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Even for an acoustic guitarist working
in the improvisational realm, Boston fretman "Sandy Prager"
has always set up some steep challenges for himself. His duets
on classical and 12-string guitar with clarinetist Mark Chenevert
were candid conversations that treated the awkward pairing (at
least on its surface) as one of the most organic combinations
of reeds and strings since Charlie Byrd met Stan Getz.
Prager's newest album is part solo, part
trio selections (with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Jerry
Leake) that take the acoustic instruments into open-ended works,
using all of the familiar tonalities (classical, folk and flamenco)
in exciting new combinations. So, while the opening, "The
Eggman," has a cumbersome baroque theme at its root, with
Prager climbing complicated all over the fretboard, Lockwood
and Leake lock into a pastel groove that gives the tune a muted
swing. It's only a matter of a few bars before all three fall
into a comfortable exchange, with Prager lightly strumming his
strings, fanning the frets or pulling an interesting counter
melody into the conversation.
Likewise, the solo material here bounces
from one element to the next, like the hopscotch boogie of the
title track, where Prager repeats the funky lead line on his
12-string between dazzling shifts of Leo Kottke-like fingerpicking
and John Fahey-inspired chord clusters. While clever enough to
incorporate several different modes at once, Prager is especially
adept at making sure the fusions make sense - taking what sounds
like difficult, spellbinding, classical technique (like during
"Six More"), and opening it up to atmospheric pauses
and improvisational asides.
While the volume may be a lot lower than
most jazz settings (maybe even a whole step softer than the Modern
Jazz Quartet), the intensity and exchanges between Prager and
bandmates (especially during "Parrot Jungle") are almost
nuclear. Jazz guitar fans who enjoy similar acoustic work by
Ralph Towner or Eduard Gismonti should check out Prager's other
titles in this vastly underappreciated genre.
To Order, write to: Sandy Prager, 121 Tremont
Street, #219, Boston, MA 02135 |
