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The best kept secret in music
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Steve Laury - Vineland Dreams (CTI Records)
The long awaited follow up to "Keepin' the Faith" is even more dashing and daring than I expected. Three covers are here, Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", the Jackson's "I'll Be There", and Steve does a great job on the late, great Wes Montgomery's "Angel" His original tunes "Gloria Ann" and "When Dreams Come True" are smoking with some searing riffs from Steve. "Cara Mia" features Rob Whitlock's Hammond B3 and it's great. All in all this is Laury's best work to date, and it's my Hot Pick of the month!
- Strictly Jazz Magazine
There are so many good albums available these days, where do you put the hard earned? Well I have some advice, grab a copy of this CTI debut release from Steve Laury. From start to finish the nimble fingered fret master carves his melodic chops on some of the finest smooth jazz cuts you'll hear all year. A former integral part with Fattburger, Laury's solo work is a testament to his sheer craftsmanship and recognition of the likes of Wes [Montgomery], Grant Green and George Benson. The laid back groove of Cara Mia with Laury's single line melody accompanied by Rob Whitlock's [Hammond] B3 is pure pleasure. Gloria Ann opens the set with a breezy start utilizing those skilled chops to great effect, as does the title track which both feature some vocal improv from Ed Graves. Add these couple of interesting up-dates to the set, Let's Stay Together and I'll Be There and I also see this in the year end top 10 list.
- The New York Times
As a long time guitar fanatic, I'm happy to report that Steve Laury is truly a Musician's Musician. On his latest effort, "Vineland Dreams", Laury draws inspiration from jazz guitar greats Wes Montgomery and George Benson as well as blues man B.B. King and rocker Eric Clapton, yet demonstrates the distinctive voice that made him a central figure in the ground breaking fusion band Fattburger for five years. Above all, Laury's flexibility is his trademark. He can improvise beautiful melodic single lines a La Benson, as on Cara Mia, Play octave lines like Wes on the upbeat title track, and lay down some funky rhythm guitar reminiscent of James Brown on his inspired cover of Al Green's 1971 classic Let's Stay Together. Laury can also stretch out, improvising whole choruses that stand on their own compositionally, as he demonstrates on his version of the Jackson Five hit I'll be There, and on Montgomery's Angel, a fitting homage to the guitar icon. What really struck me is how he manages to keep his diverse musical gifts in their proper perspective, seamlessly blending composition, execution, and spontaneity. As Laury states, "My whole approach to music is that it should be like a painting" -- a concept that is richly illustrated on "Vineland Dreams" - BMG Music Service
Discography
Vineland Dreams - 1995
Keepin' The Faith - 1993
The Best Of Fattburger (Fattburger) - 1992
Passion - 1991
Come & Get It (Fattburger) - 1990
Stepping Out - 1990
Time Will Tell (Fattburger) - 1989
Living In Paradise (Fattburger) - 1989
Good News (Fattburger) - 1987
One Of A Kind (Fattburger) - 1986
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Bio
Steve Laury, like Wes Montgomery, is a guitar players guitarist, getting all there is out of his instrument. In a single song, Steve will play octaves, single lines, straight comping, upfront empressario work and finesse it with a guitar question and answer period. As a composer and producer as well as performer, Laury operates in that rarefield air where composition, execution and spontaneity interact to produce truly satisfying music. He also has a rare ability to keep his diverse musical gifts in their proper perspective. Says Laury, “My whole approach to music is that it should be like a painting. The guitar sound and guitar soloing are always the focal point of that painting. But all the other things that go around it – the arrangement, bass line and everything else – must fit into that picture and embellish the focal point.”
And what a focal point it is! Steve’s guitar artistry and compositions have made him one of the most sought-after guitarists in the world today selling over half a million CD’s. Laury can do it all well. Whether performing a spirited interpretation of the work of the Jackson’s hit, “I’ll Be There” (Vineland Dreams CD), one of his own lush, lyrical masterpieces such as Jeananne (Passion CD) or the syncopated electric rhythms of Steppin’In (Keepin the Faith CD), Laury fulfills all the tastes in contemporary instrumental guitar.
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