Some jazz people take fright at the very mention of strings, fearing the dreaded “easy listening”. While this is not exactly hard listening, there’s certainly enough going on here to keep your ears busy. Gentle but firm, limpid but never limp, the sound of Philip Catherine’s guitar is unmistakable. It comes together with a rare gift for melodic invention and the telling use of space. Set this in the context of a jazz quartet and a small string orchestra and you have a potent combination. It’s never a matter of solo guitar with a cushion of soft violins. The focus is constantly changing, revealing new sounds and textures, but the transitions are always smooth and the prevailing mood is calm.
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