Will Bernard - Pond Life - [CD]

Product Description Guitarist/composer, Will Bernard's 11th album, "Pond Life" highlights a more adventurous side of his many musical endeavors. In this recording he investigates, "the inner workings of swampy musical ecosystems and the dreamy afternoon of sun-drenched water lilies." Bernard's original compositions explore the use of improvisational space and tight ensemble passages that expand upon a core trio sound with New York "downtown" notables Chris Lightcap on bass, Regina Carter, Craig Tabron andChes Smith Marc Ribot and John Zorn on drums. Luminaries, Tim Berne on alto sax and John Medeski on keyboards fill out the textures with their remarkable capabilities. "Pond Life" reflects Bernard's lengthy musical development from his training in classical composition and jazz through his forays into funk, rock, avant-garde and world music. Bernard expands on his guitaristic sonic explorations that range from bluesy panchromatic slide to dense electronic textures and disjointed bebop lines that interact with Smith's symphonic drumming styles, Lightcap's full rounded bass, Berne's driving sax and Medski's technicolor keyboards. "Pond Life" can be seen as a return to the sound of an earlier trio with Ches Smith featured on Will's 2004 record, "Directions to My House." ** "...a player who clearly deserves a wider audience for his imaginative genrebusting aesthetic" --- John Kelman, All About Jazz In classic Bernard fashion, the configuration of the ensemble manages to be stable and in flux at the same time. Of the 10 Bernard originals, four are performed as a trio with bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Ches Smith; keyboardist John Medeski and alto saxophonist Tim Berne are individually added for four quartet numbers (two apiece), and the remaining two bring them all together as a quintet. Like most of Bernard’s work, there’s probably too much to remember about Pond Life, but repeated listens are rewarding. Take it from Bernard himself, who acknowledges the commercial limitations of his eclectic approach and says he is his own worst ** but adds, “I really enjoy listening to this record. I’m proud of it. And who knows? Sometimes when you are true to yourself, you can make a more successful record.” --Britt Robson, Jazz Times