Tracks:
Pat Metheny has a section of his website entitled "Pat Recommends," where he discusses jazz guitarists whom he believes are "making the best music of their careers" on their recent recordings. Dave Stryker is one of the musicians Metheny mentions, and this is certainly an accurate assessment. Dave Stryker has established himself as one of the foremost guitarists in jazz, and with As We Are, he adds another important contribution to his discography.
Stryker has a phenomenal work ethic. He's been playing professionally since the seventies, and has worked with an impressive list of artists, including Jack McDuff, Stanley Turrentine, Eliane Elias, and many others. He's also had a successful solo career, including his popular Eight Track (2016) series, Blue Soul (2020) with Bob Mintzer and the WDR Big Band, and Baker's Circle (2021), all on Strikezone Records. Along with these accomplishments, he is an Adjunct Professor of Jazz guitar at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. He is also actively involved in providing online jazz guitar tutorials.
As We Are marks Stryker's 34th album as a leader, and it proves that he is a continuously evolving artist whose music just seems to get better with each release. Here he teams up with bassist John Patitucci, pianist Julian Shore, and drummer Brian Blade. Along with these musicians, Stryker has added a string quartet, featuring Sara Caswell and Monica K. Davis on violin, Benni von Gutzeit on viola, and Marika Hughes on cello.
Although primarily recognized as a guitarist, As We Are highlights Stryker's talents in composition as well. Almost all of the selections included are Stryker originals, and they show a slightly different side of his music. While many of his past recordings feature a groove-oriented small group setting, the instrumentation here relies heavily on string arrangements. Obviously, incorporating strings into jazz is nothing new, but Stryker's approach is somewhat different from many traditional string arrangements. As he explains, "I always wanted to do something where strings would really be integrated into the music, not a coloring or sweetening that comes later."
The interaction of the string quartet with the traditional group format helps give the album a slight film soundtrack feel, and the artwork seems to reflect its musical narrative. The cover shows what appears to be a series of windows, drawing the eye from one room to another. Each song seems to tell its own story, but they are all connected through a central thread.
The compositions featured on As We Are show a wide range of jazz influences. From the Brazilian flavors of "Hope" or "Saudade" to "One Thing At A Time," with its 60s classic Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter undertones, the album has many effective nuances. Along with these influences, Stryker also includes a beautiful cover of Nick Drake's "River Man."
Throughout the album, the level of musicianship is impressive. Each of the players here is in top form. Stryker's guitar technique is excellent as always, and even though the musical style might be a bit different from what some might expect from him, this album is among his finest achievements. As Stryker points out, "it's my dream project," and As We Are is a deeply satisfying album on many levels. This is definitely one of the most thought-provoking and beautifully-crafted albums to come along in recent times.
By Kyle Simpler
January 4, 2022
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/as-we-are-dave-stryker-strikezone-records
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Pat Metheny tiene una sección en su página web titulada "Pat Recommends", donde habla de guitarristas de jazz que, en su opinión, están "haciendo la mejor música de sus carreras" en sus grabaciones recientes. Dave Stryker es uno de los músicos que Metheny menciona, y sin duda se trata de una apreciación acertada. Dave Stryker se ha consolidado como uno de los guitarristas más destacados del jazz, y con As We Are añade otra importante contribución a su discografía.
Stryker tiene una ética de trabajo fenomenal. Lleva tocando profesionalmente desde los años setenta, y ha trabajado con una impresionante lista de artistas, como Jack McDuff, Stanley Turrentine, Eliane Elias y muchos otros. También ha tenido una exitosa carrera en solitario, incluyendo su popular serie Eight Track (2016), Blue Soul (2020) con Bob Mintzer y la WDR Big Band, y Baker's Circle (2021), todos en Strikezone Records. Además de estos logros, es profesor adjunto de guitarra de jazz en la Jacobs School of Music de la Universidad de Indiana, la Mason Gross School of the Arts de la Universidad de Rutgers y la John J. Cali School of Music de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair. También participa activamente en la impartición de tutoriales de guitarra de jazz en línea.
As We Are es el 34º álbum de Stryker como líder, y demuestra que es un artista en continua evolución cuya música parece mejorar con cada lanzamiento. Aquí forma equipo con el bajista John Patitucci, el pianista Julian Shore y el batería Brian Blade. Junto a estos músicos, Stryker ha añadido un cuarteto de cuerda, con Sara Caswell y Monica K. Davis al violín, Benni von Gutzeit a la viola y Marika Hughes al violonchelo.
Aunque reconocido principalmente como guitarrista, As We Are pone de relieve el talento de Stryker también en la composición. Casi todas las selecciones incluidas son originales de Stryker, y muestran una faceta ligeramente diferente de su música. Mientras que muchas de sus grabaciones anteriores se caracterizan por el groove en pequeños grupos, aquí la instrumentación se basa en gran medida en arreglos de cuerda. Obviamente, incorporar cuerdas al jazz no es nada nuevo, pero el enfoque de Stryker es algo diferente de muchos arreglos de cuerda tradicionales. Como él mismo explica, "siempre quise hacer algo en lo que las cuerdas estuvieran realmente integradas en la música, no un colorido o endulzamiento que viene después".
La interacción del cuarteto de cuerda con el formato de grupo tradicional ayuda a dar al álbum un ligero aire de banda sonora de película, y el material gráfico parece reflejar su narrativa musical. La portada muestra lo que parecen ser una serie de ventanas que llevan la mirada de una habitación a otra. Cada canción parece contar su propia historia, pero todas están conectadas por un hilo conductor.
Las composiciones de As We Are muestran una amplia gama de influencias jazzísticas. Desde los sabores brasileños de "Hope" o "Saudade" hasta "One Thing At A Time", con sus matices clásicos de los 60 de Herbie Hancock y Wayne Shorter, el álbum tiene muchos matices efectivos. Junto a estas influencias, Stryker también incluye una hermosa versión de "River Man" de Nick Drake.
A lo largo de todo el álbum, el nivel musical es impresionante. Todos los músicos están en plena forma. La técnica guitarrística de Stryker es excelente, como siempre, y aunque el estilo musical puede ser un poco diferente de lo que algunos podrían esperar de él, este álbum se encuentra entre sus mejores logros. Como señala Stryker, "es el proyecto de mis sueños", y As We Are es un álbum profundamente satisfactorio a muchos niveles. Sin duda, se trata de uno de los álbumes más sugerentes y hermosos de los últimos tiempos.
Por Kyle Simpler
4 de enero de 2022
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/as-we-are-dave-stryker-strikezone-records
1 - Overture
Written-By – Dave Stryker, Julian Shore 1:10
2 - Lanes
Written-By – Dave Stryker 6:14
3 - River Man
Soloist [Solo] – Sara Caswell
Written-By – Nick Drake 9:01
4 - Hope
Written-By – Dave Stryker 6:24
5 - Saudade
Written-By – Dave Stryker 5:52
6 - One Thing At A Time
Written-By – Julian Shore 7:17
7 - As We Are
Written-By – Dave Stryker 5:46
8 - Dreams Are Real
Written-By – Dave Stryker 7:18
9 - Soul Friend
Soloist [Solo] – Sara Caswell
Written-By – Dave Stryker 6:52
Credits:
Bass – John Patitucci
Cello – Marika Hughes
Drums – Brian Blade
Executive-Producer – Rick Simpson (5)
Guitar, Producer [Produced By] – Dave Stryker
Mastered By – Michael Perez-Cisneros
Photography By [Cover Photo] – Charles F. Scott IV
Photography By, Graphic Design – Christopher Drukker
Piano, Arranged By – Julian Shore
Recorded By, Mixed By – Chris Sulit
Viola – Benni von Gutzeit*
Violin – Monica K. Davis, Sara Caswell
Label: Strikezone Records – 8822
Country: US
Released: Jan 7, 2022
Genre: Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/20887633-Dave-Stryker-As-We-Are
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