*ELECTRIC ART SONGS: MUSE-EEK PRESENTS LISTEN TO THIS (MSK 303) *
The intuitive understanding between musicians is called “chemistry” and *Listen To This*, with *Judi Silvano* and *Bruce Arnold* has chemistry in abundance. The duets on this recording, some improvised, some composed, show a duo who are intensely tuned into every nuance as they follow the sonic twists and turns of these 12 striking songs. This is some deep listening.
QUOTES:
“*Listen to This* is some beautiful, cosmic music created by two of the most inventive musicians on the scene today”. – Joe Lovano, Grammy Winner and Berklee College Performance Chair
* From the get-go “Listen to This” will shock jazz purists with the spacey effects on Arnold’s axe and the electronically harmonized multiple Silvano voices. But vocalist Judi Silvano’s phrasing, inflections, and improvisatory reactions and guitarist Bruce Arnold’s lush harmonies definitely reveal jazz’s genetic imprint.*
*The definitive breakdown of musical categorization was delivered in 1962 by Duke Ellington: “There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind.” File this album in the Good Music section.*—-Steve Holtje, manager, ESP-Disk *
“Brilliant. Love it: almost a Kraftwerk twist to it.” – Rob Taylor, nmblive.com
Judi Silvano and Bruce Arnold have created their own world of altered guitar and vocal sounds. I really like the opening song, “Remembrances”, an otherworldly blues with Judi’s hip-notic vocals harmonized with subtle alien effects. A sort of fairy-tale like vibe, rather like a distant relative to J.A.’s “White Rabbit’. Ms. Silvano sounds a bit like Iva Bittova on the aptly titled “Space Lullaby”, charming and child-like at times. On “My Neighborhood” Mr. Arnold does a great job of providing sumptuous sonic soundscapes without playing any predictable single note jazz solos; his guitar sounds like an army of chanting monks as he plays those dark floating chords in the background.
Whatever you do, you got to check out this one, “Great Plains”, there is something special going on here, completely enchanting with that great sly groove. This is followed by “Journey to Be Free”, another stunner, with a rocking’ groove but no rhythm team, just the guitar and voice.
I certainly didn’t expect this disc to be the most surprising gem of the month but that is what it is.
– Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
