 
Guitarist
Bob Sneider, based in Rochester, New York,
won two Downbeat awards for "Best Performance" before
he was out of college, then went on to perform
with Houston Person, Freddie Cole, Nnenna
Freelon, and Jon Faddis; he also toured with
Chuck Mangione for four years. Now teaching
jazz guitar at the prestigious Eastman School
of Music, Sneider is a classy player
with a honeyed tone and smooth, melodic lines.
Out of the Darkness is a good title for a
CD where dissonance is an accent, rather
than a lifestyle; listening to it
is like taking a springtime ride with the
top down.
On Sneider's second outing
for Sons of Sound, he appears in different
settings - duo with
percussion, bebop quintet, trio - each revealing
a different color in his extensive palette.
His writing gifts are especially
evident
on the burning title tune and the tender "Waltz
for Aleta," and his addition of an intriguing
head-twist to "Love Walked In." There's
a good mix of electric and acoustic guitar,
and the pacing is a naturalistic,
satisfying sequence of density and mood. A string quartet
enhances two tracks without adding any of
that cloying sweetness; in fact, "Ev'ry
Time We Say Goodbye" is a highlight
of the album, along with the graceful takes
on "Isfahan," "Pyramid," and
Jobim's "Dreamer." Bassist Bob
Stata, pianist Paul Hofmann and drummer Mike
Melito
are consistently first-rate. The last track,
Kenny Burrell's "Lyresto," is
actually a concert video, playable on Quicktime
3.0,
which my antique equipment will not accommodate;
but while I can't report on the audio, the
video reveals that a good time was had by
all. It certainly sounds like it. A thoroughly
enjoyable
CD.
— Dr. Judith Schlesinger
Review
Courtesy AllAboutJazz.com
©
2002 All About Jazz |
