Royce Campbell - Elegy to a Friend

I’ve been a big of fan of Jazz Guitarist Royce Campbell since I first heard him do a tribute to Wes Montgomery. I really liked his playing style which was traditionally straight-ahead and bopish. So when I received Elegy To A Friend in the mail, I was expecting more of the same.

Boy was I wrong. Campbell’s playing on this CD is aggressive and muscular with long passages of free playing mixed in with more structured forms. This style is reminiscent of free player Dom Minasi and I was quite surprised to hear Campbell play in this setting. But it works. The tunes, composed by Campbell, lend themselves to the self-exploration and wild abandonment that only the most confident of players can pull off. And Campbell does just that. Mind you, there is a lot of playing on here that is also “mainstream” and Campbell does a great job of combining both. I really liked this CD and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something a little different in the Jazz Guitar community.

Go to http://www.roycecampbell.com to see what else Royce Campbell has to offer.

Lyle Robinson