(John Stowell) can make an electric guitar sound like a singing voice.
The compositions of master guitarist John Stowell have taken on a life of their own over the last several years. As fellow artists have become increasingly aware of their intriguing melodic & harmonic movements through recordings with the group Scenes, or from his solo guitar renditions, novel methods for interpreting his works have become an inspired exercise. The 2020 duo release, Rain Painting with bassist/vocalist Dan Dean, set the stage with Textura describing it as "... innovative, original, and musically rewarding." For Violin Memory, trombonist Dave Glenn recalled his many duo performances with Stowell as being like chamber music, inspiring him to arrange nine Stowell originals for string quartet—the themes stated by the quartet as springboards for the duo's renditions. Besides those, Glenn offers 3 of his compositions and a mid-program medley of Stowell tunes arranged for the quartet.
"The skillful ingenuity of Dave Glenn's jazz writing makes an easy transition into his elegant string quartet writing."
John David Earnest (composer)
Track Listing:
1. Social Butterfly Intro 1:08
2. Social Butterfly 3:31
3. Remembering Laurie Frink Intro 1:28
4. Remembering Laurie Frink 3:51
5. Ghost in the Corner Intro 1:08
6. Ghost in the Corner 4:29
7. I Wish Intro 1:05
8. I Wish 5:32
9. Stay Right There 3:51
10. Nanti Glo 4:06
11. Collage 00:41
12. Lonely Blue Angel 4:47
13. Mottball 2:28
14. Fun With Fruit Intro 00:46
15. Fun With Fruit 4:37
16. Violin Memory Intro 00:45
17. Violin Memory 4:04
18. When Jasper Grows Up Intro 00:52
19. When Jasper Grows Up 4:27
20. Foundation's Edge Intro 1:26
21. Foundation's Edge 3:35
All compositions by John Stowell, except:
(3,4,11,13,20,21) composed by Dave Glenn
String arrangements by Dave Glenn;
(7,14) co-arranged by Rick White
Performers:
John Stowell - nylon string guitar, fretless baritone guitar
Dave Glenn - trombone
The Hawčaptak Quartet:
Maria Sampen - 1st Violin
Steve Miahky - 2nd Violin
Tim Christie - Viola
Norbert Lewandowski - Cello
Production Info:
Produced by John Stowell & Dave Glenn
Duo recorded by Mike Doolin
at House of Doolescu, Portland, OR,
between May 2018 & September 2020
Strings recorded & produced by Jamey Lamar
at Looking Glass Lane Studio, Walla Walla, WA
on June 18, 2021
Mastered by Dan Dean
at Dan Dean Productions, Mercer Island, WA
Glenn photo by Robert Parrish
Stowell photo by Lisa Hagen-Glynn
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Violin Memory
All About Jazz (Dan McClenaghan)
4-STARS Guitarist John Stowell does not hesitate when it comes to taking on unconventional projects. 2021 saw him teaming with vocalist Dan Dean on Rain Painting (Origin Records)—an album of featuring an overdubbed layering of voices (Dean's) making for lush and enriching choir-like harmonics, accompanied by Stowell's various guitars.
The Por ...
Midwest Record (Chris Spector)
In which we find simply beautiful music becoming a genre all it's own, even if this is the only album in this particular canon. The Pacific northwest's master guitarist meets up with a string quartet and adds color from a trombone making the sum total whew! One of those rare pure listening dates that doesn't have to hit you hard to knock you out ...
Jazz'halo (Georges Tonla Briquet)
Guitarist John Stowell (David Friesen, Tom Harrell, Billy Hart) and trombonist Dave Glenn (Chuck Mangione, The Mel Lewis Orchestra, Blood, Sweat and Tears) formed a kind of alliance with The Hawcaptak Quartet, not to really play together but to to jointly release a CD.
A somewhat different method because the duo recorded their parts in a differe ...
Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
RINGER OF THE WEEK
Usually, if something is "new" or original, it actually means cacophonic. Here is an album that is creative, original and wonderfully melodic.
John Stowell plays nylon string and fretless baritone guitars along with trombonist Dave Glenn. OK, a bit unorthodox, but then the mix of the Hawcaptak String Quartet comes in to reall ...
Take Effect (Tom Haugen)
John Stowell brings his nylon string guitar and fretless baritone guitar to Dave Glenn's trombone on this highly imaginative listen, where strings occasionally enter the feel good jazz tunes.
The album starts with the warm guitar and soulful brass of "Social Butterfly", where the pair adds much allure to the soothing climate, and "Remembering L ...
The Minor 7th (Mark Sullivan)
Guitarist John Stowell is a respected jazz player, known for his creative (and often difficult-to-play) chord voicings. That technique is very much in evidence in this set, but the focus is on his compositions. Trombonist Dave Glenn noticed that their duo performances had a chamber music quality, which inspired him to incorporate string quartet arr ...
