Album Details

• Artist: Jeff Gaeth
• Album: Shoestrings
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: charlesmartel on 2011-08-19

Media

So, when Jeff Gaeth's latest album, Shoestrings, dropped into my lap it was not without some trepidation that I set about listening to it. Instrumental jazz, laid back, improvised virtuosity. I could almost hear my arteries creaking as they contracted, sending my blood pressure soaring. In truth, I had to hear this a couple of times while reading a book (Confucius' Analects if you need to know) before I actually felt comfortable listening to it. My fault entirely, I know, but a jazz neophyte (that's "n00b" in modern parlance) surely needs to be given some time to adapt to the fact that listening to a jazz album is not the same thing as taking an exam in quantum physics.

I guess if you are going to start with jazz, then the work of Jeff Gaeth is as good a place as any to do so. For one thing, by and large Shoestrings is an easy piece on the ear. It is not something which is going to make you feel small by listening to it and sitting there thinking you won't be cool if you don't shut your eyes and nod your head gently. For a second, the principal instrument is Jeff's saxophone, and I have loved the saxophone in almost all its incarnations. So, if I am going to listen to jazz, some easy on the ear, unpretentious saxophone jazz is just where to start.

Opening with a couple of straightforward smooth tracks, straight away I am greeted by the one thing which I have often felt was lacking in too much of the jazz which is rated so highly, a melody. "Whether You Care" has a soft and soulful sound while "Wherever You Are" has a steadier feel and makes me think of sitting in an air-conditioned car on a hot, humid night in Hong Kong for some reason. By the time "Breakout" is reached, I have begun to relax and my fear of jazz has been suspended if not erased. There is none of the inaccessibility or the enforced virtuosity which has so put me off before. By the time I reach the title track I can actually enjoy it - is that a banjo I hear? Never associated banjos with jazz before.

As I relax further into the album I begin to realise that I really ought to take some more time over jazz in future. To get to a state where I can appreciate Shoestrings has taken some time. It is definitely mood music, and by the time the evening comes I begin to get a feeling that Shoestrings is something which definitely suits that time and occasion, sitting back with a glass of Rioja after dinner. Whether this album will help me with my fear of jazz in the long term, I do not know. But if I was looking for some jazz come the right time, then this would probably be as close as I could get in terms of a portal into something deeper.

User Reviews and Comments

on 2011-08-19 CharlesMartel Said:

Jazz to me is like classical to so many. Funny how I should be able to relate more to classical music though.
Not Rated

on 2011-08-19 hstisgod Said:

great review Chaz! This is always a tough genre to review, and you echoed my feelings. I streamed this and felt a same great respect for the effort and it inspires me to listen more Jazz. Curious as to how this release will resonate as I do listen to more...First up, though not instrumental, I miss some Roy Hargrove!
Not Rated

Review:

on 2011-08-14 gaeths Said:

Hawaii saxophonist Jeff Gaeth has just released his new CD, Shoestrings from Puna Records. The smooth jazz recording features Gaeth on soprano, alto and tenor saxophones as well as flutes and keyboards. He is accompanied by Frank Musacchio, fretless bass, trombone; Ryan Teanio, guitar; Joshua Conneran, percussion. Additional musicians Steven Ryan, Carol Hocker and Neil Anderson round out the cast on Shoestrings.

Gaeth opts for the tenor saxophone as the lead voice on the opening cut Whether You Care as on the third track Breakout. One of my favorite moments on Shoestrings is the unison between Frank Musacchio on bass and Gaeth on tenor saxophone during the later part of Breakout. Gaeths tenor sound in this lower register has both a fullness and edge that pair well with the fretless bass of Musacchio. The two share a similar moment about 1/3 of the way into Three In The Morning.

You Know The Way features Gaeth on the alto saxophone above a wonderful smooth-Latin groove. It is somewhat reminiscent of the earlier recordings of the pre-smooth jazz group Spyro-Gyra. Gaeths alto sound fits the tune well, yet seems to possess a bit more edge than the sound of Jay Beckensteins alto.

Jeff Gaeth picks up the soprano saxophone only one time on the pop-ballad Legacy. Perhaps the two most intriguing cuts are the title track Shoestrings and what follows in Still The Same. The tenor sax, bass and banjo (Steven Ryan) unison is truly unique combination of instruments. Somehow the odd orchestration which later adds fiddle to the mix maintains the smooth jazz quality and presumably marketability.

Still The Sames up-tempo samba harkens back to the sound of Chick Coreas hit Spain. Here it is Gaeth on alto sax along with Musaccios trombone.

One might guess that Gaeths favorite saxophone voice is that of the tenor. It is interesting to note that the sound of his alto saxophone shows a contrast between Wherever You Are (for Denni) and Undecided. The sound of his alto on Undecided is smoother with less edge. Im curious as to what may have contributed to that fact. It is possible the answer lies in micing technique, studio hardware/software set up, reeds or mouthpieces. Whatever the case, it is clear from the production throughout Shoestrings that Jeff Gaeth has his studio chops together and has produced a high quality, enjoyable recording for fans of smooth jazz.

Skip Spratt - Saxshed.com (Jun 24, 2011)

Rating: 10/10