Modal Behaviour - Reviews >
Guitarist, singer and educator Stephen Galvin runs Auckland's ABC Studios and freely admits that this album is a showcase for himself and the many excellent musicians who appear on it.
Among them are longtime jazz saxophonist Paul Nairn, percussion player Miguel Fuentes, trumpeter James Guildford-Smith, keyboard player Phil Hornblow, bassist Paul Mouncey and drummer Jacob Randall. My guess is – aside from the leader and the familiar names of Nairn and Fuentes – that some of these players have come through the ABC courses for this album, recorded in Wellington with producer David Feehan. This is admirable but does make for an unusually genre-diverse collection (bop to funk, Latin sounds and edgy experimental guitar passages) where the tunes and songs are interpolated by brief, radio-like introductions. More... |
"... an unusually genre-diverse collection (bop to funk, Latin sounds and edgy experimental guitar passages) where the tunes and songs are interpolated by brief, radio-like introductions."
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Here is what Pedro Santos of NZ Musician had to say about the Modal Behaviour album.
Had I stumbled across this album by Stephen Galvin with its vaguely academic title while scanning Spotify I’m not sure that I would know what to make of it. The 10 tracks here cover so much musical ground, and while not evidently covers as such, mostly imbue a comfortable familiarity that might encourage such an assumption. More..
Please read the NZ Musician Feature on Stephen Galvin
"A great concept executed to perfection. A sort of ode to one of Europe’s most significant and original jazzmen, Django Reinhardt. This album is a great listen, with ample complexity to command your full attention and yet with groove so smooth, a perfect backdrop to an atmospheric evening in, or a scenic drive. It is time to tune in, and tune out. Bravo, Stephen! "
-Dmitri Goloub |
"Many years ago in Auckland there was an upstairs bar where a jazz band played every Friday night. It was probably the only regular weekly jazz gig in town at the time; no doubt the band felt a bit lucky to get it. At any rate, they seemed to make a special effort to satisfy all tastes – demonstrating their skills in a wide range of jazz styles. And even if, at times, they struggled to make themselves heard above the talking, they certainly kept their regular audience happy with that range of styles.... More
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