Gilbert Isbin with Cameron Brown - Spring Cleaning (November 15, 2021 Jazz'Halo)

Self-taught guitarist/composer Gilbert Isbin was born in Knokke on May 29, 1953. He’s probably one of the best kept secrets in Belgian jazz.

After playing lute and baroque music for quite a while, his love for European improvised music and jazz prevailed. Especially Paul Bley’s minimalistic approach, the introspective playing of Bill Evans and the compositions by Cuban master Leo Brouwer influenced him a lot. Thru’ the years he built up his very personal style that is marked by strong melodies and subtle, inventive playing.

‘Spring Cleaning’, Gilbert’s first album for the Jazz’halo label, illustrates what a fine composer and guitar player he is. Working with such great musicians as Cameron Brown, Chris Joris, John Ruocco and Steve Houben finally gave him the opportunity to record his compositions in the best possible way.

Jos Demol

1. Spring cleaning

2. Fresh breath

3. Troubled

4. Free flight to A'dam

5. Wawacou

6. Warm your heart

7. Why was that?

8. Wintertime

9. Here, my dear

10. Lift your feet

11. Buzz

Gilbert Isbin: classical and electric guitars

Cameron Brown: double bass

John Ruocco: tenor sax, alto clarinet and clarinet

Steve Houben: flute

Chris Joris: miscellaneous percussion and berimbau

Mark Van Overmeire: drums on (7)

Recorded at STUDIO FIELDS, Braine-l’Alleud (Belgium), May 19 & 20 and June 22, 1992 by Didier de Roos

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Isbin / Gauthier / Walton - Venice Suite (November 15, 2021 Jazz'Halo)

We recorded in November 2005 at the Cryptogramophone studios in LA, with master recording engineer Rich Breen. The whole project was completed in two afternoons. There are two suites of improvisation on this album; the Venice Suite for the trio (tracks 4-9) on which Scott plays the piano in the most wonderful way and the Brugge Suite for violin and guitar duo (tracks 10-16). There was electricity in the air.

“It's a joint production taken on by Southern California-based Cryptogramophone and the Belgian, Jazz'Halo record label by a trio that irrefutably rises to the occasion. Violinist and Crypto label chief Jeff Gauthier established a rapport with Belgian guitarist Gilbert Isbin via some California concerts and an interest in each other's artistry. Subsequently, fellow West Coast musician bassist/pianist Scott Walton was deemed the right man for the job with rounding it this wonderfully enticing and genre-hopping studio date. In effect, there's quite a bit going on under the proverbial hood.

Gauthier combines the flair of a concert violinist with dense improvisational acumen to complement the musicians' weaving of hypnotically melodic lines with richly textured themes. They often interrogate each other's voicings while occasionally mixing it up within avant-garde like frontiers. On the piece titled “Shine,” the violinist executes a sweet melody atop Isbin and Walton's bouncy undercurrents. Yet, the trio also inject moments of dissonance into the grand scenario where plots develop and ultimately morph into a regeneration of musical notions. Then on “Why Was That,” Isbin lays down a haunting ostinato as Walton subsequently stretches out with ascending lines. For the finale, the trio covers fabled song sleuth Nick Drake's “River Man.”. Finesse. EJAZZNEWS by Glenn Astarita 

1. Gift to the fall

2. Invitation

3. Knomish

4. Venice suite; Ah Chez

5. Venice suite; Reflection at Maribou's

6. Venice suite; Venice in bloom

7. When all is said and done

8. Shine

9. Open mind

10. Brugge suite; Begijnhof sonnet

11. Brugge suite; In the evening

12. Brugge suite; The swan's delight

13. Why was that

14. Invocation

15. Cute movements

16. River man

Gilbert Isbin, acoustic guitar

Jeff Gauthier, violin

Scott Walton, acoustic bass/piano

PREORDER