Happy Birthday, Andy Summers!

On New Year's Eve, Friday, December 31, 2021, Andy Summers – my favorite guitarist and musician of all time – turns 79 years old.

I first became acquainted with the music of Summers in 1983 at the age of 10 in a Catholic elementary school classroom when I heard a hypnotic and futuristic-sounding pop/rock song emanating from the radio of Candy, my substitute teacher. When I asked what the song was and who recorded it, I was promptly informed that it was “Spirits in the Material World” by The Police. I was instantly hooked, so much so that that Christmas, my parents got me a vinyl copy of Synchronicity, The Police’s fifth and final studio album and one of the biggest hits of the year. The Police have since remained my favorite rock band of all time.

Summers was the guitarist for the mega-popular group, who were active in the late 1970s and early 1980s and reunited for a 30th anniversary tour in 2007 and 2008. Being a good decade older than his bandmates Sting and Stewart Copeland, Summers began his professional recording career in the early 1960s, playing for Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (which later became the psychedelic but short-lived Dantalian’s Chariot), Eric Burdon’s New Animals, and Soft Machine. After formally studying guitar at Northridge University in California from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, Summers returned to England and plied his trade as a session guitarist for Joan Armatrading, Neil Sedaka, Kevin Coyne, and Deep Purple’s Jon Lord before achieving monumental success and international stardom with The Police.

After the dissolution of The Police in the early 1980s, Summers scored some Hollywood films (Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Weekend at Bernie’s) and recorded one rock vocal album before establishing himself as an acclaimed and accomplished contemporary instrumental guitarist across a variety of styles, including jazz, fusion, new age, and world music.

I was privileged to interview Summers by telephone in Fall 2000 for the January 2001 issue of DirecTV: The Guide. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that Summers posted a notice of the interview in the news section of his Web site. Later, I met Summers in person during his book tour in Fall 2006, just a few months before The Police reunited for a 30th anniversary reunion tour, which I was fortunate to attend twice in August of 2007 and 2008.

For a good overview of Summers’ solo work, I highly recommend the following albums: Mysterious Barricades, A Windham Hill Retrospective, Synaesthesia, and The X Tracks. My personal favorite Summers albums are XYZ, Mysterious Barricades, The Golden Wire, Charming Snakes, World Gone Strange, Synaesthesia, Earth + Sky, Fundamental (with Fernanda Takai), Circus Hero (with his rock band Circa Zero), and Harmonics of the Night.

--Raj Manoharan

Michael Nesmith (December 30, 1942 - December 10, 2021)

Thursday, December 30, 2021, would have been Michael Nesmith's 79th birthday. The Texas-born Monkees singer and guitarist (the one with the green wool hat) passed away on December 10, 2021, in California at the age of 78 .

Of all of The Monkees, Nesmith had the most prolific and successful solo career. He pioneered the country-rock music format in the early to mid-1970s, founded the music and video label Pacific Arts, and basically created the concept of MTV. In addition to producing films and music videos, Nesmith also won the very first Grammy Award for Best Home Video for Elephant Parts, which later led to NBC’s short-lived Television Parts. In an interesting side note, Nesmith’s mother invented liquid paper and sold it to Gillette for a substantial fortune, which Nesmith inherited.

For a good overview of Nesmith’s music, I recommend The Older Stuff, The Newer Stuff, Tropical Campfire’s, Live at the Britt Festival, Rays, Movies of the Mind, Infinite Tuesday: Autobiographical Riffs -- The Music, and Live at the Troubadour.

More information about Nesmith is available on his Web site at www.videoranch.com.

--Raj Manoharan

Michael Nesmith (1942-2021)

It is with great sadness, but also, as www.videoranch.com says, "With Infinite Love," that I have to report that The Monkees' Michael Nesmith (the one with the green wool hat) has passed away at the age of 78. Nesmith would have turned 79 years old on December 30, 2021.

Of all of The Monkees, Nesmith had the most prolific and successful solo career. He pioneered the country-rock music format in the early to mid-1970s, founded the music and video label Pacific Arts, and basically created the concept of MTV. In addition to producing films and music videos, Nesmith also won the very first Grammy Award for Best Home Video for Elephant Parts, which later led to NBC’s short-lived Television Parts. In an interesting side note, Nesmith’s mother invented liquid paper and sold it to Gillette for a substantial fortune, which Nesmith inherited.

For a good overview of Nesmith’s music, I recommend The Older Stuff, The Newer Stuff, Tropical Campfire’s, Live at the Britt Festival, Rays, Movies of the Mind, Infinite Tuesday: Autobiographical Riffs -- The Music, and Live at the Troubadour.

More information about Nesmith is available on his Web site at www.videoranch.com.

--Raj Manoharan

P.S.

Below are excerpts of my review of Nesmith's concert performance at bergenPAC in Englewood, New Jersey, on November 12, 2013:

Pop culture icon Michael Nesmith delivered an amazing, energetic performance at bergenPAC in Englewood, New Jersey, on Tuesday night, November 12, 2013, midway through his Movies of the Mind tour.

Like most people, I became familiar with Nesmith through The Monkees, a made-for-TV rock group that epitomized bubblegum pop music in the 1960s and gave The Beatles and The Rolling Stones a run for their money in terms of record sales. A nostalgic resurgence of Monkeemania in the 1980s led to reruns – which enabled me to get hip to The Monkees as a child – as well as a new album and tour, although without Nesmith, who was busy doing his own thing. When I heard Nesmith sing “What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?” in one episode, I was immediately hooked by his country-style Texan vocals and sought out his solo endeavors.

After the Monkees TV show ended, Nesmith – whose mother invented correction fluid – pioneered a fusion of country, folk, pop, and rock music. He also furthered the development of music video, inspired the creation of MTV, and won the first Grammy Award for a home video release for his 1982 musical variety program Elephant Parts, which later led to his short-lived summer 1985 NBC series Television Parts.

Nesmith also provides the best fan experience out of all of my favorite artists, and not just in terms of live performance. He sells all of his work on his Web site, www.videoranch.com. When I bought several CDs to replace my cassette versions, he personally autographed all of them. For a justifiably slightly higher price, you can also order CDs customized for you and/or whomever you wish with tracks and sequencing of your choosing and personally autographed by Nesmith.

Having been a fan of Nesmith for nearly a quarter of a century now, I never thought I would get the chance to see him perform live, especially given the rarity of his appearances (his last tour was in the early 1990s). That all changed on the night of Tuesday, November 12, 2013, when he stopped by bergenPAC in Englewood, New Jersey, halfway through his Movies of the Mind tour. Fresh off a late 2012 Monkees tour in the wake of band member and British heartthrob Davy Jones's death, as well as brief solo tours in the United Kingdom and America, Nesmith is on a roll.

I took my folks to the show (Center Orchestra Row N Seats 101-103), and they both enjoyed it immensely. They are both in Nesmith's age range (Nesmith is four months older than my dad). My mom is familiar with The Monkees from way back, having arrived in America the same year the TV show debuted. For some reason, my dad keeps mixing The Monkees up with The Little Rascals, who were not even a musical group. But my dad did watch the Monkees reruns along with the rest of us in the 1980s, so at least he's heard of The Monkees.

Nesmith was in top form and rocked much harder at age 70 (going on 71) than he did at age 49 on his last tour, based on the double CD I have of that tour as well as footage I've seen on the Internet. He played all of the familiar fan favorites, from “Joanne” from the early 1970s to “Rays” from his 2006 album of the same name, in between providing a nice range of country, folk, pop, and rock music. Nesmith played his signature twelve-string acoustic guitar, with long-time band mate Joe Chemay on bass, Boh Cooper on keyboards, and long-time band mate Paul Leim on drums. The band also featured Chris Scruggs, the grandson of bluegrass banjo legend Earl Scruggs, on pedal steel guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, and mandolin. Scruggs was the musical prodigy of the night, sometimes playing two or more instruments in the same song. All the musicians were excellent and did a standout job bringing Nesmith's songs to glorious and exuberant life.

Nesmith also introduced each song or group of related/similar songs with narratives that set the scene for each musical tale, hence the tour moniker Movies of the Mind. This feature of the performance fostered intimate camaraderie between Nesmith and the audience and made it more of a personal experience, like hearing campfire tales from an old friend.

One thing that struck me about Nesmith is how, unlike the rest of The Monkees and other artists of his generation, he looks so little like his former, younger self. My mom said he looks like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In recent years, Davy Jones said he looked like a German banker. At the same time, it is refreshing and comforting that Nesmith has not gone to extra lengths to “preserve” his youth. Instead, he has chosen to age and mature like a fine wine. Every now and then, though, I saw a semblance of the old, young Nesmith surface. But whenever he opened his mouth to speak and sing, he was unmistakably and undeniably Michael Nesmith through and through.

--Raj Manoharan

The Bridge (2021), by Sting

Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner is back in top form with his best all-around solo album since 1996’s Mercury Falling. It is also one of his best albums of all time and certainly his best album of the 21^st century so far.

 

More than any of his offerings in the previous quarter century, Sting’s latest release builds a bridge back to the highs of the first decade of his solo career while still sounding fresh and modern. It marks a welcome return to organic instrumentation with subtle electronic and orchestral embellishments to round out Sting’s classic sonic grandiosity.

 

Now 70 years old, Sting sounds as good as ever, with just a hint of wizened grizzle. His trademark multi-tracked vocals are utilized to great effect on the rousing, Police-like opening number, “Rushing Water.”

 

Other song highlights include “Harmony Road” (with a beautiful sax solo by longtime collaborator Branford Marsalis), “The Hills on the Border,” the title track, and “Captain Bateman’s Basement” (one of three extra tunes on the deluxe edition).

 

The absolute gem of this already stellar collection is “The Bells of St. Thomas,” which is one of Sumner’s finest musical and lyrical compositions.

 

Sting, it’s great to have you back!

 

--Raj Manoharan

MIradas (2021), by Jose Luis Serrano Esteban

For his fourth album, master guitarist Jose Luis Serrano Esteban uses nylon strings to create a well-rounded and immersive sonic environment that is a delight for the ears, the mind, and the soul.

The record is not only a marvel of composition and performance, but also of arrangement, instrumentation, and orchestration, all of which are done masterfully. In addition to Esteban’s guitars, the music comprises synthesizers (Esteban), piano and keyboards (Roger Subirana), violin (Sandra Lopez), flutes (Paula Campos, Carlos Calvo), and clarinet (Santiago Puente), with Nacho Serrano on bass guitar, Cristobal Caballero on double bass, and Mario Sanjuan on drums.

 

The melodies are beautiful and elegant, and Esteban’s pitch-perfect guitar playing is straightforward and accessible in service of the album’s overall light and pleasant pop sound. His note picking and chord strumming are palpable and poignant, thanks especially to the visceral sound mix.

 

This is one of the best guitar albums ever produced and recorded. It is soothing and refreshing and also a great showcase for the virtuosity of all of the musicians involved, especially under the steady hand of Esteban.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Harmonics of the Night (2021), by Andy Summers

Delayed for nearly two years because of the pandemic, Andy Summers’ Harmonics of the Night finally sees the light of day, and it is a welcome musical postcard from the venerable veteran guitarist, especially in these unusual times.

 

The title is very appropriate as the overall feel of the album is very nocturnal. Unlike the previous two installments of Summers’ almost entirely self-performed trilogy (Metal Dog and Triboluminescence), drums, percussion, and synthesizers are minimal or nearly nonexistent, allowing Summers to use mostly his guitars to create quiet serenity out of the shadows.

 

“City of Crocodiles” and “Chronosthesia” percolate with darkly lyrical rhythms over which gradually ascending leads and solos twist and turn and reach and yearn. “Mirror in the Dirt” channels “Chocolate of the Desperate” from Synaesthesia and “If Anything” from Triboluminescence with its edgy guitar phrasing over synthesizers. “Prairie” and “Aphelion” revel in Summers’ classic otherworldly tones. The beautiful and tranquil “Inamorata,” one of two transcendental acoustic guitar pieces on the record, features traces of guitar synthesizer. (A whole solo album of tracks like “Prairie” and “Aphelion” would be awesome, as would a whole solo album of tracks like “Inamorata.”)

 

This is the closest any of Summers’ albums have come to resembling the sound and feel of his 1988 minimalist masterpiece, Mysterious Barricades. As a result, this is Summers’ most pensive, thoughtful, and sensitive effort since that stellar recording.

 

There are also sonic elements that recall Summers’ 1980s albums with Robert Fripp – I Advance Masked and Bewitched – as well as flashes here and there of Summers’ signature sound as found in both his work with The Police and his solo career. But then again, all of Summers’ albums, including this one, are his signature sound, aren’t they?

 

Harmonics of the Night is a cinematic musical journey well worth taking, courtesy of the always reliable and ever dependably unpredictable Andy Summers.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Triboluminescence (2017), by Andy Summers

Summers got his groove back.

For the longest time, I had held out hope that Andy Summers would create another album similar in vein to his first two solo instrumental efforts, Mysterious Barricades (1988) and The Golden Wire (1989), which feature his compositions and guitar playing at their most transcendental and sublime. Triboluminescence rekindles the spirit of those original records, but on a whole other level, and the result is absolutely delightful.

Expounding upon his explorations of self-sufficient sonic possibilities begun with the 2015 industrial tech whack offering Metal Dog, Summers exceeds that accomplishment, using his guitars and other instruments (and cheating slightly with the collusion of cellist Artyom Manukyan on one track) to create alien and otherworldly sounds that transport you into a wondrous dimension of exhilarating sensory perception.

Standout tunes include the haunting “If Anything,” “Elephant Bird” (classic Andy Summers), "Gigantopithecus" (psychedelic reggae rock), “Ricochet” (bluesy funk), the eerie and enigmatic "Sam and Janet" (with a special cameo by "Metal Dog" from the album of the same name), and “Help from Jupiter” (spacey shades of Barricades and Bewitched). (The latter three tracks are digital/vinyl exclusives.)

Summers described his personal musical direction in the late 1980s and early 1990s as “new fusion.” He calls his unique stylings on Triboluminescence “new exotic.” I myself like to think of it as “new mysterious.”

Without a doubt, Triboluminescence certainly ranks as one of Andy Summers’ best albums, right up there with his Private Music catalog, as well as Synaesthesia and Earth + Sky. It is also solid and demonstrable proof that at age 74, Andy Summers is still very much in his prime – and still very much in the top tier of guitar masters.

--Raj Manoharan

Metal Dog (2015), by Andy Summers

At long last, the much-anticipated follow-up to Andy Summers and Robert Fripp's seminal, iconic, progressive experimental albums I Advance Masked and Bewitched is here – except this time, it's all Andy.

As befits his first fully independent, self-released solo recording, Summers truly goes it alone, composing all the music and playing all the instruments himself, including bass, keyboards, drums, and percussion. Summers pulls it off so well that it's easy to forget that he's the only musician in the studio. Of course, as always, his guitars, as well as other stringed instruments, are the focal point of the proceedings, with Summers producing exquisite, elegant leads, rhythms, and solos, covering a range of styles from blues and funk to jazz and rock.

While the 10-track collection definitely has the spirit and elements of the previously mentioned Fripp collaborations, as well as Summers' solo instrumental albums Mysterious Barricades, The Golden Wire, and Synaesthesia, it is at the same time fresh and original.

This is unlike anything Summers has done before, with its variety of textures, tempos, and time signatures. But Andy's classic sounds pop up here and there, reassuring us that our guitar god is still present as ever.

Although every composition is stirring, my favorites are the title track, "Animal Chatter," “Ishango Bone,” “Bitter Honey,” and especially “Harmonograph,” with its slithery, electronic lead guitar. These are the most conventional sounding “songs” on the album, and even then they're unconventional. In a sense, Summers has come full circle from his eclectic musings on the track “Circe's Island” from David Bedford's 1976 album The Odyssey.

In its review of Summers' 1995/1996 release Synaesthesia, Entertainment Weekly wrote, “With Andy Summers, even if you expect the unexpected, you'll still be surprised.” This has been true of each and every project by Summers, and the epic, groundbreaking Metal Dog is certainly no exception.

--Raj Manoharan

Earth + Sky (2003), by Andy Summers

After four albums for RCA Victor featuring a mix of jazz covers and originals, acoustic guitar duets, and tributes to jazz icons Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus, legendary guitarist Andy Summers goes independent with his Golden Wire label and returns to his own original jazz-rock fusion compositions, tapping into his Police and early solo sensibilities as well as some new sounds he picked up along the way.

While the euphoric “Above the World” recalls “Begin the Day” from the 1984 Andy Summers/Robert Fripp album Bewitched and the title track smacks favorably of Summers’ Police instrumentals, numbers like “Now I’m Free” and “Return” show Summers at the height of his jazz phrasing powers with smooth and seamless beauty and fluidity.

 

The stellar lineup of musicians backing Summers on this outing includes Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Abraham Laboriel on bass, John Beasley and John Novello on keyboards, and Katisse Buckingham on saxophone.

 

This is one of Summers’ best albums and stands firmly alongside his finest work, including his Private Music catalog, Synaesthesia, and Triboluminescence.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Monk 'n' Mingus (2016), by Andy Summers

Okay, this isn’t actually an actual album by Andy Summers. Rather, it’s a playlist I made in 2016 for my iPod consisting of five tracks from Summers’ 1999 album, Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk, and six tracks from Summers’ 2000 Charles Mingus tribute album, Peggy’s Blue Skylight.

What I found is that when I combined those eleven tracks together, the result was a record that is even better than either of those already solid albums. In fact, the collection sounds like it could almost be Synaesthesia II, just entirely composed by Monk ‘n’ Mingus. Which really wouldn’t be surprising at all, since Synaesthesia and many of Summers’ other albums sound like they also could have been composed by Monk ‘n’ Mingus, especially as Summers is heavily influenced by those two jazz icons, in addition to other great artists from the genre.

 

For optional add-ons, you can include the excellent vocal tracks: “Round Midnight” featuring Sting (Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk) and the Peggy’s Blue Skylight songs “Weird Nightmare” (featuring Deborah Harry) and “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/Where Can a Man Find Peace?” (featuring Q-Tip).

 

So, without further ado, here are the eleven tracks that make up Monk ‘n’ Mingus:

 

From Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk:

 

1. Green Chimneys

2. Shuffle Boil

3. Evidence

4. Ugly Beauty

5. Think of One

 

From Peggy’s Blue Skylight:

 

6. Boogie Stop Shuffle

7. Tonight at Noon

8. Reincarnation of a Lovebird

9. Opus Three

10. Cumbia Jazz Fusion

11. Remember Rockefeller at Attica

 

--Raj Manoharan

Peggy's Blue Skylight (2000), by Andy Summers

After taking on the formidable task of tackling the songbook of Thelonious Monk, guitarist Andy Summers sets his sights on another jazz giant, bassist Charles Mingus.

While the Monk project is a musical curve ball in terms of Summers' usual style, this has more of the comfortable jazz-rock fusion feel that Summers' fans are familiar with. In fact, even though the songs are all Mingus tunes, they sound very much like Summers' compositions.

The lineup of supporting musicians is stellar as always. In addition to Dave Carpenter on bass and Joel Taylor on drums, the players include Randy Brecker on trumpet, Nick Ariondo on accordion, Hank Roberts on cello, John Novello on Hammond B-3 organ, Geetha Bennett on vocals, veena, and tamboura, Rob Thomas on violin, Michito Sanchez on percussion, Curtis Fowlkes on trombone, The Jazz Passengers, and The Kronos Quartet.

The album also features guest appearances by Blondie vocalist Deborah Harry on “Weird Nightmare” and rapper Q-Tip, who recites Mingus's poem “Where Can a Man Find Peace?” over Summers' stunning, stinging rendition of “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.”

This is another fine showcase for Summers' patented brand of guitar wrangling.

--Raj Manoharan

Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk (1999), by Andy Summers

Andy Summers takes on one of his greatest challenges yet – essaying the music of his idol, legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.

This album is interesting on so many levels.

For one thing, it's quite something to hear the music of a piano-playing bebop pioneer from the perspective of a guitarist primarily known for rock music.

Also, considering that Monk is to music what Pablo Picasso is to art, the songs on this CD are vastly different from what Police and Andy Summers fans are used to.

In addition, Summers enlists the musical support of a veritable who's who of contemporary jazz players, including Dave Carpenter on bass, Peter Erskine and Bernie Dresel on drums, Joey de Francesco on Hammond B-3 organ, Hank Roberts on cello, Steve Tavaglione on saxophone and clarinet, and Walt Fowler on trumpet. Even Summers' former Police band mate Sting shows up to provide sultry, breathy vocals on “'Round Midnight.”

While this might be an atypically difficult listen for Police and Andy Summers fans, this is a great album with which to broaden their musical horizons.

--Raj Manoharan

Andy Summers Brings on the "Night" with New Solo Album Due October 15, 2021

Legendary Police guitarist Andy Summers will be bringing on the "Night" with his latest instrumental solo album, Harmonics of the Night, which is scheduled for release on October 15, 2021.

This will be the 78-year-old Summers' 13th original solo studio recording since 1987 and his latest work in a music career spanning just over six decades. It is the third part of Summers' mostly self-performed trilogy consisting of Metal Dog (2015) and Triboluminescence (2017). Summers is already looking beyond the Night to his next three albums, which would involve other musicians playing bass and drums and would mark his first solo studio venture with a backing band in 20 years.

Summers has described Night as a collection of beautiful instrumentals, which suggests that it might be similar in sound and feel to his 1988 New Age guitar-and-keyboard classic, Mysterious Barricades, or his 1997 jazz guitar trio record, The Last Dance of Mr. X, or perhaps a combination of both.

Harmonics of the Night will follow the August publication of Summers' first short-story collection, Fretted and Moaning.

https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/polices-andy-summers-releasing-beautiful-new-instrumental-album-harmonics-night-fall

https://superdeluxeedition.com/interview/andy-summers-on-his-new-book-and-the-police-reissues/

--Raj Manoharan

The Last Dance of Mr. X (1997), by Andy Summers

After a scorching remake of the Charming Snakes track "Big Thing" (with Jerry Watts on bass and Bernie Dresel on drums), Summers' guitar leads Tony Levin's bass and Gregg Bissonette's drums through a delectable mix of jazz originals and standards.

Since this is a jazz guitar trio record, there are little or no overdubs, leaving Summers to rely more on atmosphere and texture and draw extensively from his classical training. Of course, Summers also manages to come up with some interesting and unique lead guitar lines in this format. It's also a marvel to hear how much Summers, Levin, and Bissonette can achieve sonically.

In terms of the songs themselves, Summers' compositions blend seamlessly with those of jazz greats such as Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, and Mongo Santamaria.

This is a pleasant, laid-back, and mellow detour from Summers' usual dark edginess and is similar in tone to his 1991 release World Gone Strange.

--Raj Manoharan

Synaesthesia (1996), by Andy Summers

Andy Summers goes a little bit grunge on this dark, edgy, and lyrical album that plays somewhat like a more muscular version of his 1989 release The Golden Wire.

Summers' thick guitar lines are reinforced with lush textures by Mitchel Forman on keyboards, rocking rhythms by Jerry Watts on bass, and pulse-pounding back-beats by Cream's Ginger Baker on drums, with additional drums by Gregg Bissonette and orchestral accents by The Trouserfly String Quartet, featuring world-renowned violinist Charlie Bisharat.

Summers also plays acoustic bass on one tune, and the title track is performed entirely by Summers on piano and sounds very much like an acoustic version of The Police's synthesizer style, especially from Ghost in the Machine.

This ranks among my top three favorite Andy Summers “band” albums, the other two being World Gone Strange and Earth + Sky. All three are composed entirely by Summers, are his most guitar-centric albums, and feature his most focused, consistent playing.

--Raj Manoharan

Andy Summers' First Short Story Collection, "Fretted and Moaning," Out Now

I haven't received my preordered copy of the Ultimate Edition of Andy Summers' new book yet, but there's my name in his tome on www.facebook.com/andysummersofficial, courtesy of Jay Lalor!

Thanks, Jay!

--Raj Manoharan

World Gone Strange (1991), by Andy Summers

This is the most focused, consistent, and guitar-centric album of Summers' entire solo discography.

There's no flash or pizazz here - just classy, elegant electric guitar music,
with hints of jazz, blues, and funk. There isn't one lackluster tune on the CD.
It is flawless from beginning to end.

Summers' spot-on backing band includes Tony Levin on bass,

Mitchell Forman on keyboards, and Chad Wackerman on drums,
with guest performances by Eliane Elias on piano, Victor Bailey on bass,
Nana Vasconcelos and Manola Badrena on percussion,
producer Mike Manieri on marimba, and Bendik on soprano saxophone.

Andy Summers has a varied body of work, all of which is enjoyable,
some more than others. I consider this to be among his most timeless and universal.
Of his albums with a backing band, it's my favorite.

--Raj Manoharan

Charming Snakes (1990), by Andy Summers

This is Andy Summers as he hadn't been heard before. Summers flexes his musical muscle with wild abandon, penning bombastic, over-the-top jazz-rock fusion pieces and unleashing searing and flashy guitar leads, proving once and for all that he is far more than a minimalist master of rhythm, atmosphere, and texture.

Summers' band here includes keyboardist David Hentschel, bassist Doug Lunn, and aptly named powerhouse drummer Chad Wackerman, with all-star assists by Summers' former Police band mate Sting and Darryl Jones on bass, jazz superstar Herbie Hancock and Brian Auger on keyboards, Ed Mann on percussion, Mark Isham on trumpet, and Bill Evans on saxophone.

This is Summers' most extroverted album and, as such, will keep your ears wide open.

--Raj Manoharan

The Golden Wire (1989), by Andy Summers

One day, Andy Summers' Police guitar and sensibilities wandered into an enchanted, magical musical forest and encountered all sorts of wondrous musical faeries and other such creatures. The results of that mystical meeting are captured on Summers' third solo album, his first instrumental album with a full band and which resulted in his first Grammy Award nomination as a solo artist.

Summers' sparkling guitar tones lead a surreal journey into dark, edgy, and lyrical musical territory. Along for the ride are keyboardist David Hentschel, synclavier programmer Stephen Croes, bassists Jimmy Haslip (of the Yellowjackets) and Doug Lunn, Oregon flutist Paul McCandless, and drummer/percussionist Kurt Wortman. Najma Akhtar sings on Summers' cover of the Bollywood classic "Piya Tose," with Summers emulating sitar tones alongside Akhtar's beautiful voice.

The entire album provides a stunning perspective on world music as only Summers with his guitar can.

--Raj Manoharan

Andy Summers Brings on the "Night" with New Solo Album Due October 15, 2021

Legendary Police guitarist Andy Summers will be bringing on the "Night" with his latest instrumental solo album, Harmonics of the Night, which is scheduled for release on October 15, 2021.

This will be the 78-year-old Summers' 13th original solo studio recording since 1987 and his latest work in a music career spanning just over six decades. It is the third part of Summers' mostly self-recorded trilogy consisting of Metal Dog (2015) and Triboluminescence (2017). Summers is already looking beyond the Night to his next three albums, which would involve other musicians playing bass and drums and would mark his first solo studio venture with a backing band in 20 years.

Summers has described Night as a collection of beautiful instrumentals, which suggests that it might be similar in sound and feel to his 1988 New Age guitar-and-keyboard classic, Mysterious Barricades, or his 1997 jazz guitar trio record, The Last Dance of Mr. X, or perhaps a combination of both.

Harmonics of the Night will follow the August publication of Summers' first short-story collection, Fretted and Moaning.

https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/polices-andy-summers-releasing-beautiful-new-instrumental-album-harmonics-night-fall

https://superdeluxeedition.com/interview/andy-summers-on-his-new-book-and-the-police-reissues/

--Raj Manoharan

Happy Birthday, Eric Johnson!

On Tuesday, August 17, 2021, one of my favorite guitarists, Eric Johnson, will turn 67 years old.

I was first introduced to the music of Johnson in 1990 by an employee at a local cable television station I interned at during my senior year of high school. That was the year Johnson, then 35/36 years old, released his breakthrough second album, Ah Via Musicom, which achieved the distinction of having three instrumental songs reach the American Top Ten.

Every one of Johnson's albums showcases his incredible electric guitar wizardry and his soft-spoken heartfelt vocals. His latest album is EJ Vol. II, which has set the record for the longest-playing CD in any of my cars throughout my entire history of driving. The disc has been spinning in the Rajmobile for the entire length of the pandemic. Granted, I've only been driving primarily on the weekends, but still . . .

--Raj Manoharan

Mysterious Barricades (1988), by Andy Summers

This is Andy Summers at his purest and most quintessential.

After trying out lead singing on his debut solo album, XYZ, Summers regained his musical footing and redefined himself as the exceptional, unique guitarist that he is.

In a true spirit of rebirth, Summers strips away lyrics, vocals, and a rhythm section and instead crafts exquisite, intricate sound paintings composed only of his acoustic and electric guitars and co-producer/engineer David Hentschel's keyboards and synthesizers.

The result is a series of evocative images that you see with your ears. The music is brought forth with great skill and creativity and is dreamy and introspective.

This is my desert island CD. If I was stranded with a solar-powered CD player and I could only have one album, this would be it.

--Raj Manoharan

Allan Holdsworth (August 6, 1946 - April 15, 2017)

This month marks what would have been Allan Holdsworth's 75th birthday.

The late, great guitar master was born on August 6, 1946, in England and passed away at the age of 70 on April 15, 2017 (weirdly, my brother's 40th birthday), in Southern California, where he had lived for over three decades.

I first heard of Holdsworth in the early 1990s when I read some reviews that described the instrumental albums of my favorite musician, Police guitarist Andy Summers, as partly Holdsworthian.

I began to read more about the legendary Holdsworth, finally buying my first album of his, Hard Hat Area, upon its release in 1994. I still remember eagerly and excitedly purchasing the CD at a record store in Greenwich Village.

I continued to buy Holdsworth's albums throughout the 1990s, culminating with the 2000 release of The Sixteen Men of Tain. Holdsworth put out one more solo album, Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent Movie, in 2001, which I never got around to getting back then for one reason or another, and then Holdsworth went silent, save for the occasional guest appearance on other musicians' albums, as well as live performances and collaborative recordings.

I also lost touch with Holdsworth's happenings for nearly two decades, until April 15, 2017, when I read on Yahoo! News to my shock, disbelief, and dismay that Holdsworth had died at 70 years of age. Heartbroken at both his loss and my obliviousness to his life for the previous 16 years, I immediately purchased his 12-CD box set, The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever!, and his 2-CD compilation, Eidolon, both released a week prior to his passing, and spent much of the next year immersed in the guitar and synthaxe brilliance of Allan Holdsworth.

In honor and remembrance of this amazing and unparalleled musical icon, I highly recommend the following albums as my top four picks, reviews of which can be found both on this site and on Amazon: With a Heart in My Song (with pianist Gordon Beck, 1988), Hard Hat Area (1994), The Sixteen Men of Tain (2000), and Then! (2003).

--Raj Manoharan

XYZ (1987), by Andy Summers

Andy Summers' debut solo album is nowhere near as bad or as terrible as critics have made it out to be. On its own merits, it is quite enjoyable and fun to listen to.

Naturally, Summers' guitar playing is excellent as always. The only problem here is that rather than being the proper focus of the album, Summers' incomparable guitar work is subservient to the vocal-based songs.

As a singer, Summers is not at all awful. He actually has a fine, serviceable voice that is well suited to the machine-like monotony of the music.

While most of the songs have a drone-like quality to them that is eerily hypnotic and entrancing, "Nowhere" breaks out of this mold with an engaging, infectious vitality bolstered by gospel-type female backup singers and Summers' most organic and uninhibited guitar solo on the record.

If this is not among Summers' top-tier solo efforts, it is only because it is overshadowed by his far more excellent instrumental albums, which obviously showcase his real, ultimate asset -- that of a highly accomplished and versatile guitarist.

To see how far Summers has come as a songwriter, check out his 2012 Brazilian/English-language bossa nova pop album Fundamental, with Fernanda Takai on vocals. Also of interest is Circus Hero (2014) by Summers' short-lived band Circa Zero, which features multi-instrumentalist Rob Giles on bass and vocals and marked Summers' brief return to rock songwriting.

Since I was 14 years old at the time XYZ was released, I obviously could not drive. So I had to ride my bicycle into the next town to get the album on cassette tape.

That was one bicycle trip that was well worth it.

--Raj Manoharan

Always Golden Sands (2020), by Peter Chilvers and Jon Durant

British keyboardist Peter Chilvers and American guitarist Jon Durant combine their respective instruments for a rare and remarkable summit of sound that results in one of the most beautiful recordings of its kind.

The music is similar in feel to Andy Summers’ iconic guitar-and-keyboard opus, Mysterious Barricades (1988), featuring Summers on guitars and David Hentschel on keyboards.

 

Although Chilvers and Durant’s album is very short, consisting of only three tunes – “Always Autumn,” “Shifting Sands,” and “Golden” – it is so magical and mesmerizing that it can be listened to over and over and over again without ever becoming tiresome, boring, or redundant.

 

And that is the mark of an excellent, exceptional recording.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Divine Tides (2021), by Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej

Police drummer and soundtrack composer Stewart Copeland broke major musical ground several decades earlier when he blended his patented percussion and other instrumentation with the tribal and ethnic sounds of the African continent on his 1985 album, The Rhythmatist.

Now Copeland’s at it again, this time in collaboration with Indian composer, keyboardist, and multi-instrumentalist Ricky Kej. Together, the international duo has cooked up a delicious and tasty smorgasbord of world music delights, with the sounds of South Asia at its base.

 

Kej brings to the table his lifelong love of and deep-seated passion for Indian music, along with a stellar line-up of accomplished and renowned Indian, African, and international musicians and vocalists. Copeland brings his unique sense of time and rhythm to the proceedings, as well as his kinetic compositional contributions.

 

The result is an eclectic musical mix of East and West that is an essential must-have for fans of Kej and Copeland – especially those looking for a perfect companion piece to The Rhythmatist. This is extraordinary music with epic global sweep.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Andy Summers Brings on the "Night" with New Solo Album Due October 2021

Legendary Police guitarist Andy Summers will be bringing on the "Night" with his latest instrumental solo album, Harmonics of the Night, which is scheduled for release in October 2021.

This will be the 78-year-old Summers' 13th original solo studio recording since 1987 and his latest work in a music career spanning just over six decades. It is the third part of Summers' mostly self-recorded trilogy consisting of Metal Dog (2015) and Triboluminescence (2017). Summers is already looking beyond the Night to his next three albums, which would involve other musicians playing bass and drums and would mark his first solo studio venture with a backing band in 20 years.

Summers has described Night as a collection of beautiful instrumentals, which suggests that it might be similar in sound and feel to his 1988 New Age guitar-and-keyboard classic, Mysterious Barricades, or his 1997 jazz guitar trio record, The Last Dance of Mr. X, or perhaps a combination of both.

Harmonics of the Night will follow the August publication of Summers' first short-story collection, Fretted and Moaning.

https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/polices-andy-summers-releasing-beautiful-new-instrumental-album-harmonics-night-fall

https://superdeluxeedition.com/interview/andy-summers-on-his-new-book-and-the-police-reissues/

--Raj Manoharan

Flood (2007), by Jon Durant

Jon Durant unleashes a tour de force of wondrous sonic environments and atmospheres and thrilling and exhilarating guitar sounds and solos. The result is one of the best jazz/rock fusion guitar albums ever produced.

Backed by Tony Levin’s deep grooving bass and Vinny Sabatino’s propulsive percussion, Durant lets loose on acoustic and electric guitars and doesn’t hold back.

 

If you love the guitar styles of Andy Summers, Allan Holdsworth, Robert Fripp, George Harrison, and Paul Speer, this album is for you.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Dance of the Shadow Planets (2012), by Jon Durant

Dance of the Shadow Planets firmly establishes guitarist Jon Durant in Andy Summers, Robert Fripp, Allan Holdsworth, and Pat Metheny territory.

Durant and his band dance across the various sounds and rhythms of the world, as well as some that are not of this world.

 

The music is global in nature, with an Eastern tinge thanks to the prominent tablas throughout. The result is an eclectic mix of cosmic and world fusion.

 

Other flavors in this melting pot of sound include bass (Colin Edwin), percussion (Jerry Leake), and violin (Caryn Lin).

 

One track that stands out in particular is the African-like “Boonyi,” which is kind of a cross between “Hardy Country” from Andy Summers and Robert Fripp’s 1982 album, I Advance Masked, and “Now I’m Free” from Andy Summers’ 2003 album, Earth + Sky. The slithery, electronic lead guitar is classic Summers and Fripp.

 

This is another fine showcase of Durant’s wide-ranging variety of guitar sounds, tones, and textures, conventional and otherwise.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Parting Is (2018), by Jon Durant

This is It! This is The One! Parting Is is to Jon Durant what Mysterious Barricades (1988) is to Andy Summers. An album of exquisite and extraordinary sonic beauty that pretty much sums up the essence of the artist and his art with just guitars and basses. (Summers’ acoustic and electric guitars on Mysterious Barricades are accentuated with David Hentschel’s keyboards and synthesizers, but the end results are pretty much the same.)

The most ethereal and enigmatic tracks on the album are "Clouds in Advance," “Before the Rain Falls,” “Return to the Departure,” and “Willamette Fog.”

 

"Clouds in Advance" sets the tone as Durant's "cloud guitar" approaches and permeates the immersive auditory environment. "Before the Rain Falls" recalls the gently blistering tones of Robert Fripp.

“Return to the Departure” exudes the spirits of Andy Summers and Allan Holdsworth with its piercing lone guitar lead over deeply resonant bass and lush synthesizer-like textures. “Willamette Fog” sounds exactly like what it suggests, but rather than murky and sinister obfuscation, the mist here is one of cleansing purity and clarity.

 

We need more guitarists like Jon Durant who continue to carry forward the legacies of guitar greats like Andy Summers, Allan Holdsworth, and Robert Fripp, but in their own unique voices, and we need more albums like Parting Is that expand and redefine the boundaries of what the guitar can sound like.

 

This is among guitar art of the highest order.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Alternate Landscapes (2019), by Jon Durant

This album should have been called Alien Landscapes instead of Alternate Landscapes, because Jon Durant’s guitar sounds are literally out of this world!

In terms of its sonic feel, Alternate Landscapes falls somewhere between George Harrison’s Electronic Sound (1969) and Andy Summers’ Mysterious Barricades (1988).

 

If you’re going to fall somewhere, that’s not a bad place to land.

 

The album also recalls elements of Summers and Robert Fripp’s Bewitched (1984), as well as Fripp’s Frippertronics solo albums.

 

That’s an illustrious pedigree of sound, and Durant should be honored and privileged to be in such hallowed company.

 

In terms of the artistic and sonic possibilities of the guitar, this is essential listening and belongs in the collection of anyone devoted to the instrument. It is among Jon Durant’s finest work.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Soul of a River (2020), by Jon Durant

Soul of a River is not your typical guitar-and-piano album, in terms of what such a record is expected to sound like, and especially in terms of what guitars are expected to sound like.

Durant uses piano to construct minimalist themes, motifs, and riffs that hook you and draw you into an immersive sonic environment enveloped by layers of pulsating, subliminal sound effects.

 

With his guitars, Durant creates atmospheres and textures that are reminiscent of Andy Summers’ albums Bewitched (1984, with Robert Fripp), Mysterious Barricades (1988), and The Golden Wire (1989), as well as Summers’ song “Carry Me Back Home” from the 1986 Band of the Hand soundtrack.

 

Durant takes guitar-and-piano music in exciting and interesting new directions, making him stand out from most of the rest of the six-string and 88-key pack.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Across the Evening (2020), by Jon Durant and Robert Jürjendal

Progressive guitarists Jon Durant of the USA and Robert Jürjendal of Estonia team up for an international meeting of the musical minds that results in a first-rate work of ambient new age jazz fusion.

Rather than perpetrate a full-frontal assault with a preponderance of notes, Durant and Jürjendal instead conjure impressionistic and evocative sonic images that take listeners on an imaginative itinerary of immersive sounds.

 

Heavily processed guitar signals create an all-enveloping canopy of lush, ethereal tones that feature flourishes of luminescent leads, harmonic hooks, and entrancing rhythms.

 

Adding to the eclectic and expansive sound mix are choice seasonings of bass by Colin Edwin of the UK, trumpet by Aleksei Saks of Estonia, and percussion by Andi Pupato of Switzerland, giving the music more of an international flavor.

 

The album is very reminiscent of Andy Summers and Robert Fripp’s early 1980s albums I Advanced Masked and Bewitched, as well as Summers’ 2015 solo album Metal Dog. There are elements of Allan Holdsworth throughout as well.

 

This is a transformative and rewarding musical journey worth taking.

 

--Raj Manoharan

Thank You, Micky!