By: Sheldon T. Nunn
urtis Fornadley, otherwise known as Curtis has released his third CD
entitled Blue Electric Cool on the IF6WAS9 Record Label. At first glance,
Curtis' recording is a highly evolved hybrid rock recording. Further
examination reveals a very distinctive marriage between R&B, rock, fusion
jazz, avante garde and '60s styled surfing music. The formula is
instrumental guitar taken to another level beyond the rudiments of
traditional jazz as some have come to recognize. Musically speaking,
Fornadley displays some very eclectic skills on the guitar, coupled with a
style that makes the transitional lines of containment invisible. In other
words, his insightful blend of musical soundscapes into one influential
base, with rock as the underlying theme makes the Curtis journey into jazz a
gathering of perspectives.
With this release, Curtis takes a slingshot approach to his craft. He uses
rock music as the projectile, while stretching his imaginative style of play
far beyond traditional thinking. In fact, he appears to aim for the unknown
as he takes his listeners into the realm of some of the unexplored reaches
of creativity. Although jazz is the underlying approach, the tie that binds
all of the ingredients into one collective containment of activity is
Curtis' ability to connect the dots across a wide range of influences.
Overall, Blue Electric Cool is a push beyond the familiar with the guitar
rising into the forefront of influences. As a composer, Curtis' arrangements
are imaginative and revealing, which allows him a degree of flexibility to
be intuitively creative. Overall, this CD brings the element of surprise
into an arena of jazz that has a totally different idea in mind.
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