Vantage Point

Octave Records expands its catalog of exceptional jazz recordings with Vantage Point by guitarist, composer, and music educator Jason Greenlaw. The album offers eight original songs that showcase Greenlaw’s personal take on contemporary jazz, plus an upbeat version of the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” and “Children’s Games” by Antonio Carlos Jobim. His playing is a masterclass in jazz guitar, with nods to the singable lines of classic guitarists like Wes Montgomery and George Benson, interwoven with the modern melodic and harmonic stylings of Kurt Rosenwinkel and Pat Metheny. His range as an improviser and player is only further complemented by his range as a composer. As Greenlaw noted, “almost every tune has a different thing going on, from contemporary jazz and Afrobeat-inspired, to ballads…even a song that has sort of a Western cowboy vibe to it, with slide guitar.” Vantage Point features Jason Greenlaw on electric guitar, accompanied by Adam Bodine and Sonya Walker on acoustic and Rhodes pianos, Braxton Kahn and Gabriel Gravagno on drums, and Andrew Rose and Kevin Johnson playing acoustic and electric bass. The musicians adeptly navigate through up-tempo numbers, contemplative ballads, and other boundary-pushing stylings. Jason’s guitar tone is sweet and full-bodied whether playing dexterous single-note lines or harmonically expansive chords. Like any great jazz group, the musicians work in sympathetic communication and leave plenty of space for each other to complement the music. Captured in DSD256 at Octave Studios at PS Audio, Vantage Point is a call back to the classic era of jazz recordings, with complete, unedited takes of pure musical interaction with the sensibility and stylings of a modern jazz musician. This exceptional combination creates a record that puts the listener right in the middle of the conversation between the musicians and creates a concert of hills and valleys on every sound system. This incredible recording is available on SACD and as a high-resolution download, exclusively at Octave Records. SACDS are in pre-order. Estimated shipment on Sept 21.