SOUNDBOARD MAGAZINE: Review of Mosaic and Puzzle

by Al Kunze

Taking into account the first review in this section, it might be observed that the musical soil of northeast Georgia seems very fertile indeed. The Georgia Guitar Quartet (GGQ) is a quite extraordinary group with not one but two marvelous discs under consideration here. The first album, Mosaic, is, as the surely meant to imply a work of discrete pieces which are assembled to make a unified whole. It works. Beginning and ending with the Irish folk song “The Road to Lisdoonvarna,” done first in a simple setting, then extended and improvisatorily elaborated, they have created an album which gives the listener a complete musical experience. I shall not list all of the contents, but listeners will surely enjoy exemplary transcriptions of works by Ravel, Chopin, Milhaud (the delicious two-piano work Scaramouche, which has cried out for the guitar in some form), and Grieg. Two longer works are standouts. GGQ member Jason Solomon’s Five Character Pieces is wonderful, including the fabulously demented “Last Waltz of the Phonograph,” whose ending will be familiar to those with a recollection of the “joys” of the black vinyl disc. I like almost everything by Alberto Ginastera except the guitar Sonata, so it is very welcome to add his Danzas argentinas to the repertoire in this expert transcription by GGQ member Phil Snyder. As with the BGQ above, this will go in my long-time quartet playlist.

The second disc, Puzzle, will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is very fine also. The music includes a mixture of fixed composition by members of the group and improvisatory elements. (A trip to their website helps the listener figure out what is going on here.) The sounds range from very abstract modernism to minimalistic patterns – from noisy non-traditional timbres to folk-like beauty. Jason Solomon’s “puzzle pieces” run through the tracks adding unity to the whole. In the center of the disc, things can get quite dicily avant-garde with some almost painful sounds, but they are all organically connected to the works being developed here. Throughout, the sound quality is very fine; you can easily imagine the quartet is in the room with you. The CD cover design and photography (as well as their website) all seem the work of GGQ members and, given the fact that the group members also play cello, harmonica, and banjo at times, it is quite a display of wide-ranging talent. Mosaic should be part of every ensemble lover’s library, and Puzzle should be acquired by the strong and adventurous of heart!

From Soundboard Vol. XXXIV, no. 3, p. 107