For his latest release, “Perfectly Out of Place”, Vinson not only convenes a new quintet but also extends it by adding a few guests for the strings, vocals, and percussion. The cats that follow him are also respected bandleaders such as Mike Moreno on guitars, Gonzalo Rubalcaba on keys, Matt Penman on bass, and Jeff Ballard on drums.
“Desolated Tango”, which could perfectly fit in Charles Lloyd’s world-jazz repertoire, opens the doors, carrying a good amount of nostalgia and sadness at its core. …show more content…
The guitarist uses most of the guitar arm for a brisk improvisation that encompasses several octaves, showcasing his abilities as a soloist.
The repose of “Breathe”, a modern cha cha cha with soft harmonic textures and no improvisations, is repeated in “Rings”, a soaring ballad that finds support in the beauty of its relentless chord progression.
The galloping “Radiance”, inhabiting in a fusion universe of jazz, rock, and pop, is arranged with intrepid guitar riffs, implacable rhythms, and culminates with warmly expressive solos by Parks and the bandleader.
“Cosmonauts” hits a darker side, suggesting mystery and uncertainty. Our apprehension turns into amazement when we listen to Parks’ motivating solo. One can find a certain Brazilian lyricism in the tune’s melody and glimpses of Radiohead in Grilli’s fingerpicking.
The last tune, “Pulse”, leaves behind any connotation with the pop/rock universe and swings along in a hasty pace, resorting to well-known bebop dialects. Besides the fluidity of the guitarist and composer, we have estimable improvisations by Martin and