Guitarist Jeff Golub’s Grand Central opens
with a strong buzz
Jazz-blues-rock homage to New York
City
critically-praised
Celebrating the diversity and
bustling energy of the city he’s called home for more than
twenty years, guitarist Jeff Golub’s Grand Central
album was released in record stores Tuesday (March
6th) by Narada Jazz/Blue Note
Label Group.
The vibe he captured is “live,” as if he grabbed his
guitar, headed down to a dimly lit, gritty blues or jazz club
in New York City, plugged in and started jamming with a
talented group of friends. That’s pretty much how
the album was recorded, although it was tracked in several
recording studios.
However, Golub, who produced most of this, his seventh
solo album in addition to writing or co-writing eight songs,
kept things loose and casual, allowing the musicians the
freedom to improvise and freely explore the jazz, blues, rock,
R&B and pop melodies and rhythms. There’s nothing
particularly smooth about this edgy musician who brings blues
and rock to contemporary jazz.
Taking its title from an old Dentyne
commercial, “Hello Betty” prefaced the album release at radio
where the signature Golub track is swiftly moving up the
chart. The funky
horn section and a bumpin’ groove on the Rick Braun-produced
cut get scorched by Golub’s cool-toned, incendiary guitar
lead. Special
guest appearances and contributions to Grand Central were
made by Braun, Richard
Elliot, Kirk
Whalum, Philippe
Saisse and Paul
Brown, with Braun and Brown producing a few tracks. But the NYC cats Golub
was primarily chillin’ with were drummers Steve Ferrone and Shawn Pelton, Chris Palmero
(keyboards, Hammond B3, rhythm guitar), Mitchel Forman
(piano, organ & string synth, Fender Rhodes &
clavinet), bassist Lincoln Goines,
percussionist Luis
Conte, saxophonist Dave Woodford, and
trombonist Nick
Lane while Steven
Miller co-produced, recorded and mixed the record.
Golub, who begins co-headlining the
national Guitars &
Saxes Tour with Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum and Tim Bowman at the
Nokia Theatre in New York City on March 24th with
concert dates that run through the end of the summer, is
getting some love from the media. He’s scheduled to
appear on an episode of Smooth Jazz Television, record an
intimate performance for Sirius Satellite
Radio, and grace the cover of next month’s annual guitar
special issue of West Coast trade Music Connection
magazine.
The album
reviews have also been quite favorable. Jazz USA stated,
“Jeff Golub's new release (his seventh solo album) is full of
fire and energy. It has a distinct New
York City vibe and manages to capture the artist in his own
unique element.” All Music Guide
wrote, “At his best, as on this exciting collection, he's raw
and just a bit dirty, wailing with his buddies and having some
loose, energetic fun…He plays it mostly fast and funky, but
shows a unique emotional depth…” ABYSSJazz Magazine
enthused, “The result is vintage Golub – funky, fresh and
infused with the spontaneous feel that live sessions engender.
It's a diverse
set of originals and covers with highlights galore…You can
tell the musicians are having a grand time creating this
music. It's a New
York vibe with universal appeal!” Smooth Jazz
Therapy concurred, “…this
natural flare he has for delivering raw and honest recordings
spills out into every one of the eleven choice tracks. Although a delicious
mix of rock, pop and electric plus acoustic blues, excellent
examples of R&B tinged contemporary jazz also
abound…”
SmoothViews declared,
“Sometimes you hear guys like Jeff Golub, who used to back
rockers like Rod
Stewart, referred to as ‘former rockers.’ I’ve seen
Jeff play live. There’s no ‘former’ about him.
He’s still a rocker! And with his latest release,
Grand
Central, Golub brings on the feel and flavor of
New York City with tracks that cover everything from jazz to
blues to rock.”
