Experiences
Tomas Janzon
About one minute into my first listen to Experiences I was convinced that Tomas Janzon is a guitarist to get to know. He has a clean melodic style that concentrates on finding the appropriate note or phrase rather than blasting your ears with pointless technique. Backed by a trio of superb musicians, Tomas Janzon has given us an album that can be savoured by any lover of good music.
Here's That Rainy Day begins with an extended guitar solo that paints the rainy day mood perfectly. The bass enters, then drums, and finally the piano and we are off into a very stylish rendition of this Jimmy van Heusen classic. Tomas Janzon demonstrates his great ear for finding just the right notes throughout, and his playing will delight jazz lovers and captivate guitarists. Anyone can practise untold hours to get very fast, but Mr. Janzon has that special talent that is only earned by those who love the music and work at doing justice to it. And he succeeds brilliantly. This one has lots of great guitar playing, with Art Hillery getting in one fine solo on the piano.
Next we are treated to Dave Brubeck's Theme from Mr. Broadway. This tune asks for a slightly quirky arrangement, and it gets a delightful one here. Mr. Janzon's guitar playing is wonderfully polyphonic at the start. Art Hillery soon takes over on the organ with some of the coolest licks I have heard lately. Then it is back to Tomas Janzon and some fine playing that sounds to my ear like an update of Wes Montgomery, octaves and all. In fact, with the organ so prominent this reminds me of Wes' early organ trio work. Albert "Tootie" Heath gets a chance to solo on the drums and does the band proud before they all join into a wonderful ensemble ending. These guys must love playing together; it sure sounds like it, and they are a joy to listen to.
Float is the first original by Tomas Janzon, a moody guitar tune that links in with the bass to establish its unique feel. Mr. Janzon punctuates his solo lines with chord stabs that give this tune an extra punch. Jeff Littleton finally gets a chance to solo on the bass and he steps up with a chorus that moves the tune into a whole new mood before the guitar returns with the melody. This is one hip little tune that should be covered by a lot of other artists. Nice.
En Dejlig Rosa is a Swedish folk song that Tomas Janzon has arranged, and it certainly has that folk sound in the solo guitar intro. However, it slowly morphs into a swinging tune. Once again Mr. Janzon's ear finds fascinating possibilities within this song, and he provides us with yet another wonderful experience.
Next comes Moanin' which is a song that many of us identify with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (it was written by pianist Bobby Timmons). Tomas Janzon gives us an original take on the song that keeps the essentials of the tune, and its ultra-cool vibe, but adapts it to his own style. The result is a standout track that in many ways typifies this find album: no speed-demon pyrotechnics, just good, solid playing with impeccable taste and style, backed by an incredibly talented trio. And don't be surprised if you hear some echoes of Wes Montgomery's own terrific version of this tune. A tip of the hat to the master is always welcome.
Now Mr. Janzon tackles the Wes Montgomery classic Full House. As he is clearly a fan of Wes, I was particularly interested in this one. With the drums, bass and organ setting a slightly spiky background, Tomas Janzon plays the tune with a mild staccato before moving into some of his boldest flights of improvisation on the album. He certainly deserves a lot of credit for creating his own vision of this tune since the original must be firmly lodged in his musical brain. This is a fine tribute to Wes Montgomery the songwriter.
Blue Bee is Tomas Janzon's other original, and like Float it sets its own unique mood. Nice and tuneful, it steers clear of cliches and overly-sweet harmonies to present an almost understated elegance of expression. Once again you hear this group working together seamlessly to produce the subtlest moods. Let's hope that Mr. Janzon keeps writing gems like this for a long time.
We move back into standard territory with a rendition of Charlie Parker's Billie's Bounce, a favourite among guitarists. Drums, bass and organ get this one off to a swinging start. Tomas Janzon enters in full flight, and the band maintains an infectious bounce through the tune, even while exploring the outside edges. Art Hillery takes an extended organ solo that seems to float over the whole group as it slices through the changes. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Polka Dots & Moonbeams is another standard Jimmy van Heusen number that is given a fresh spin here, another sort of stylish elegance that suffuses the entire album. Once again Tomas Janzon's guitar lines are just gorgeous. Jeff Littleton retains the elegance in his fine solo, which seems to spur Mr. Janzon to further heights before they return to the tune to end.
The final studio track is Jimmy Smith's Messin' Around. No surprise then that this one starts with the organ over bass and drums. Tomas Janzon seems to slide in almost unnoticed until he takes over the solo with some of his smoothest playing on the album. I particularly like his double-stopped lines here, as well as his counterpoint with the bass. The ensemble is as tight as usual and swinging hard on this one. What a great ending to the album.
Except that it's not the end. An added bonus is En Dejlig Rosa [Live], a beautiful solo guitar rendition played before an appreciative audience.
Tomas Janzon has produced a gem of an album that combines wonderfully melodic playing with tight ensemble and a killer sense of swing. Lovers of jazz guitar will definitely want to add this marvellous CD to their collection.
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