I've been friends with Dave Fabris since we were pups, and he's the
brave soul who took it upon himself to teach me to play guitar. I
still can't understand why he's not a household name, but it may
have something to do with his eclectic projects and unconventional
sound. Fortunately, he's getting some attention for his most recent
collaboration with jazz great Ran Blake. You can buy Indian Winter
through this site and here's a taste...
David Fabris & Ran Blake - Spiral Staircase
All About Jazz, New York
December 2005
Indian Winter
Pianist Ran Blake may not have as big a name as (Jim) Hall
but he is a great pianist who has been making striking music for
maybe as long. Indian Winter is a collaboration between Mr.
Blake and guitarist David Fabris (a former student and longtime
collaborator of Blake’s). The first thing that hits you is the CD’s
listed 23 tracks! The composers represented here are diverse:
from Bacharach to Zappa, through Neal Hefti, Alex North,
Ornette Coleman and Duke Ellington. “Spiral Staircase” establishes
the sound and rapport between the two musicians: as impressive
as the rapport amongst Hall and his collaborators yet not every
track is an actual duo as there are some solo piano and solo guitar
pieces. Then on “Streetcar Named Desire” Fabris uses a heavily
distorted guitar on a theme statement, later in the same piece
employing a more typical sound. Fabris’ unaccompanied solo
guitar, heard on Frank Zappa’s “Marqueson’s Chicken”, moves
smoothly from sound to sound and mood to mood with ease
that belies great skill. On the levels of texture, originality,
arrangements, surprise, skill and most of all, freshness, Indian
Winter is a real find.
-
