Blue House
White, 2023
8/10
The New York guitarist, songwriter and producer Marc Ciprut brings a diverse set of influences to his craft, where is blues, fusion and jazz ideas are in abundance across these 9 tracks that recruits some of the best players in the world.
“Roll It Out” gets the listen off to a rhythmic start, where Ciprut’s warm guitar is met with Etienne Lytle’s moody organ and Tommi Rautiainen’s agile drums, and “Jack Be Nimble” follows with a swift and upbeat demeanor that welcomes Jimmy Haslip’s powerful bass and Jon Cowherd’s lively Wurlitzer.
In the middle, “Closer” places James Genus on bass and Steven Santoro on vocals for the cautious delivery, while “Smooth” emits cozy grooves thanks to Ciprut’s glowing guitar and the dynamic rhythm section of Haslip and Rautiainen.
Nearing the end, “Cissy Strut”, originally by The Meters, is full of timeless guitar acrobatics from Ciprut that flow with a bluesy appeal, and “Kiss You Again” exits the listen with Santoro’s laid back vocals guiding the breezy demeanor.
Although he has spent most of his career as a sideman, these days Ciprut is front and center, and he’s making some top notch sounds that will appeal to fans of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, George Benson and Grant Green.
Travels well with: Wayne Alpern- Saxology; Jeff Richman- XYZ