This Is Book's Music

Jazz guitarist Gene Ess has returned with a new album, and this time he is joined by vocalist Nicki Parrott to compliment him (and he to her) on A Thousand Summers (Simp).

The one thing about Ess is that he still plays very demure and confidence, knowing his strengths and being able to flirt with all of them to share a sound that comes from paying attention to his influences. He is a damn good guitarist, and while I would love for him to play a bit more “out there” just to hear what he’s capable of, I like what he does present in his music.

The addition of vocalist Parrott allows them to flirt with each other, at least musically, and it allows them to find out how far they’re able to take each other with how they interact. While her voice isn’t too spectacular, at least she is someone who doesn’t try to create the perception that she is. In other words, despite the limitations that I hear, I find her strengths to be something I enjoyed listening to throughout each song and the entire album. Listen to their version of The Crusaders‘ “One Day I’ll Fly Away” for proof of this.

Ess and Parrott are joined by drummer Gene Jackson, bassist Thomson Kneeland, and pianist James Wiedman, and when you hear how tight these guys are while backing up Ess, one tends to forget who the true leader is, it’s that good. The union is there, and it’s great to hear that union, while hearing a singer who comes in and doesn’t disrupt the proceedings, as some singers do. She’s been doing this for years, and she becomes a part of that union that undertstands the role of balance. This is an album that is well balanced.