8/16 John Stein performs at Aspire in Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Aug. 7, 2013 - PRLog -- Stein Leads the Way
Guitarist and Quartet Up Their Game on the vibrant new Bing Bang Boom! (http://www.whalingcitysound.com/wcs062.htm)
reached #28 on JazzWeek Chart (http://www.jazzweek.com/charts/)

 

From the hip-hopping groove of "Sugar," the first track on John Stein's newest work, to the swinging jazz waltz of the Cole Porter track that ends the album, Bing Bang Boom! is as complete and satisfying an album as Stein has yet recorded. Why is this? It can be explained in several ways. First, Stein has given himself ample time to gel with his terrific band. Bing Bang Boom! is the fourth release in Stein's quartet series and it is rare these days for a band-leader to have this luxury. The time he has spent recording with his collaborators really pays off. The fluid and spontaneous interplay among virtuosic musicians results in a wonderful recording, and allows Stein to really settle into a creative pocket and cultivate the fluid, adventurous sounds of his guitar.

Given such familiar and comforting surroundings, Stein can experiment. Songs that are accustomed to sounding one way, arrive very differently in the hands of Stein and company. Hip-hopping "Sugar," for example, doesn't reflect the original Turrentine shuffle; "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" is treated as a fast waltz; "Delilah" appears as a Brazilian maracatu; "Lover" moves back and forth between a Brazilian Afoché rhythm and fast swing.

Stein also proposes strong compositional vehicles for his band-mates, with half of the material on the recording penned by him. The tunes cover the terrain of modern jazz: from the bluesy jazz-rock of the title tune through forays in samba, swing, and modal jazz.

In fact, Stein uses his quartet as an elastic boundary. Stein allows the musicians he plays with generous opportunities to stretch out on their own; the piano on "Chelsea Bridge," for example, gives a youthful spirit to the recordings. The bass solo on Stein's own "Unraveled Plans" (a fittingly titled cut!), and the bass intro on "Delilah" are melodious sounds to behold.
 

Bing Bang Boom! is the fourth album from Stein's quartet and it validates the journey and gives a fine indication of what's to come. Once a band-leader allows for consistency and growth across this amount of time, the dividends are surely going to pay off. Kudos to Stein and his band for hanging with it long enough to record the brilliant Bing, Bang, Boom!, and to Whaling City Sound, the record label, (now distributed by Naxos of America), for nurturing the organic unfolding artistic process of four brilliant musicians.

 

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CD ReviewsŠ

John Stein, "Bing Bang Boom" (Whaling City Sound). Music by Stanley Turrentine, Charles Mingus, Billy Strayhorn, Rodgers and Hart, Victor Young and Cole Porter performed by a multigenerational quartet of rhythm section plus the leader's guitar (with young member Jake Sherman on Hammond B-3 organ, acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes piano). Drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario is from Brazil and, according to Bob Blumenthal's notes, has played with Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti. Turrentine's "Sugar" says Blumenthal, hip-hops rather than shuffles but you can hear New Orleans second-line rhythms in it too. Stein ... can play traditionally without ever foundering in clichés. (Jeff Simon, Buffalo News)

 

 

Just Jazz Guitar Magazine

Bing Bang Boom - John Stein

Reviewed by Matt Warnock

Bing Bang Boom is the latest release by Boston based, and Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music, jazz-guitarist John Stein. The quartet, featuring Stein and pianist Jake Sherman, drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario, and bassist John Lockwood, is in fine form as they work their way through 10 tracks that mix classic jazz standards, original composition, swing grooves and Brazilian beats. With a wide-variety of musical approaches on the record, while keeping everything glued together with a tight feel and ensemble interaction, Stein has once again produced a jazz-guitar record that is well-worth a listen.

Right from the get go, the John Stein Quartet sets the tone with a bluesy, grooving version of the jazz classic "Sugar." With a soulful solo from Stein, some deep-groove from Sherman (who is the youngest member of the band and a student at the Berklee College of Music), and a very nice solo by Lockwood, the opening track is also one of the most memorable on the record. After such a strong start, it is no wonder the rest of the album sounds as it does, carrying that momentum forward into such tunes as the Brazilian influenced Belo Horizonte (named after the Brazilian city and home to the Clube da Esquina), and the fresh take on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To." Throughout the album the band maintains a strong sense of creativity and musicianship, on both the standards and original tunes, coupled with a tight ensemble feel that makes the album a joy to listen to.

From a playing perspective, Stein's playing showcases his continued dedication to growing as a soloing and ensemble player. Though he has been at the professional level of playing for many years, Stein continues to push himself in new directions, without losing his personal style and voice along the way. Solos such as can be found on the the Jazz Standard "Lover" bring out lines and melodies that are fresh on this album, while mixing in these new ideas to his already vast jazz vocabulary, keeping this fresh and familiar at the same time. As an artist progresses in their career, it is always great to hear them continue to develop their craft, rather than rest on their previous successes, and Stein fits firmly into this category.

Bing Bang Boom will be a welcome addition to any jazz-guitar fan's musical library. The playing is top-notch, the writing and arranging is fresh and creative, and the ensemble plays extremely well together. Everything one could ask for in a jazz-guitar record.