our own spin on some classic tunes, which is something that I haven't done much of on my own recordings." Overall, Cutler hopes the new record will keep his legacy moving forward – and keep him on the move in general. A seasoned touring artist, one of his favorite things to do is travel the globe bringing his music to international festivals and venues. Cutler's very first tour was at age 19 with blues artist ZZ Hill, and since then he's shared the stage and collaborated with a staggeringly diverse list of artists including Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Meatloaf, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Lester Bowie, David Sanborn, Bill Frisell, Robin Holcomb, the Harlem Gospel Singers, and many more. His guitar prowess on stage has earned him considerable critical mentions in the press, as well as accolades from the Blues Hall of Fame and inclusion on a Grammy-nominated album (1995's No Ways Tired from acclaimed soul vocalist Fontella Bass). As a solo artist, Cutler's reputation for a hybrid, personal style came to prominence with the success of his first three releases, Trio Music, Insignia, and So Many Streams, all of which showcased a masterful blend of melody and noise. He followed these up with a bona fide live album, Trio Live, and 2012's jazz-oriented After Hours. write your comments about the article :: © 2017 Jazz News :: home page |