Making Waves

Making Waves is the debut instrumental CD from Canadian guitarist Greigg Fraser. The CD features shimmering Andy Summers style back-ups overlaid with jazz fusion-inspired lead work, in a tone and approach very reminiscent of Jeff Beck. Fraser's skill as a songwriter and his strong sense of melody allows all of these tracks to stand on their own as memorable songs, and he clearly puts this ahead of merely devising ways to show off his ability as an extraordinary guitar player. Fraser has a lot in common with axemasters Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson, who are songwriters first, and showcasers second. Making Waves starts with an unusual, ethereal combination of sounds, somewhere between a moog and humpbacked whale calls. It then shifts gears into heavier rock riffs, with one song rolls into the next, carrying you up and down from mood to mood--all featuring Fraser's signature 'chops'.