(Review
by Les)
Born in Flensburg ,
educated in Berlin , German guitarist Arne Jansen releases his third album,
the majority of the content of which is an attempt to convey his personal
feelings and emotional experiences as a result of viewing the Goya paintings in
Madrid
On first listen, Jansen
comes across as a competent player, and broadly speaking the pieces fall into
three broad styles of playing – finger-style jazz, jazz-rock and delicate,
improvised soundscape washes upon which the notes are “hung”. However, after a few listens therein (for me
at least) lies the problem. Jansen’s
enthusiasm for the guitar has a tendency to reveal too much about his
influences rather than defining his own sound and style. The finger-style pieces, for example, are
reminiscent of Pat Metheny (with whom he attended workshops at college); the
jazz-rock pieces are just a little “two-dimensional“, and best left to the
likes of Al Di Meola and Jeff Beck. Still, the playing is very
listenable/enjoyable, and there are times when you feel Jansen’s character and
personality are able to break through, especially on the “improvised
soundscape” tunes. Those moments are
much more interesting, and to my ears Jansen needs to be a little more
confident in his own ability and go for the real “him”. The glimpses we get of this on this album are
certainly among its highlights.
I’m not sure why Jansen
felt the need to include the covers on the album. They’re not necessary, and are possibly more
appropriate being played by the busking musician in the corner of a restaurant
than on the third release of a serious, up and coming artist. The originals are certainly better.
Despite my criticisms
there’s a lot to enjoy on this album, and I for one look forward to future
releases by Arne Jansen in the hope of hearing (more than glimpses of) “the
real Him”. Overall, a commendable effort
though.
Les.
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