GALEN WESTON
The Space Between
(BluJazz Productions)

 

On his 2016 debut solo album Plugged In, guitarist / composer Galen Weston paid homage to his jazz-rock influences. On his 2017 solo album The Space Between, Galen knocks down the barriers and comes up with a truly solid album of new music marked by its own vision. Back from Plugged In are fellow Toronto-based players, Richard Underhill (alto sax), David Woodhead and George Koller (bass), Matt Horner (keys) and Al Cross (drums) and others. Producing the album is Steve Rodby, noted for his work in Pat Metheny’s band. Galen proves to be a true sonic multi-tasker on The Space Between. All forms of 21st century instrumental jazz-rock merge with a bluesy edge and in fact, there’s hardly a form of rock instrumental not covered here. For example, on the track “Remembering”, Galen braves his way into progressive jazz-rock waters, combining electrifying fusion with a movie music melody that is truly haunting. A set-closing cover of the classic standard “The Shadow Of Your Smile” is given an honorable jazz-rock dusting off while keeping the song’s low-key image in tact. Infusing the tracks with horn-based electricity, Underhill’s sax backs Galen in the same way that Clarence Clemons’ rock-based horn backed Springsteen. Rather than a call and response type free-jazz context, the pair often play unison lines, underscoring Galen’s haunting melodies, although there’s plenty of freewheeling, soaring soloing too. Today’s younger musicians who have the luxury of hindsight can really benefit by combining all kinds of sounds and styles from the past and in that way Galen Weston takes guitar-based instrumental jazz-rock genre into some mighty interesting directions. www.galenweston.org





 

 
   
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