When Larry Newcomb’s son, Jake, was 11 years old he told his dad that he wanted to learn guitar. Larry said that was a great idea, but why didn’t he learn bass instead as that way he would always have a gig. He lent him his Fender Precision, which Jake took to immediately, although he soon switched to upright and now, he can be heard accompanying his father alongside drummer Dave Marsh and pianist Thomas Royal. Newcomb is considered one of the top all-round guitarists on the scene today and has played in a wide variety of settings during his productive career, but his true love is modern straight-ahead jazz which is what we have here.
The quartet performs fresh renditions of four standards plus six Newcomb originals, and the whole album is fresh and light, perfect for a summer’s day. Some jazz is hard to understand, more about the technique than the music, but here it is the other way round, with the arrangement sometimes simple and others massively complex, but always with the music at the fore. Each musician is a master of his craft, but never lets himself get in front of the others, so that we have a joyous feel where everyone knows their part. We get a hint of waltz here, some blues there, even Latin in places, and the result is an album which is always warm and inviting and while Larry is the leader, he also gives plenty of room for everyone else to make their own statement. There is a real groove to this, which is inviting and wants the listener to be involved and engaged. This is music to be played with friends, sat on the patio with wine in hand, allowing the world go by accompanied by the sweet sounds of Newcomb and his band.
Rating: 8/10
