Rik Wright - Sunrise Pixels
Released 9/1/2008
One again Rik Wright embarks on a musical adventure with his veteran quintet, a mainstay of the Pacific Northwest festival circuit. This compilation is the culmination of two years of collaborations with several of the shining stars of the effervescent Seattle jazz scene. The heart of the recording is Wright's unique original compositions, ranging from simple modal and blues structures to advanced chordal harmony and complex time signatures. Wright's influences shine throughout, as the opener "Dreaming of Boo" pays homage to Thelonious Monk, while “Even Odds” is reminiscent of Eric Dolphy and "Lush Money" harkens back to early Wayne Shorter. In terms of standards, Wright is joined by upstart chanteuse Rebecca Peterson on two revered jazz vocal tracks featuring his adept solo guitar work. In fact, Wright cleverly peppers this album with duets as elsewhere on the program he steps aside to let his front line shine. Tony Grasso lends his talents to a poetic performance of "When Sunny Gets Blue" and James DeJoie elegantly caressing the romantic classic "Nearness of You", both accompamied soley by Wright's lucious guitar tone. All in all this a well-rounded and invigorating outing by one of Seattle's most recognized guitarists.
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