Freddie Bryant - Dreamscape: Solo Duo Trio

Liner notes by Gene Bertoncini: 'Freddie Bryant has a giant musical heart, and he displays it here using a variety of guitars and techniques with total command. It's evident also, that he draws upon his life experiences, his openness to all kinds of music, and the love that is present in it's expression. Melody is what this CD is all about whether it's played with his finely developed classical, flamenco guitar techniques or on the electric or acoustic steel string, with warmth or with a biting funk feel, both composed and improvised - melody along with an amazing sense of harmony. The more you listen to Freddie's huge world of music, the more you wonder how one person can cover so many areas with such ease. There are so many musical aspects to this recording. Freddie chose two friends and jazz greats to join him in the project: Chris Potter and Scott Colley. Check out Chris and Freddie playing the unison melodic tour de force in Freddie's Dreamscape...and then they improvise and bring the changes "to their knees!" Later in the CD, Chris' bass clarinet says it all on Freddie's spiritually melodic masterpiece, Songs - a new classic along with his arrangement of the traditional spiritual I'm Going to Tell God All of My Troubles. Check out Scott's conversations, interplay and "cooking" accompaniments in Vignett 1 and 2; and his overall creative support, whenever he has the chance. Listen to Freddie's originals compositions, all masterworks. His solo arrangements involve the entire orchestra that the guitar is. His brilliant use of harmonic colors in his chord voicings; his time feel throughout and the overall conceptions in the songs such as, Ask Me Now (I'm sure Monk is smiling) Goodbye Porkpie Hat (Mingus is smiling too) and his extremely special, Serenade (with the use of the tremolo stating the beautiful melody) are all treasures that should be studied by students of the guitar. Everything seems to lead to the amazing and haunting expression of love in Charlie Haden's, For Turiya. Freddie's harmonies are so lush and they build to a heartfelt, emotional crescendo............and then Silence...........and then......... Mom. 'Dreamscape is a collection of pieces that draw from my years of playing classical guitar as well as my career as a jazz musician with inspirations from blues and standards to Spanish guitar and Brazilian rhythms. But the theme that unites this CD is the gift of music and song that was given to me by my parents. My earliest memories are of my mother and father singing spirituals as bedtime lullabies and later coming home from school greeted by their rehearsals of arias, lieder, chanson, Spanish civil war songs and Yiddish and Russian lullabies. The poem inscribed on the inside jacket was given to my mother on Thanksgiving and is the inspiration for Songs that has references to work songs, hymns and gospel music. My version of I'm Going to Tell God All of My Troubles comes from the brilliant spiritual arranged by Hall Johnson that my parents performed and is the bonus track on this CD.' - Freddie Bryant When a mother sings She breathes life into a child Life she already gave within Through pain, hardship and struggle Our first lesson in survival She sings spirituals that show us how That speak of a power so great Yet can never be seen Tales that are stronger in song Than words in a book that can't be written They're bound by her voice That is the essence of music Sung and gone and always there Like the Qi she gives now in melody Invisible song As she holds you infinitely As a memory in your soul Her soul she gave With a map to the North Star A life force from food to spirit A small ball of energy That grows and learns to walk a difficult path That ultimately must be A journey to Joy -Freddie Bryant son of Beatrice Rippy Hollister.