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Reviews
Steve SHAPIRO :
Xylophobia
(Sons of Sound SSPCD206)
First off, I want to say that I had not
heard of Steve Shapiro prior to popping this disc
in my player. I have no previous knowledge of him
prior to this recording. Steve Shapiro offers us
this fine collection of his Marimba and Vibes based
smooth jazz. This is some great stuff, if you have
an appreciation for Marimba and Vibes (which I
do). Steve has a full band backing him up, including
horns. According to the profile, this is Steve's
debut Vibes CD, but Steve has been working professionally
since 1985. The profile sheet also states that
Steve appeared on Steely Dan's Two Against Nature
disc. Steve has been around the scene for years,
and it shows in his talents.
My overall impression of this CD is that it maintains
enough variety to keep your attention, while also
maintaining continuity. I love this disc.
Let's talk about some of the tracks:
1. Superdeluxe
This is a great kick off tune, and
sets a solid groove. Steve shows his strong composition
skills right off the bat. This tune features
nice horn arrangements, and some great piano
work by Kevin Hays. Nothing wrong here, and you
can't help but enjoy the song. A bass solo by
Marc Johnson adds that extra touch, which starts
this CD off with a full sounding introduction
to Steve's talents.
2. Circular Bossa
Another Shapiro composition,
which fulfills the title. This has the textbook
Bossa Nova feel. The featured opening lead instrument
is the harmonica, which adds a nice difference
to the soft elegant feel. Then Steve takes over
on the Vibes, and we settle into a feel that made
me think of dinner on a cruise ship. The trouble
with this type of song is that it ends up sitting
in the background of just about every event. Still
a very nice piece, and very soothing.
3. Xylophobia
The third track is another of Steve's,
and this one has another solid groove to it. The
opening lead melody is carried by both the Marimba
and the horns. Tim Ries, Michael Davis, and Jim
Hynes give us a nice full sound for the horn section.
This is a basic smooth jazz tune, with a medium
tempo. Right when I'm ready to call this a soul
tune, we change up to a straight jazz swing tempo.
Kevin Hays takes over on the piano, and we have
the sound of a basic jazz trio (drums, bass, and
piano) going. This is a welcome surprise, to what
was becoming a predictable tune. I applaud Steve
for this risk. I like it. We settle back into the
opening groove, and are treated to an impressive
Marimba solo.
4. Just You
Here we have a Pat Bergeson tune, which
opens with ambient Vibes. We are then introduced
to the melody with Vibes and acoustic guitar provided
by Pat. This has a decidedly different feel from
the first three tunes, which is a good thing. Steve
does a most excellent job of soloing over the acoustic
guitar. Nice quiet piece.
5. Ennui
This is another of Steve's compositions,
but has a more tribal feel to it. We have some
tribal percussion and some interesting effects
on the Marimba, driving us into an almost techno
feel. Then we have the techno drums kick in, but
not with the overbearing dance club feel. More
of a background driving feel. The horns carry the
opening melody, while the Marimba holds down the
rhythm. A bridge in the middle, features Vibes
and acoustic guitar, and then adds the rest of
the group while losing the tribal feel. This is
a nice changeup, to help breakup potential monotony
for the listener. This tune is another nice change,
while still within the continuity of the overall
release.
6. A Remark You Made
Here we have a version of the classic Weather
Report tune. I can say I honestly enjoy this version
as much as I do the original. Steve does a great
job of recreating Jaco's lead line, and Marc Johnson
does a nice job of keeping the fretless bass feel
of the original. Marc also carries the lead in
unison with Steve, as was done with the original.
Some nice guitar work and a smooth groove, help
add some texture to the composition. Steve's lead
Marimba work is much more soothing to me than the
synth that Zawinul used in the original. I also
like the more traditional jazz feel to this, even
though I am a fan of the original Weather Report
version. Nice job Steve.
7. And Then...
We are back to Steve's writing, and we are treated
to another quiet ballad piece. Piano introduces
the song, and the Vibes come in to accompany the
piano. We then get the drums and bass added, in
soft jazz feel. Guitar decorates the background,
but Vibes are upfront carrying a solid soft melody.
Marc Johnson treats us to a great bass solo, adding
to the soft cafe type feel. This tune takes me
into a smoke filled club that's only about half
full, and nobody is paying attention to the band.
Maybe Bogart should be walking through this scene.
8. Miltology
Steve's writing for us again, and here we kick
off with a standard jazz swing feel. The Vibes
take the lead melody, and this song just swings.
The nice traditional feel definitely reminds me
of the great Lionel Hampton, but updated. Another
great tune, in my opinion.
9. Semblence
Here we have a Keith Jarrett composition. This
is all about the Vibes. Solo Vibes, and perfectly
played. Short and sweet, at right about a minute
and a half. What more can I say.
10. Fuzzy Logic
Another Shapiro piece, which starts out with solo
bass. Then we get the rest of the band, with a
nice Vibe based melody. The horn arrangement does
a nice job of supporting the melody. Pat Bergeson
delivers some tasty guitar work on this one. Nice
piano solo from Kevin Hays. We do have the pleasure
of getting a mid-song drum solo from Danny Gottlieb,
while the rest of the group holds down the groove.
I particularly like the quick moment when we hear
the horns pulling a riff from the Odd Couple TV
theme song. There's not much more to say about
the tune. Just a solid song with a smooth jazz
groove.
11. Sam's Tune
This is the second Pat Bergeson composition on
the release, and starts off with a nice acoustic
guitar. Then the keyboards, bass, and drums join
in. Acoustic guitar and Marimba share the melody,
with the Vibes echoing the melody. Very nice mid-tempo
song with soft percussion. Nothing overbearing
here. I like Pat's guitar style, and I like the
way Steve worked both the Vibes and Marimbas.
12. Rain
We end with a final Shapiro tune, and this one
starts off with the ambient feel. Synth pads and
acoustic guitar provide the foundation, while Steve
and Pat carry the lead melody. This is a soft ending
tune, which includes some nice soloing from Steve
on his Marimba. Pat also adds some nice work that
is only on the acoustic guitar. It's all very soft,
and makes me think of the journey coming to an
end.
Tim Hamm
© 2001 jazzreview.com
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