Just released is veteran guitarist John Etheridge and vocalist Vimala
Rowe’s breathtaking collaboration, Out Of the Sky. John Etheridge’s reputation
in the jazz world cannot be overstated. A genuinely virtuosic fusion guitarist,
Etheridge is one of a handful of players who can claim to have helped shape the
character of modern jazz guitar. He has been described by fellow fretsman Pat
Metheny as ‘one of the best guitarists in the world’, a distinction that is due
in no small part to his tireless exploration of the possibilities of his
instrument. A hugely respected artist in his own right, Etheridge also claims
an impressive collaborative history, from his seminal work with groundbreaking
fusion group Soft Machine to his longstanding status as the guitarist of choice
for jazz icon Stéphane Grappelli.
It is safe
to say, then, that when it comes to playing companions, Etheridge’s judgement
is second to none. In vocalist Vimala Rowe, he has not only found a partner of
rare ability but a talent that perfectly compliments his explorative nature. An
exemplary jazz singer with a faultless and deft expression, Rowe has a unique
style that is further enhanced by her past training in classical Hindustani
vocals. Her soulful, moving, and unerringly committed performances on Out Of
The Sky are truly revelatory.
Out Of The
Sky is an album that offers both a quintessential jazz feel and the discernable
atmosphere of new territory being discovered. Peppered throughout the refined
jazz and blues tones are tantalising touches of flamenco, Indian classical, and
African timbres that beat at the boundaries of genre. This combination of
influences, along with Etheridge and Rowe’s staggering sensitivity to each
other’s styles, makes Out Of The Sky an otherworldly experience. Perhaps most
pleasingly, the tracks also resonate with the deeply personal - as well as
musical - connection shared by these two artists at the top of their game.
Out of the
Sky is a powerful, expressive, and joyous meeting of minds. With this outstanding
collaboration, John Etheridge and Vimala Rowe have created an album that marks
out the vocalist-guitarist duo as a site of previously untapped possibility.
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