CD: John Stowell

John Stowell, Swan Tones, Volume 1 (Soloway). One of the pleasures of the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival last month was hearing the guitarist John Stowell in several contexts including concerts, workshops and jam sessions. A free spirit, Stowell lives in Portland, Oregon, but mostly makes his living on the road. The road takes him to Europe, Asia and all parts of the United States. He paused long enough in Portland to record this solo album on a new guitar called, because of its long neck, The Swan. Soloway describes this session as a "remarkable spontaneous performance." Indeed it is. Stowell invents new melodies and variations based for the most part on songbook standards or jazz classics. Part of the fun of hearing them is identifying those songs. The title of "John The Giant" is bit of a giveaway. Others, "Will We Be One?" and "Ginger's Dance," for instance, may require finely tuned ears. Tune your ears and relax.