The Guitar Player's Resource
Evolution is contemporary jazz guitarist Rick Del Savio's new CD, which features instrumental arrangements of songs by Spyro Gyra ("Shaker Song"), Stevie Wonder ("Visions", "I Wish", "Golden Lady") and others, along with four original compositions. The majority of the tunes feature a rhythm machine backing, grooving out hip-hop, urban and Latin beats while Del Savio plays angular jazz lines, funky rhythm and fluid legato shadings. The Yonkers, New York based musician and multi-instrumentalist even plays a flowing jazz keyboard solo over "I Wish". The softer tunes such as the cover of "A Time For Us" are less compelling than the uptempo numbers, which tend to reveal more of Del Savio's abilities on the guitar and as an arranger. Original tracks such as "Dawn Becomes Eve" and "Opportunity Knocks" swing, and offer a glimpse into Del Savio's compositional future. Hopefully on the next release, we'll hear more Del Savio originals with perhaps a drummer that can take the guitarist to new heights.
In Woody Allen's documentary "Wild Man Blues", he tells an interviewer that he likes to make the kind of movie he enjoyed as a young kid. Rick strove to do the same thing on his debut recording. Growing up in the Bronx in a culturally diverse neighborhood during the late sixties and early seventies, he found his musical evolution impacted by R&B in general, and Stevie Wonder, in particular. On Evolution, the listener hears those very influences reflected in his original tunes, as well as in renditions of actual Stevie Wonder songs and assorted nuggets like "Over The Rainbow", "You Don't Know Me" and "St. Thomas".
Del Savio hopes music fans will enjoy his new CD, and he hopes to secure a record deal in the future.
Rick Del Savio
United States
Web site: www.rickdelsavio.com