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Pete Mills: Art and Architecture
ByMills plays surprise to good effect in his compositions and arrangements. On "Dot Com" he parlays swing into bop, and when that road marks a steady path, Bobby Floyd cools the atmosphere, creating enticing whirls on the pianowhen up jumps Pete McCann and changes the trajectory with some electrifying rock lines on the guitar! McCann is even more volatile on the romping "Clubfoot." There is no inkling of what is to come. Mills and his fragmented lines, Floyd taking his cool permutations into a charged atmosphere are the beckoning for Mills to blow some hard, brawny lines, when in come the riffs and the wah wah from McCann. It all simmers into funk before the slow fade out.
The ballads cast quite another spell. "Isfahan" is played with luminous delicacy, as Mills goes into the upper register to find notes that glide elegantly and bring in an enchanting presence made all the more effective by the empathic, and more importantly, unobtrusive support of Matt Wilson and Dennis Irwin. Wilson's accents lend a light Latin tinge to "Seven Shades of Blue" as Mills and McCann, playing an eloquent acoustic guitar, give the melody a warm buzz. An unhurried encapsulation of the theme is opened up and invested with some delectable ideas that make it throb. The feeling is deep and both Mills, with his mellifluous approach, and McCann, with his insouciant flow of ideas, make this a top-notch offering.
Mills stirs up a heady brew. Stop by and indulge.
Track Listing
Dot Com, Seven Shades of Blue, In Walked Bud, Spin Dri, Chelsea Bridge, April Tune, Pumpkin Shoes, Remembrances, Clubfoot, Isfahan
Personnel
Pete Mills
saxophonePete Mills--tenor saxophone; Pete McCann--guitar; Bobby Floyd--piano; Dennis Irwin--bass; Matt Wilson--drums
Album information
Title: Art and Architecture | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Unknown label