Stephen D. Anderson: Remembering the Rain: The Music of Bill Evans - (Greg Clayton guest reviewer for JGL)

If you are hip enough to be reading this you already know that the music buisness is not a meritocracy and that many great artists go unnoticed by the majority. Nashville based guitarist Stephen D. Anderson is one such artist.

Long known in guitar circles as a "bad cat" who worked out of Nashville, palled around with Lenny Breau and was in New York for a while in the 80's and 90's, it's my sincere hope that this record will put Stephen into the forefront in guitar circles and the greater jazz family.

Visitors to this website are well aware of the challenges inherent in arranging "complete" guitar pieces. This is magnified when dealing with Bill Evans original music. Most impressive is the feel, groove and flow of the music Stephen makes. Many guitarists try to play Evans like voicings but end up sounding like they are struggling or at best just making it with the end result being a loss of the pulse & flow of the music. This of course is a cardinal sin in jazz even when playing rubato or "free".

Stephen has transferred these pieces to his instrument with great attention to detail regarding the Evans originals but has never sacrificed the above mentioned "feel". There is no disconnect between the theme statements and Anderson's improvising. Throughout the record he displays fantastic technique which is always at the service of the music and never superfluous.

Stephen's CD is available for ordering online from the Art of Life Records web site at www.artofliferecords.com. When you order your copy of this must have work please ask the people at Art of Life Records for a copy of Stephen's Artist Notes on the individual tracks. Stephen has written a personal insight into the creative process and arranging process for his album and decided to offer this to people who purchase his CD at the Art of Life Records web site. Combined with the CD's liner notes this gives a nice look into the artist's workshop.

Go to www.artofliferecords.com/stephenanderson.html to purchase Remembering the Rain: The Music of Bill Evans or to see what else Art of Life Records has to offer.

Jazz Guitar Life thanks Greg Clayton for this review and encourages you to visit Greg Clayton at his website www.gregclayton.com