CD Review: Kurt Rosenwinkel - Caipi

(Review by Steve T).

According to my source, Rosenwinkel is, with McLaughlin and Metheny, the most important living Jazz guitarist.

Caipi has been ten years in the making and is the first release on his own label Heartcore Records. It features eleven originals and is his most radical musical progression, certainly since the jump from Enemies of Energy to the Next Step early in his career, and probably ever.

It's a highly personal work, featuring Rosenwinkel playing most of the instruments himself, though guests include Eric Clapton, Mark Turner, multi-instrumentalist Pedro Martins and Amanda (daughter of Elaine Elias and Randy Brecker).

There's basic fusion aplenty, the Metheny, Schofield, Frisell influence still much in evidence, but there's a marked assimilation of Brazilian music and particularly the Brazilian Love Song, including Portuguese lyrics sang beautifully by Amanda Brecker on Kama.

However, most of the vocals he handles himself in a frail, sensitive voice reminiscent of Gerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, mainstay of the San Fransisco hippy scene who survived it for almost forty years, in part due to a strong Jazz influence. Like Garcia, he gets away with it because it gives it a very personal feel, the exception being Hold On where he sounds like a not very good singer in a not very good Britpop.

There's excellent contributions from Mark Turner playing sax on two tracks: Ezra and Casio Escheron, providing continuity from his previous recordings.     

As the prog, rock, pop, psychedelic influences escalate, the Jazz content inevitably reduces but his fluid, inventive guitar playing ensure it's still accessible to the Jazz fan, particularly fusionistas and especially guitar fans, of any persuasion, who'll no doubt buy it in droves.

It's been available since last Friday, February 10.

Steve T.

Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitars, bass guitar, piano, drums, percussion, synth, casio, voice); Pedro Martins (voice, drums keyboards, percussion);  Eric Clapton (guitar); Alex Kosmidi (baritone guitar); Mark Turner (tenor sax); Kyra Garey, Antonio Loureira, Zola Mennenoh, Amanda Brecker (voice); Frederika Krier (violin); Chris Komer (French horn); Andi Haberl (drums).