Stew Cutler - Insignia (2001) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Stew Cutler is a New York based guitarist and "Insignia", his debut for Naim label, provides us with plenty of trademarks. Presenting a perfectly balanced blend of funk, melodic jazz and rock ‘n' roll, Stew is a musician from the Hendrix school of guitar. Alternating smoothly between myriad styles, Stew employs a mellow approach with the result that even the crazy bits are dripping with cool.

"Insignia" is a trio recording in the fullest sense of the word rather than two rhythm voices backing up the lead, featuring the huge and fluent talent of Garry Bruer on drums and Booker King playing crystal clear and bone-vibrating bass.

After having trained with electric bass master Harvey Brooks, Stew then proceeded to perform all over the world with Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, James Montgomery and Eddie Floyd. Not satisfied with this, he has also recorded with legends such as Bill Frisell, David Sanbourne and Wayne Horvitz.

Recorded by Ken Christianson in his favourite location of Union Church, Insignia has all the high quality of sound and production synonymous with Naim.

Stew Cutler's electric guitar sound borrows from very few discernible sources, and as such is difficult to pigeonhole. There's a leanness to his style that is not enhanced or processed by electronics, though he occasionally does leap out with elements extracted from pedals or effects. Using a spare trio of electric bass guitar and drums, Cutler is just barely on the cutting edge of modern mainstream, contemporary, and even fusion jazz, but hints at it rather than pronounce its glory. On this program of all original music, Cutler plays pleasant swing jazz on "Whisper," utilizes a bluesy slide guitar on "East River Delta," trims a spare modal but intricate line in alternating bars of seven and five during "Saudades on 8th Avenue," and uses loops and effects in an insular self-examination during "Left Alone." "Left Behind" is dissimilar, using a steel-edged rock sound, with beats courtesy of drummer Garry Bruer, that reflects the British fusion of Allan Holdsworth, while a fun and funky "Elizabeth" playfully hops around courtesy of bassist Booker King and "Q.T." is perhaps the most innovative track, with a swirling repeat melody as a prelude to a tick-tock chorus and another bluesy refrain. While Cutler does have moments of languidness, sluggishness, or sentimentality, the music is generally hopeful. The 14-minute title track discourses from slow funk to more upbeat moments, letting the guitarist cut loose a bit. While not yet a distinctive voice, Cutler is quite literate, enjoyable, and witty in an internal manner. His music requires close listening to hear the flowers blooming in very rich soil.

Tracklist:

01 - Whisper
02 - QT
03 - Lovely Mary
04 - Left Behind
05 - East River Delta
06 - Saudades on 8th Avenue
07 - Coles Mountain
08 - Elizabeth
09 - Left Alone
10 - Insignia

Produced by Stew Cutler.


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