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Andy Summers

In the summer of 97, millions of people were beguiled by an Andy Summers guitar lick, just as they were regularly in the decade previous. A single by a certain rap impresario copped the Police's "Every Breath You Take," and the song's arresting power once again held sway at the top of the charts. Sure Sting wrote the sampled tune, but it was that tolling Andy riff that set it into enduring motion.

Since 1986, when the Police left the stage as the biggest rock band in the world, Andy Summers has followed his own muse, cultivating the ambient and improvisatory streaks always evident in his distinctive soundprint. In fact, Andy's solo albums resonate with a spirit and invention only hinted at by his Police work. Embracing strains of jazz, classical and world music, his records reveal him as an enterprising artist, resolute in his aim to reconcile the accessibility of his pop past with the thrill of the unexpected.

On his eighth album and debut for RCA Victor, The Last Dance of Mr. X, Andy delves into trio territory for the first time since his Police days — although he's making a jazz noise here. It's not a neo-trad blowing gig or a power trio fusion thing or "smooth jazz" ear candy, it's electric, improvised music in a mixture of modes, with a set of original tunes and apt evergreens. Andy's past solo outings have always spotlighted his own inspired compositions and their characteristic conflation of the sublime and the absurd, the visceral and the cerebral — and there are several instances of such handy work on the new disc. But Andy, bass guitarist Tony Levin and drummer Gregg Bissonette also recast such standards as Charles Mingus"'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and should-be classics like Wayne Shorter's "The Three Marias" with forward-minded flair.

In all, The Last Dance of Mr. X is a seductive affair, conceived and delivered with style and taste. But to all those who ask, "But is it jazz'?" Andy replies, "It's my own skewed view of jazz; I suppose. But more than anything' it's just contemporary music, or rather contemporaneous' music. My past albums have tended toward the conceptual, but lately I've rediscovered the joy of just playing the guitar in a stripped-down setting, improvising in pure space with an of the moment vibe. The Last Dance of Mr. X is the most 'jazz' of my records, but it's of a piece with the other things I've done in that I've always tried to work beyond assumptions and preconceived notions — mine and those of others.

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66
Interview

Andy Summers: Creating Light from Dark

Read "Andy Summers: Creating Light from Dark" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


Andy Summers is a renowned modern guitarist and composer. He is also an accomplished photographer and a traveler. While he may be better known for his achievements during his time in one of the most popular and beloved rock bands in music history, The Police, Summers, in his own memoir “One Train Later" and the music documentary which is based on this memoir, titled “Can't Stand Losing You," reveal a career full of great ups and downs, joys and disappointments. ...

185
Album Review

Andy Summers: The Last Dance of Mr X.

Read "The Last Dance of Mr X." reviewed by AAJ Staff


Though perhaps best (or at least better) known for his work with The Police, guitarist Andy Summers seems to be doing rather well for himself these days. He may not be filling arenas and attracting screaming teenage girls, but their mothers can scream pretty loud as well, and as it is to them that Mr. Summers now appears to be playing, his maturity and vision work in his favor. Backed by bassist Tony Levin and drummer Gregg Bissonette (except on ...

330
Album Review

Andy Summers: Peggy's Blue Skylight

Read "Peggy's Blue Skylight" reviewed by Todd S. Jenkins


The former Police guitarist assays the multifaceted works of Charles Mingus on this compelling disc, offering updates of the temperamental bassist’s timeless compositions. Summers previously tackled solid material by Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk and other jazzmen on his 1997 project The Last Dance of Mr. X, with bassist Tony Levin and drummer Gregg Bissonette. Peggy’s Blue Skylight finds Summers and a wider cast mining Mingus’ legacy more deeply, revealing that these classic tunes still have plenty to offer contemporary ...

108
Album Review

Andy Summers: Green Chimneys

Read "Green Chimneys" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Although I don’t mean to sound as though I’m damning with faint praise, Green Chimneys is better than I thought it might be. Guitarist Andy Summers, best known for his work with the rock group the Police, is, as it turns out, a longtime fan of Thelonious Monk, hence this well–meaning if not always riveting tribute to Monk’s music. Summers, naturally, is the glue on which the success of the enterprise depends, and he does his best to bind things ...

234
Album Review

Andy Summers: Green Chimneys

Read "Green Chimneys" reviewed by Ian Nicolson


What an albatross to have the Police hanging round your neck. So when it's all over, the singer gets even more famous and corners the market in sophisticated JazzRock, the drummer gets on with spending the money and stretching into movies and session fun, and the guitarist gets to play whatever he wants.Which has varied from turn it up Progressive Rock to echo Summers' days in the Soft Machine to delicate Blues and Folk experiments. But Green Chimneys ...

131
Album Review

Andy Summers: Face to Face

Read "Face to Face" reviewed by Mike Williams


Andy Summers has finally done it. He has finally made a great fusion or rock-jazz album. Since the Police, Andy's albums have been mostly minimalist, esoteric or gimmicky endeavors. Many of them, especially the ones co-lead by Robert Fripp literally put me to sleep. His new album, The Last Dance of Mr. X is anything but boring. In addition to Andy on guitars, the players are Tony Levin on bass and Gregg Bissonette on drums. Tony has worked on innumerable ...

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174

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Andy Summers

Jazz Musician of the Day: Andy Summers

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Andy Summers' birthday today!

JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Andy Summers

In the summer of 97, millions of people were beguiled by an Andy Summers guitar lick, just as they were regularly in the decade previous. A single by a certain rap impresario copped the Police\'s “Every Breath You Take... more

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289

Recording

New Album "Ataraxis": Deeyah Featuring Bob James, Andy Summers and Nils Petter Molvaer

New Album "Ataraxis": Deeyah Featuring Bob James, Andy Summers and Nils Petter Molvaer

Source: All About Jazz

Along with special guest musicians Bob James, Andy Summers and Nils Petter Molvaer Deeyah creates an exciting and eclectic new album Ataraxis. Deeyah explores her musical roots and beginnings on the brand new album titled Ataraxis. Having already worked with such maestros and musical greats in her career as Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Sultan Khan, Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan, Knut Reiersrud, Nazim Ali Khan, Jan Garbarek, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Audun Erlien, Talvin Singh, Attaullah Esa Khelvi, Morten Harket, AR ...

156

Recording

Jon Regen's Let It Go Available Now - Featuring Andy Summers of the Police, Martha Wainwright, & Other Special Guests!

Jon Regen's Let It Go Available Now - Featuring Andy Summers of the Police, Martha Wainwright, & Other Special Guests!

Source: All About Jazz

Jon Regen's long-awaited new album LET IT GO is availble online now. Produced by BRAD ALBETTA (Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Sean Lennon), and Mixed by legendary producer JOHN PORTER, (Roxy Music, BB King, Ryan Adams), LET IT GO features appearances by some of today's most innovative artists, including guitarist Andy Summers, singers Martha Wainwright and Kami Thompson, drummer Matt Johnson, cellist Julia Kent, and guitarist Jimmy Vivino. LET IT GO is available online now, and will be released on CD ...

108

Recording

Andy Summers of the Police to Appear on Jon Regen's Upcoming CD "Let It Go"

Andy Summers of the Police to Appear on Jon Regen's Upcoming CD "Let It Go"

Source: All About Jazz

Andy Summers, legendary guitarist with The Police, appears on two tracks on Let It Go, the upcoming CD by Singer, Songwriter and Pianist Jon Regen. Let It Go, the follow-up to Regen's critically-acclaimed 2004 release Almost Home, is due out in March and was produced by Brad Albetta (Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Sean Lennon). The disc features appearances by some of today's most distinctive musicians, including Summers, singers Martha Wainwright and Kami Thompson, drummer Matt Johnson, cellist Julia Kent, and ...

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Javier García
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