[.ca] Three Guitars

NOT classic acoustic music:
I bought this CD because I love the sound of the guitar- and the sound quality of this disk is great as expected for a Chesky recording. However, I just cannot enjoy music with the New Age / Avant Garde elements that Badi Assad adds to the tracks. Making popping sounds with her mouth, for example, ruins the music for me. If you are looking for CLASSIC or CLASSICAL guitar, this disk will disappoint you. There are a couple of tracks that are more traditional, but maybe not enough to justify buying the whole disk. On the other hand, if you appreciate avant garde innovations, then you might enjoy this CD more than I have.

Disappointment, but I still love Larry!:
I hate to disagree with the other two reviewers, but they played little role in my decision to buy this disk. As a fan of Larry Coryell's acoustic music -- I saw him twice in Washington DC in the early 1980s -- the prospect of a recording featuring him with a talented relative newcomer Badi Assad, along with a well-respected fusion innovator in his own right, John Ambercombie, plus Chesky's usually unparalleled recording quality was too much to resist. However, this disk fails to exhibit much passion, primarily due to a mismatch between the skills of the three individuals. Coryell's blues-inspired string bending is strangely out of place in Brazilian music, nor does it match well with the vocalizations of Assad because of the resulting mismatch in pitches. The rhythm flags and is out of sync, the American guitar players not being familiar with Brazilian rhythms. Finally, despite this being a Chesky disk, the recorded sound of Assad's nylon-strung Fisher guitar matches poorly with the two steel-string guitars, sounding wooden and thunky. I was disappointed, too, in the tiny, poorly done photo fragments.

Delightful Interplay:
Didn't know what to expect when I picked up this CD. I was quite familiar with Larry Coryell and John Abercrombie, but knew nothing about Badi Assad. Larry and John deliver as expected, but its Badi who gives this session unique sounds and seasonings. Her vocalizing and "percussion" comes out of nowhere, and fits right in. Reminds me a bit of the sound Chick Corea had with Flora Purim and Airto. And her nylon-string guitar adds a color you don't find in your typical two-guitar jazz album. While not all the tunes are masterpieces, there's a plenty of variety and fresh musical ideas. If you're looking for an album that's about blazing guitar pyrotechnics, then this probably isn't for you. Instead, this one is full of tasteful, expressive musicianship and an easy, sensistive interplay, yet with a generous dose of chops. This ain't "smooth jazz" by any means, but rather the creative effort of true artists. The recording is clean and clear, with a real "you are there" feeling. I've been listening to this one over and over...

Classic Acoustic Music:
Backed by multi-talented Brazilian musician Badi Assad, veteran jazz guitarists John Abercrombie and Larry Coryell deliver their most sensitive performances on record. Recorded at St Peter's Church in New York City, and engineered by Barry Wolifson, this recording absolutely sparkles. Each track has a relaxed unhurried pace, with a looseness that harkens to a live performance. Each player has a distinctive sound: Abercrombie has a rich full tone and is recorded on the right; Coryell has a sharp stinging attack and is on the left; and Assad, the anchor, is in the center. The jazz guitarists state most of the lead lines and improvisation, but it is Assad that holds up much of the foundation with her rhythm guitar and background percussion and vocal work. Though their styles are very different and the material is challenging, it is the empathy that each of the guitarists share that is the strength of this record. The thirteen tracks are each complex pieces that are played impeccably by the guitarists. Abercrombie and Coryell provide four pieces each, with Assad adding five. Each has enough twists and turns to remain interesting. They range from Coryell's dynamic "No Flight Tonight," to the remake of Abercrombie's beautiful haunting melody "Timeless." Assad moves the pieces in unexpected directions by adding a variety of sounds, including mouth and body percussion and the sound of the kalimba. Abercrombie and Coryell have been recording since the 1960s and have appeared on two other albums together: Michal Urbaniak's excellent 1975 fusion album "Fusion III," and the 1985 "All Strings Attached." It is a great treat to hear them playing together again in such fine form.

An Interesting Premise:
Not everything works perfectly on this outing. There is a little culture-clash here and there. The ones that do work are quite good, however. It is especially nice to hear the mostly electric John Abercrombie again dust off his acoustic and a couple of his better compositions. Ralph's Piano Waltz and Timeless are two of his best, and both sound quite good here. I agree that Badi's guitar doesn't sound as good as the others, but her playing is very good. Larry always plays well and certainly does on this recording. The overall feel to the record is much more low-key than I anticipated. A good effort overall. Looking forward to the next...

• Seu Jorge E Dona Ica
• New Lute (Prelude)
• New Lute (Interlude)
• Soundtrack - John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell
• After the Rain
• Descending Grace
• Metamorphosis
• No Flight Tonight - Badi Assad, Larry Coryell
• Ralph's Piano Waltz
• Suspended Circles - John Abercrombie, Badi Assad
• Exercise in Fourths - Badi Assad, Larry Coryell
• Autumn Breeze - Badi Assad
• Timeless