Prime
Strikezone, 2023
8/10
As if Dave Stryker’s super guitar playing wasn’t enough, he brings along Jared Gold on organ and McClenty Hunter behind the drum kit for these 8 new pieces and a timeless standard.
“Prime” starts the listen with swift drums and agile guitar in the very radiant and flowing climate, and “Lockdown” follows with a calmer pace of reflective progressions from Stryker, as Gold cultivates a very warm mood with his keys.
“Hope” and “As We Were” land in the middle, where the former has the trio interacting with playfulness and restraint, and focuses much on Gold’s finger acrobatics, while the latter emits a very intimate appeal that’s stylish, too.
The lone standard, “I Should Care”, arrives close to the end, and spotlights Stryker’s clever, charming guitar prowess amid the bright organ, and “Dude’s Lounge” exits with shimmering grooves, unpredictable song craft and lively jazz nods that we could never tire of.
There is just no bad place to start in Stryker’s lengthy and exceptional catalog of music, and fans of guitar driven jazz need not look any further than Prime to find one of the best to ever do it.
Travels well with: Dave Stryker- As We Are; Jared Gold- Reemergence