The Venetian
Innervision, 2023
8/10
The esteemed guitar player Vin Venezia brings his inimitable playing to 13 tracks of mostly standards, where Richie Morales, Harvie S, David Budway, Danny Walsh and Bob Madnuson accompany him.
“Days Of Wind And Roses” opens the listen with Venezia’s elegant guitar alongside Budway’s warm piano in the romantic climate, and “Solar” follows with a frisky approach that benefits from Morales’ swift drums and Magnuson’s bright tenor sax prowess that carries a distinct Pat Methany influence.
In the middle, “Windows”, by Chick Corea, is layered precisely thanks to Walsh’s soulful sax and Harvie S’s skilled bass, while “Nardis”, a Miles Davis original, offers an animated and dynamic album highlight of timeless jazz flavor that’s guided by Venezia’s meticulous guitar playing.
Close to the end, the swift “I Love You” has the rhythm section interacting with much playfulness amid Venezia’s radiant guitar tone, and 2 versions of “Without A Sound” exit the listen, where the acoustic guitar fueled closer emits much beauty and grace, and then finishes with animated synth guitar.
An excellent sophomore album, Venezia’s arrangements are creative and skilled, and the company he keeps makes each of these classics shine in an entirely new light.
Travels well with: Nic Vardanega- New Beginning; Jimmy Haslip- New Dreams