The Mark Atkinson Trio IV
Marc Atkinson is an incredible guitarist. He is also a brilliantly creative and interesting composer. Both of these qualities are immediately apparent on his latest CD the marc atkinson trio: IV. There are very, very few CD's that I will listen through twice in a row, but I could not let this one finish without hearing it again immediately. It is simply great music. All songs except the last are written by Marc Atkinson, and he arranged that one.
Beautifully flowing harmonics lead us into the mellow groove of Vorizo. Rhythm guitarist Chris Frye and bassist Joey Smith lay down a solid backing for Marc's melodic improvisation. If I had to make a comparison I would say it reminds me a bit of George Benson at his best, but Marc Atkinson has his own unique style. This is just a lovely song to listen to.
Off Blue begins with three fairly strident chords that lead into its cool, quirky groove that is surely what gave this song its title. Marc's playing here is great fun, and this is a song you can listen to over and over and still notice new things. One outstanding quality of Marc Atkinson's composing is his understanding of the implications of harmony. What I mean is that he does not just play a few "weird" chords for effect, but rather they are an integral part of the whole song which derives much of its "off-kilter" sound and ingenious improvisations from the notes in those chords and the scales that they imply. Or more simply: this is a very creative, very original, very enjoyable song!
Between the Wakes begins with a spicy insistent chord that once again generates a very interesting melody. This is a very stylish number in a somewhat refined air but still with a fun feeling. There are single note sections that remind me of Tommy Emmanuel's Sanatorium Shuffle, others with hints of Django Reinhardt, as well as some fine chord melody and an utterly singular tremolo section. A true original, Marc Atkinson provides a truly fascinating journey out to the fringes and then leads us back again.
Jam Buster starts off with an infectious groove that motors on through the entire song. After some very melodic lead guitar Joey Smith takes over with a very nice bass solo. The whole trio then drives back into the groove before a fine guitar line leads us to the end. This one is so engrossing that it just seems to fly by. In fact, I was surprised to see that it is just over three and a half minutes - it seemed like half of that!
Walker is a beautiful song in a style that you might describe as a folk ballad. This song is in a simpler style but is still rich in expression. The sound of the guitars is bright and lush, and the gorgeous melody spawns equally lovely improvisations in the guitar as well as some brilliant passages in the bass. This is a song that virtually everyone will love. Outstanding.
Seventh Sense begins with a massive-sounding chordal riff - almost an acoustic "heavy metal" sound. Marc counterpoints this with his wonderfully angular melody that weaves itself around the riff, finally "taming" it slightly in a mellower middle section that features some very nice timbres along with Marc's usual excellent improvisation, here utilizing some interesting harmonic ideas. Things heat up again when once again the lead guitar asserts control slowing things down until all three finally build up to the conclusion.
Mysterious octaves start An Ode to a Vow. Sudden harmonics signal a change of pace into the more straightforward accompaniment over which Marc Atkinson spins another of his enchanting melodies. I love the way that Marc uses a very pungent end to a section to lead strongly into the next. Very effective. Rounding off the form is a return of the opening idea. This time the harmonics signal the end. Nice touch.
Bright Eyed Waltz is a really interesting song - you never know where it will take you next! A flamenco flourish leads into a fast, retro-sounding waltz that quickly changes gears (and keys) before continuing on in a slightly different style, only to slowly "run out of steam" to continue in a slower tempo. Or does it? Time shifts seemingly as the mood strikes. While this waltz might be a terror to try do dance it is great fun to listen to for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Toddler gets off to a flying start. This bluegrass-tinged number would not sound out of place on a banjo, and it is a great showcase for Marc's versatility. The trio just flies through this one carrying the listener along on a cloud of sound.
Your Dreams Await is a deceptively simple sounding song for solo guitar. The first half consists of single notes, with a few chords added into the second half. The whole piece is tied together with a rhythmic figure that sounds (to me at least) like the title of the song as if sung by the guitar. A fine song in itself, this is also a nice contrast to the frenetic pace of Toddler.
J. S. Walk surprised me a bit. I was expecting something reminiscent of another J. S. whose last name rhymes with "walk" but instead this is a cool jazz tune over a walking bass. Not that I am complaining! This is a great flat out exercise in jazz with Marc exploring the entire neck of the guitar and bending strings with aplomb and style.
To end the CD, a strummed fanfare leads into Russian Rag. While Marc Atkinson did not write this song he certainly provides a fine arrangement of it. He lets out all of the stops to display a dazzling array of styles here from ragtime to Gypsy to trad jazz (listen for his quoting of "Take the A Train" for example). This rousing excursion is a fine ending to a terrific CD.
In summary: A wide variety of fascinating and unique songs played with both verve and precision. Guitarists will be mightily impressed while normal people will just enjoy some fantastic music.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
You can hear samples and buy this CD directly from Marc Atkinson's site.
Guitarists will also want to check out the scores to some Marc's songs on his sheet music page. Intermediate players should be able to get them under their fingers, and learn a lot in the process.