Sketches Of Sound
Self-Released, 2019
8/10
A rising star on the New York jazz scene, Guillaume Muller brings his strong guitar prowess to this first record as a leader where 6 of his own songs plus 1 standard are showcased with dexterity and precision.
“Lullaby For A Capybara” starts the listen with extremely graceful guitar work as Muller settles into the sophisticated atmosphere of light jazz sounds, and “Brains” follows with bright alto saxophone from Nino Wenger on the playful bop display.
Moving along, “Flying Bison” offers strong percussion on the swift and full album highlight where plenty of solos exist, while “The Loop” recruits meticulous melody in its stylish fun.
Near the end, “Alone Together”, the lone cover, takes a darker path of calculated textures where bass and drums are key, and “Stable Table” ends the affair with a shuffling pace and sax acrobatics as the plucked bass really adds to the exit.
A native to Paris, Muller hasn’t wasted much time since moving to the U.S. in 2012, and, as Sketches Of Sound proves, the fluid and unique guitar sounds he produces is certainly a big part of why we’re going to be hearing his name a lot more in the future.
Travels well with: Tucker Brothers- Two Parts; Bernie Mora And Tangent- No Agenda