David Joel: Eastern Truth
Musicians:
David Joel (guitar),
John Stenger (keyboards), Paul Gehman (bass), Dan Monaghan (drums)
.Composed by David Joel
.Recorded: Philadelphia, PA, August 2005-February 2007
Rating: 85/100 (learn more)
I can't believe I'm going to write this: it was the keyboard solo that drew me in. This may not make me any friends in the world of jazz keyboards, but the very word "keyboards" is often a deal breaker for me when scanning the musician lineup of an otherwise unknown CD. This isn't because keyboards always ruin the mix. No, the problem is Smooth Jazz – you're safe from that realm if the keys have been left out. See? Logic! I'm just being honest here.
So right in the middle of this slinky blues, guitarist David Joel steps back and lets keyboardist John Stenger take this great, textured, atmospheric, out solo. Stenger takes the main theme and runs it through his "fun house mirrors" patch. It makes the bass solo and subsequent restatement of the head seem all the more exotic. Fantastic stuff.
Reviewer: Mark Saleski
Tags: 2000s jazz
Comments are closed.