George Petit
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George Petit

New York City, New York, United States | INDIE

New York City, New York, United States | INDIE
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"...End Of August"

George Walker Petit is no stranger to jazz musicians since he is one of the top recording engineers in New York City. Although he has closed his own studio he remains active and has recorded many, many musicians. With …End Of August, he has recorded himself.
What makes Petit a successful recording engineer is not only his deep knowledge of the process, but also the fact that he is a musician himself, and hence knows what live music sounds like. With ...End of August, he shows himself to be a sensitive composer and player, with an emotional honesty that really comes through.

The man really can play guitar (both acoustic finger style and electric) and flashes some chops here and there. Petit is also listed as playing electric bass, percussion, various keyboards, trumpet, vibes and vocals. Yet his main instrument is clearly guitar.

Even if one prefers a sound that is more "live," the record is crisp and clear and the mixing is expertly done, as one would expect. What is not lost, and this is telling, is that each instrument, from a solo acoustic guitar to a saxophone, sounds real, and there is no listening fatigue whatsoever.

Petit's influences are quite obvious and his soft spot is the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto as heard on Benny Carter's "Only Trust Your Heart," a surprisingly affective "S'Wonderful" by George Gershwin and the lively originals "Bijou" and "Montreux." Other originals mine the jazz soul ballad ("Off Center"—with some killer playing) and bit of light funk ("Half Of What You Need").

Of particular interest are the two solo guitar tracks, "Stockbridge (lost)" and "On Any Given Night." The former has a country sound mixed with advanced harmonies that are quite touching, while the latter is a short, freely rhythmic love song that ends much too soon.

The arrangements are top notch and allow the other musicians, especially Justin Flynn on reeds and flute, to shine. Indeed the only complaint one could have is that the album is too short—its thirty-eight minutes fly by.

…End Of August is a very fine piece of work, no matter how one looks at it and one must laud Petit for his efforts in every aspect of its creation.



Track listing: Only Trust Your Heart; Off Center; Stockbridge (lost); S'Wonderful; Half Of What You Need; Bijou; Montreux; On Any Given Night; Aldo (Forza Italia).

Personnel: George Walker Petit: acoustic and electric guitar, electric bass, percussion, Fender Rhodes, vibraphone, piano, Wurlitzer piano, samples, trumpet, vocals; Steve Hass: drums (1); Whitney Ashe: Fender Rhodes (1, 2, 5, 6), organ (2, 5); Justin Flynn: flute (1, 6, 7), tenor saxophone (2), horns (5), soprano saxophone (6); Mark Dodge: drums (4, 5, 6, 7), bass drum (9) lede snare drum (9), trumpet (9); Thomson Kneeland: bass (4); Artur Dutra: berimbao, metal serving plate, triangle (7).
- allaboutjazz.com- Budd Kopman


"End Of August"

Petit's liquid guitar melodies will warm up any tune! He starts off with "Only Trust Your Heart", a cover of a Benny Carter tune that reminded us of Earl Klugh. George wrote 77% of the music and it is all fresh. We liked his work on "Bijou", "Montreux" and "Off Center" complimented by Justin Flynn's tenor sax solo. Petit plays solo guitar of two tracks and adds vocals on two others giving the session lots of variety. This is a strong effort worthy of repeated play! - O's Place Jazz Newsletter -D. Oscar Groomes


"George Petit: End Of August (MarCreation)"

Petit is that rare breed of musician who has not only excelled as a total guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, but is also an accomplished recording studio engineer. This disc pellucidly demonstrates these attributes. Petit has a weakness for the bossa nova as demonstrated by his renditions of "Only Trust Your Heart" and "S'Wonderful". He also has a yen for the kind of off-kilter harmonics heard on some Steely Dan tracks. The crystalline clarity of the recording is readily apparent. Special mention goes to sideman Justin Flynn for some stirring flute and reed contributions. - E-Jazz News - John Stevenson


"Featured Artist: George Petit"

End Of August is the close of one cycle and the start of a new one for guitarist-singer-songwriter George Walker Petit who express in the liner notes of the album, “These ends of the Augusts of ‘05 and ‘06 signaled both an end and a new start for me. This music mourns that end and celebrates that start.” Petit accomplishes this task by creating arrangements that feel intimate for the audience, as if the music was expressly designed for their listening pleasure. End Of August is Petit’s second solo jazz album as a leader and moves with a suave gait from track to track adhering to a smooth jazz etiquette and a textural palate that radiates like moonbeams over the ocean waves.

Petit indulges his fancy for wistful bossa nova melodies like “Montreux” and “Bijou” and the samba-ridged grooves of “Only Trust Your Heart.” It’s an album that creates a little corner of this world just for the listener where nothing is more important than relaxing and inhaling and exhaling at one’s leisurely pace. Even the more charming nightclub aura and bouncy rhythms of “Aldo” creates an intimacy with the listener that is binding. Listeners are also treated to Petit singing on his cover of Gershwin’s standard, “S’Wonderful,” which complement the silky inflections of the guitar chords. Joining Petit on the recording are percussionist Artur Dutra, drummers Mark Dodge and Steve Hass, keyboardist Whitney Ashe, bassist Thomson Kneeland, and horn player Justin Flynn whose softly puffing verses resonate through “Off Center” like a summer breeze grazing over a tuft of pansies tickling their dainty petals affectionately.

The simplicity of Petit’s arrangements allow the listener to appreciate every individual note, and feel engulfed in the experience of pure serenity as Petit strings these notes and moves them in ways that touches the senses affectionately. His writing mixes hints of Latin styles with elements of classic and contemporary jazz, and crafts completely mood-oriented tunes for the individual. - JazzReview.com - Susan Frances


"George Petit"

"I've been listening a lot to this George Petit CD (End of August) -- this guy is very talented and I dig this album a lot. For one thing, George's playing has real style. He's also a very impressive, experienced player, but it's equally important to have a sound of your own--George does. He manages to play quick, complicated riffs with nimbleness and without getting too showy. It's a great album." - Powderfinger Promotions - David Avery


"George Petit's End Of August"

"His needling, light-touch play proves disarming in the many diverse settings represented here...each piece is given space to develop and grow with its dynamics. The guitarist...knows the value of careful layering..." - JazzTimes


"End Of August- George Petit"

"Petit's music is honest, real, and played from the heart with a beautiful touch and a smile you can feel. It's a gift:one he so obviously enjoys sharing. They say 'tis better to give than to receive, but based on how this record makes me feel, I'm not so sure about that. Thank you, George." - - Ann Wickstrom, freelance music journalist


Discography

As a Leader:
PATACHOU
END OF AUGUST

Over 100 CD's released as a Producer/Engineer specializing in Jazz and Singer/Songwriter projects.

All tracks are available on iTunes and CDBaby, while tracks from END OF AUGUST are streamed on my website- www.petitjazz.com

Label: petitjazz

Photos

Bio

I realized a few years ago that there is more to presenting music than just writing and playing what you ‘want’ at a high level of proficiency.

It is necessary to engage an audience, not only from the point of view of the future sale of product (these days that could mean a single song download!), but from the perspective of ‘The Gig’, the performance itself, the live experience. On any given night, at any given venue, a group of performing musicians must entertain, must communicate a message that is deeper than ‘just the music’. So I set about trying to define these audience needs...thought of interviews I’d read, concerts I’d attended, discussions I’d been a part of...and then took the results of all this thought and decided to form a group based on my ultimate ‘finding’. Live music is about communication and creating a bond with an audience...presenting music with integrity, friendship, humor, all emotion, passion and professionalism.

The group was formed based upon friendship first...after all, if it is all about communication, I thought I would like to surround myself with friends that have common interest and purpose, that would be just as happy having dinner together as playing music together. At the age level of most of my players, there exists a pretty high level of musicianship and personal statement in the music. I invited great friends to join me in this adventure – they just happened to be fantastic players all with an individual voice...lucky me!

We’ve all heard groups that are just thrown together for one or two gigs, or a minor tour...big names that read the charts on the gig...individually they are most likely fantastic...but perhaps they have not had the time to develop a sound that is representative of the combined efforts of the collective – it leaves one ‘cold’...I found that this attitude was present in many parts of today’s culture...a desire or need to become so independent that the ‘group’ was shunned in favor of the ‘self’.

Again, music is sharing and communication. Our group has spent time developing an identity and sound as a ‘group’. In the year we have been working on this concept, we have received high praise from our audiences and listeners. They are having fun, they are ‘feeling’ it...they are not ‘them’ and we, ‘us’. There is very little distance between us and the audience. We communicate the fun, passion, seriousness, emotion and togetherness of our music, because we feel it deeply and communicate it without barrier to anyone willing to engage... It’s working.

We’ve all played the tours, the opening acts, the Festivals all over the world and worked with such legends as McCoy Tyner, Betty Carter, The Village Vanguard Big Band, Joe Lovano, James Carter, Joshua Redman, Houston Person, Tito Puente, Dave Stryker, Dafnis Prieto, Donny McCaslin...our pedigree is solid.

My most recent cd, END OF AUGUST was recorded in NYC. It represents the start of this adventure. Come on out to The Gig and join us...be entertained...be engaged.