Heart Mind And Soul
Jericho James, 2023
9/10
A fusion guitarist from South Florida, Randy Bernsen’s 11th studio album makes for 6 very involved songs that welcome some excellent players to a very creative, distinct listen.
“With You Always” starts the listen with David Nizri’s fluid drumming and Jimmy Haslip’s warm bass complementing Bernsen’s cozy guitar playing in the graceful climate, and “Prodigal Son” follows with Bob Franceschini’s soulful sax and Derek Sims’ colorful trumpet adding a timeless jazz spirit to the rich delivery.
The middle tracks belong to the intimate and dreamy “Shepherd’s Heart”, where Bernsen’s stirring guitar is met with George Whitty’s atmosphere, while “Billy Gate Blues” is a bright and booming big band moment of thumping drums and animated trumpet from Dan Davis amid Bernsen’s bluesy guitar.
The final 2 tracks, “Abba Father” and “Chant 881”, don’t disappoint either, where the former is strong on mood via the twinkling keys and reflective guitar, and the latter finds plenty of haze before more firm avenues thanks to the dynamic rhythm section and muscular guitar chops.
It’s not hard to recognize influences like Hendrix and Clapton here, and Bernsen is no stranger to working with legends like Wayne Shorter or Herbie Hancock, though his esteemed solo work certainly resides in a category all its own, as evidenced by this impressive outing.
Travels well with: Bob Mintzer- Soundscapes; Jimmy Haslip- New Dreams