Boston jazz guitarist John Stein offers another fine album. No Goodbyes, released by Whaling City Sound, is marked as much by its compositional ideas as for its skillful execution of each number.
Stein’s own “Zip Line” zips right in, starting in media res, a phrase that has no beginning and no end. Stein moves his electric guitar phrase through an intricate pattern that dazzles the listener with his dexterity while also pleasing the ear with its gentle tone. Ed Lucie shadows on electric bass the elegant, twisting guitar phrase as drummer Mike Connors smacks numerous drum fills to offer a three prong adventure from this trio.
Steve Swallows’ “Falling Grace” finds the three finessing the heck out of this melodic piece. Even the rhythm section feels and sounds melodic due to their speedy, flexible, plethora of notes. Lucie has the edge, playing thicker, deeper notes on his fret board. The guitar plays a supporting role here, shadowing the low end run with dollops of snappy notes, notes that dart in and out of the space left open by Lucie. This piece hits the listener with its reinvention of the roles usually played by guitar and bass. Eventually, Stein plays more accentuated notes, giving his line more edge. Yet, its the guitar’s relationship to the bass guitar that make the magic happen.
Stein’s “Dig Blues” features Cindy Scott providing her scat services, putting her staccato phrases into spaces left open by Lucie’s bass rumble and Stein’s higher, pretty notes. Interaction between electric instruments, again, remind of a great rapport between two great conversationalists. We get more for our money with the hip scatting as well as with some plucky drum fills from Connors.
“What If Love Never Dies” pulsates with a muscular bass line, a flinty electric guitar phrase, and a persistent stick work. One can feel as well as hear that Stein line skittering anxiously around Lucie’s thick, plump rumble. All three play eloquently, creating a stylish platform for Ms. Scott’s sultry, winding voice. Scott’s vocal travels with a persistence, a force that moves her phrasing through the meters with a palpable presence. She composed this number with Stein, giving the two a strong musical rapport here.
Stein picks some sweet accented notes on “Courage.” He keeps his melodic line in a pretty tone as well as a tight framework. His compressed sound gets a fine augmentation from Lucie’s low key width of low end. Connors injects plenty of unobtrusive percussive fills beneath the dual personalities of melody and bass. Together, the lithe guitar phrase, the elliptical bass, and the tumbleweed gentleness coming from the drum kit make this an intriguing piece. The trio keep our ears glued to what they can do with subtle touches.
“Triste” feels like a child hopscotching down a sidewalk. Its jaunty pace creates an amicable vibe, a sense of a happy go lucky person taking his time, enjoying his day. Stein picks plenty of sweet, speedy notes over a playful groove, a groove kept in a circular motion by a flexible rhythm section. Nothing here is obtrusive, only an agreeable, low key formation that lets this one please the ear with easy going motions.
Title track “No Goodbyes” features Cindy Scott once again on vocals. Her lovely coos and subtle vocal phrasing coast gracefully over Stein’s light touch phrase. That mellow electric guitar leaves open a lot of space for the large presence of voice. While Scott sings down tempo, gentle, she maintains a large presence. She carries a lot of emotion in her voice, turning this particular song into a haunted outing for the heart. Scott and Stein certainly create an aftermath, a post relationship feeling.
Jardin del Turia moves to a circular drum pattern, one without beginning or end but rather spins endlessly forward. That allows a bass line to strut itself over the beat, a subtle low end pattern that moves with a nimble finesse. Above that low end plays a mild, sweet electric guitar line, one that moves in fancy footwork. The three instruments serve up a playful piece that, at one point, finds the drum pattern evolve into a bouncy solo. It’s the playful motion that the three develop with such inter band discipline that brings this piece to life.
The Scott sung “Our Love Will See Us Through,” a mellow crawler, passes by like a sweet dream. Her voice so soft, so considerately paced. Stein’s lightly played melodic line, long and winding like the vocal phrase, contributes greatly to the dreamy atmosphere. The rhythm section too cruises through, low end massaged out of the four strings, well timed drum fills giving a light push. The strength of this song lies in how strong an emotional impact the four can make using self-restraint and tasteful touches.
Scott’s vocal work impresses on “Every Stepping Stone” as she hopscotches through twisty lyrics at a brisk pace. She carries the melody well until it is time for Stein to press out some zippy electric guitar notes. His phrasing, brisk and sudden, keep the energy level high, as does the rhythm section as it pays out a quick succession of low end notes and a series of snappy drum fills. Scott moves back into her vocal perch, atop the accompaniment, yet, her speed adds to the lively, breathless pace, which is what keeps the listener following closely.
Close out track “Groundswell” plays like a meditation on tempo, tone, and attitude. Stein’s interval of notes speed through this piece, dollops of sweet, high notes he picks, seemingly with ease. Coming in quick succession they keep the rhythm section on its toes. This one proves it worth by letting that guitar phrase call the shots, creating the drive that drives the other two players. The three are disciplined enough to let each other have their moments.
John Stein and his friends have certainly created a dandy of a jazz guitar album. With No Goodbyes, Stein and his trio delve into various moods, color and tones, techniques, and styles. With the talented jazz vocalist Cindy Scott featured on five tracks, No Goodbyes becomes even more complex than the trio’s previous instrumental albums. Her vocal phrasing gives Stein a run for his money while adding a cool beauty of her own. As usual, Stein’s talent could be appreciated by many even outside the jazz world. Fans of classic rock, progressive rock, fusion jazz, and anybody who just loves guitars would find No Goodbyes an album to treasure. Produced by John Stein at Bongo Beach Productions in Westport, Massachusetts, this recording plays with each note ringing out in true sonic detail.
