“Hailing from Norwalk, Connecticut, guitarist Dan Arcamone leads a new trio, with bassist Tony Grey and drummer Steve Pruitt, into an electric fusion foray. On the new album, X, he sets his mind into a combination of powerhouse rock, improvised jazz, and virtuosic folk ideas, sometimes evoking the work of exceptional guitarists such as Mick Goodrick, Ralph Towner, John Abercrombie, and Pat Metheny.”
— Filipe Freitas (JazzTrail.net)
Jazz Artistry Now
Evolve reviewed by Scott Yanow
– In his career, Dan Arcamone has performed
with many artists who are based in New
England. He is a guitarist whose music can be
said to fall into the fusion area since his sound
can be rockish while he takes adventurous jazz
improvisations. But the word “fusion,” which
conjures up John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola,
is simplifying matters a bit since he does not
sound like either one.
Mr. Arcamone, whose previous releases as a
leader were Trioisms (2008), In Motion (2010)
and In Colors (2012), is joined on Evolve by
tenor-saxophonist Sean Nowell, bassist Henry
Lugo and drummer Kenny Grohowski. The
music that they create is both electronic and at
times electrifying. Mr. Arcamone often utilizes
the guitar synthesizer to create keyboard-like
solos while Nowell sometimes outfits his tenor
with electrical devices that can generate a
similar sound. Bassist Lugo and drummer
Grohowski are quite active and assertive
throughout, whether in ensembles or when
they are in the role of accompanying a soloist.
The quartet performs nine of the leader’s
originals. The opener, “In View,” lets listeners
know that they should expect the unexpected.
After the bass and drums bring in the song, the
ensemble introduces a multi-themed work. Mr.
Arcamone’s guitar solos can be thought of
post-bop playing with a rockish sound
although his electronic tones are individual.
Nowell offers some mellow but creative tenor
over the loose rhythm section before
Grohowski’s drum breaks takes the song out.
“Burst,” a 16-minute performance, again
features fluent work on the guitar synth that
becomes high-powered, a relatively laidback
tenor, and a powerful drum solo. “Arrows” has a
fusion-ish melody with drum breaks, is catchy,
and has Nowell coming up with a passionate
statement. “Arrows” has Nowell utilizing
electronics in order to play chords on his tenor
but the performance is actually highlighted by
one of Mr. Arcamone’s most intense solos of
the set.
“Two Sides” is a thoughtful piece that starts out
with an eloquent Lugo bass improvisation.
Nowell’s solo picks up some heat as it evolves,
leading to another strong statement from Mr.
Arcamone.
“Leviathan,” one of the most memorable
compositions on the CD, and “Perigee” both
find the quartet recalling Weather Report a bit
in its emphasis on ensembles and group
interplay. As Joe Zawinul once said of his group,
“Everyone and no one is soloing.” The interplay
between the musicians, particularly on
“Leviathan,” is impressive. Evolve concludes
with “Apogee” which develops from laidback to
passionate, and the brief guitar feature “Out
View.”
Listeners who enjoy creative electronic music
will find much to savor on Evolve.
AllAboutJazz.com Review March 2009
By Matthew Warnock
New England-based guitarist Dan Arcamone
delivers a
boundary breaking,
genre-defying album with his debut, Trioisms.
The album
features
Arcamone's trio of drummer Tom Ash and
bassist Rich
Zurkowski, who are
constantly pushing the guitarist to new heights
of creativity in
his solos, as
well as delivering memorable improvisations
themselves. By
bringing in
influences from rock, funk, blues and jazz,
Arcamone has
created an album
that is intellectually stimulating while
remaining true to its roots.
All of the compositions on the album were
written by
Arcamone and each is a
showcase for his wide range of influences. The
opener,
Reptomin, draws
upon a groove and driving melody line
reminiscent of guitarist
Tim Miller's
Untied, while Bambolina contains a faint
trace of Pat
Metheny/Lyle Mays'
Half Life of Absolution during its melody
section. Far from
being an imitator
or clone of his idols, Arcamone is able to bring
out his
influences while, at
the same time, inserting his own personality.
Each time
Arcamone plays a lick
or pattern drawn from the jazz guitar tradition
he skillfully
twists and turns
the idea to make it his own.
Zurkowski and Ash bring their A game to every
track on the
CD. Both
musicians attack each tempo and groove with
their utmost
ability and are
able to bring the maximum amount of emotion
out of every
melody and solo
section. While both musicians are talented
compers, they also
contribute
memorable solos. Ash's drum solo and trades
on So Long
and Goodnight, as
well as Zurkowski's bass solo on Jane Doe, are
well-
crafted, melodic and
filled with energy and forward momentum.
Arcamone is a guitarist with incredible chops
and harmonic
ability. While
other guitarists with his ability to burn up the
fret board may
overextend
themselves and rely too much on their
technique, Arcamone
creates a good
mixture of high-energy runs, groovin' chords
and singable
melodies. With
such a strong debut, the sky is the limit for this
young East
Coast guitarist.
Dan Arcamone at All About Jazz.
Visit Dan Arcamone on the web.
Track listing: Reptomin; Bambolina; Tracings;
Line Dancing;
Impulse; Jane
Doe; Smile; (Re)Kindled; So Long and
Goodnight; Skyline;
Wish You Were
Here; Felinomin; Quiet.
Personnel: Dan Arcamone: guitar; Rich
Zurkowski: bass;
Tom Ash: drums.
————————————————————————
—————-
Minor 7th Jan/Feb 2009 issue review of Dan
Arcamone
Trioisms
There have been some exceptional trios
fronted by jazz
guitarists which have
eluded the radar of even diehard jazz fans —
Bill Connors'
fusion trio on
Pathfinder Records in the 1980s, Pat Metheny's
trio of
1999/2000 and more
recently, Tim Miller (see Minor 7th's review of
Tim Miller's
Trio). The trio
format may be rare because it requires a truly
inventive and
virtuosic guitarist
to successfully transform the energy of just
three individuals
into something
much larger... all while grabbing the public's
notoriously brief
attention. Dan
Arcamone is such a guitarist, and who on his
debut CD
Trioisms enlists Rich
Zurkowski on bass and Tom Ash on drums to
create a
wonderful independent
release which, in a perfect world, would be
worthy of major
label interest.
Arcamone achieves a warm tone between that
of acoustic
and electric by
miking his PRS hollowbody, and in the process
pays sonic
homage to Pat
Martino and Pat Metheny, two influences from
whom he's
borrowed this
distinctive timbre. It's difficult to categorize
Arcamone's music
into
subgenres, but some tracks (Reptomin,
Tracings,
(Re)kindled, So Long
and Goodnight) might be most easily labeled
fusion, others
(Wish You Were
Here, Bambolina, Jane Doe, Smile) simply
modern jazz
in the tradition of
Metheny, Mike Stern or Kurt Rosenwinkel.
Trioisms is a
tour-de-force in
jazz guitar composition and performance, and
will hopefully
provide a
springboard for Dan Arcamone into a deserved
musical future
that will defy
the fate of a handful of artists that went
before, and who bet
everything on a
trio.
© Alan Fark
————————————————————————
—————-
Trioisms Reviewed In Just Jazz Guitar (Nov
2008)
Dan Arcamone
Trioisms (Arced Records)
Dan Arcamone - Guitar
Rich Zurkowski - Bass
Tom Ash - Drums
Trioisms presents Dan Arcamone, Rich
Zurkowski and Tom
Ash on guitar,
bass and drums respectively. The trio is
modern, swinging,
soulful and full of
energy. Arcamone presents himself as both a
gifted
composer and as a gifted
guitarist.
As a player Arcamone negotiates even the
most complex
harmony with a
relaxed yet flawless style. He employs some
pretty interesting
lines and
seamlessly blends those with chords
throughout. One
wonders if he ever
misses a note, as Dan's lines seem to flow
effortlessly. As a
trio, it is difficult
to describe how in the pocket the band is, but
Zurkowski
and Ash are the
perfect rhythm section, blending groove, chops
and
sensitivity. The 13 pieces
are all originals by Arcamone. All are complete
compositions
with impressive
harmonic structure and a clear melodic sense.
Groove also
plays a large part
with each tune as well. With Triosisms, Dan
Arcamone and
co. demonstrate
that they have all the right stuff: sound, chops,
arrangement
and groove.
Trioisms is worth a listen.
Reviewed by Eric Elias
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