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| MATT PANAYIDES TRIO “WITH EYES CLOSED” Matt Panayides is a guitarist who has long had his own style. His harmonically adventurous playing, at times a bit reminiscent of Jim Hall and Pat Martino, is filled with fresh and personal chord voicings. While his previous recording, Field Theory, put the focus on electronics, With Eyes Closed has more of an acoustic sound. This is not only Panayides' first trio album, but his first to concentrate on jazz standards. Joined by bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Anthony Pinciotti, Panayides digs into eight songs by six jazz composers (including two apiece by Cedar Walton and Wayne Shorter) plus reinvented versions of three standards. The emphasis is on close interplay between the three musicians with LaSpina and Pinciotti getting a generous amount of solo space and contributing inventive accompaniment behind the guitarist. The veteran songs are transformed into explorative post-bop while retaining the essence of their melodies. Among the pieces that are uplifted by the trio are Frank Foster's jazz waltz "Simone, " a blazing rendition of Chick Corea's "Straight Up And Down, " Cedar Walton's "Hindsight, " a tasteful yet passionate revival of Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti, " and Joe Henderson's "Serenity." Cedar Walton's "Mode For Joe" swings hard, as does Shorter's "Ju Ju" and Woody Shaw's "Moon Trane." "I Fall In Love Too Easily" is given an imaginative reharmonization, "Moon River" is reinvented as an introspective unaccompanied guitar showcase, and "Darn That Dream" becomes a thoughtful statement by Panayides and the bowed bass of LaSpina. Matt Panayides has created consistently stimulating music throughout his career. Originally a pianist, he initially became a guitarist inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page before discovering jazz. Panayides studied at the Manhattan School Of Music (guitarist Rodney Jones and pianist Garry Dial were important inspirations) and earned a Masters from William Paterson University. He has since headed his own creative jazz groups and led three albums for the Pacific Coast Jazz label before With Eyes Closed: Tapestries Of Song, Conduits, and Field Theory. Each of those albums featured Panayides exploring his own colorful originals. Throughout With Eyes Closed, Matt Panayides puts his stamp on jazz standards, showing just how innovative and fresh his playing has become. Artist: MATT PANAYIDES TRIO Title: WITH EYES CLOSED Artist Website: http://www.mattpanayides.com https://pacificcoastjazz.com Release Date: September 20, 2024 Label: Pacific Coast Jazz Catalog Number: PJ93456 UPC Code: 829166934567 Photo by Fredrico Caldentey TRACK LISTING 1. Simone (Frank Foster) 4:51 2. Straight Up and Down (Chick Corea) 3:40 3. I Fall in Love too Easily (Jules Stein) 7:06 4. Hindsight (Cedar Walton) 5:06 5. Nefertiti (Wayne Shorter) 5:09 6. Serenity (Joe Henderson) 4:42 7. Ju Ju (Wayne Shorter) 6:50 8. Mode for Joe (Cedar Walton) 5:07 9. Moon River (Henri Mancini) 4:33 10. The Moontrane (Woody Shaw) 5:22 11. Darn That Dream (Jimmy Van Huesen) 4:16 Total: 57:02 MUSICIANS: Matt Panayides - guitar, Steve LaSpina - bass, Anthony Pinciotti - drums write your comments about the article :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |