Oblivity

Every once in a while, an album will come your way that both delights and impresses the ear. Like shooting stars, these are not completely rare occurrences but it's the fortunate person who gets to enjoy the experience... This album makes a statement and says a lot.
Peter Erskine

With a wide-ranging virtuosic fluidity, D.C.-based guitarist Shawn Purcell draws on an abundance of musical influences and a refined ensemble cohesion in crafting the journey that Oblivity leads. Inviting the acclaimed saxophonist Walt Weiskopf to share the front line, they energize this dynamic quintet set of all original compositions, along with Purcell's longtime bandmates Chris Ziemba on piano, bassist Jeff Reed, and drummer Steve Fidyk. Darden Purcell also orchestrates several melodies with her wordless vocals and trombonist Ben Patterson guests on two compositions. From searing, fusion-adjacent moments, to fiery post-bop, and spacious, sensitive ballads, Oblivity displays an artful and compelling sonic experience.

Production Info:

Produced by Shawn Purcell, Darden Purcell, Rich Sigler
Recorded March 11-13, 2025 by Charlie Pilzer
at Tonal Park Studio, Takoma Park, MD
Edited by Rich Sigler, Sigler Music Productions
Mixed & mastered by Dave Darlington
at Bass Hit Recording, New York, NY
Liner notes by Wolf Marshall
Cover photo by Stas Mukhin
Band photo by Suzette Niess Photography
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Oblivity

Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
One of the trickiest aspects of jazz, and especially for guitarists like Shawn Purcell, is to develop a personal and unique sound. I feel that this guy's got one, and although you can hear hints of his predecessors from Montgomery to Metheny, you can definitely recognize him in a lineup. Here, he plays guitar and guitar synth with Walt Weiskopf/ts, ...

Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
4 1/2 STARS For nearly two decades, guitarist and composer Shawn Purcell served in military music ensembles, an experience that almost certainly shaped his meticulous sense of orchestration and his instinct for placing instruments in the precise order and hierarchy needed to evoke a particular mood. In Purcell's hands, it is always about beauty ...

Jazz Guitar Today (Joe Barth)
Some wonderful guitarists have come out of Pittsburgh, including Shawn Purcell. Shawn studied in the prestigious guitar program at Duquesne University and went on to serve his country as an Air Force musician in some of the top military bands. Before his retirement from the military, he was stationed near Washington DC. Now, a first-call guitaris ...

LA Jazz Scene (Scott Yanow)
Guitarist Shawn Purcell can always be counted on to create stimulating and inventive music. In his career he worked with the U.S. Air Force's Airmen Of Note for 8 years, was with the US Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble, and has appeared on over 30 recordings. Oblivity is his third album as a leader, following 2019's Symmetricity and 2022's 180. ...

Jazz Sensibilities (Jeff Becker)
Shawn Purcell's Oblivity is a natural continuation of his previous work and a marked expansion of his compositional vision. Having long established himself as a first-call guitarist in Washington, D.C. and beyond, Purcell now offers a set of ten originals that frame his artistry with clarity. The elegance of Purcell's writing, the fluency of his pl ...

The Jazz Word (Nolan DeBuke)
Oblivity is Shawn Purcell leading an ensemble as a guitarist of fluidity and grace. He reveals he is a composer of rare elegance throughout the ten compositions. His writing balances structure, pacing, and detail with a clarity that invites deep listening. The ensemble delivers each piece with palpable chemistry, and the album speaks to the art of ...

Making a Scene (Dee Dee McNeil)
Dr. Shawn Purcell's music bursts onto the scene with hurricane force. The title tune, "Oblivity" is swirling with Straight-ahead energy and excitement. This is one of ten songs Purcell has composed for this outstanding jazz album. "Oblivity" is the condition of being unknown or not remembering. The state of oblivion has always been a fascinati ...

Couleurs Jazz (Paris) (Thomas Houbron)
Weightless guitar, between dream and introspection. With Oblivity, guitarist Shawn Purcell delivers a refined and adventurous collection of ten original compositions, blending lyricism, tension, and ingenuity. His playing moves effortlessly between swing, post-bop, and more modern textures, all underpinned by a finely tuned ensemble. Tenor saxop ...

Vintage Guitar Magazine (Pete Prown)
With burnin' bop, ballad, and fusion, this album crackles with life - and superb musicianship. Purcell threads the needle well, staying traditional but also pushing jazz boundaries with guitar effects and synth sounds ("Quiet the Chaos"). "Verdigris" is straight-ahead bop with complex guitar phrases that are spellbinding, while "Gentle Giant" off ...

Jazz Music Archives (Carmel DeSoto)
Shawn Purcell's "Oblivity" is an album of guitar modernism. His long, continuous lines shaped by motivic insistence and impeccable contour sounds unmistakably like 2025, but come from the heritage of the titans of jazz guitar. Purcell is a scholar-practitioner who's literally published on Martino's devices (notably the role of repetitive motives i ...

Modern Drummer (Editor)
Oblivity (both the song and the entire record) comes out of the gate screaming, saxophonist Walt Weiskopf and pianist Chris Ziemba set the tone, and drummer Steve Fidyk is manning the ship at every twist and turn. By the time Purcell's guitar enters the mood has been set, and Purcell takes it into fifth gear, while Fidyk's solo over a vamp ups the ...

Bman's Blues Report (Bman)
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Oblivity, by Shawn Purcell, and it's intensively satisfying. Opening with title track, Oblivity, Shawn Purcell on guitar and Walt Weiskopf on tenor sax chisel out a really cool melody supported by Chris Ziemba on piano, Jeff Reed on bass and Steve Fidyk on drums. Weiskopf really rips a g ...

Jazz2Love (Editor)
As a composer, arranger, leader, and guitarist, Shawn Purcell original works layer instruments, forming a massive conglomerate that quakes, rattles, simmers, thrusts, roars, and reels on his 2025 project Oblivity. Performing alongside tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, trombonist Ben Patterson, keyboardist Chris Ziemba, acoustic bass player Jeff Ree ...

DownBeat (Martin Johnson)
Guitarist and composer Shawn Purcell has found an unusual avenue of ascent for jazz professionals. He honed his craft playing in military bands for 15 years, most notably serving as guitarist in the Air Force's premier ensemble, The Airmen of Note, which toured internationally. Amongst civilians, he's played or recorded with Chris Potter, Nicholas ...