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Zane Carney Quartet: Alter Ego
Zane Carney
guitar
John Mayer
guitarb.1977
Carney's quartet features the highly experienced craft of woodwind player
Katisse Buckingham
fluteJerry Watts Jr.
bass
Gene Coye
drumsBut things do not start off turbulent. The first couple of bars introducing "Brain Freeze" could fool one into expecting an atmospheric, ambient jazz program, tickling the ear with sweet flute sounds and echoing guitar chords. But those wishing for such a record would be disappointed only a short while later, when the entire band comes in to accompany Carney's downward spiralling, distorted guitar arpeggios. The savage display from a '90s Tarantino movie comes to mind as the group powers through this neo-western explosion which merges into a guitar vs. flute battle. It is as if the yodel from '70s prog rock group Focus' hit song "Hocus Pocus" is lurking just around the corner, ready to make its entrance.
The rock-edge groove and references continue throughout several instances on the record. On "Alter" Carney's guitar part sounds like something straight from a classic Led Zeppelin song, and even demonstrates the tone of a riff
Jimmy Page
guitarOther cuts bring the full-throttle approach down a little but maintain a rockish flavor. "Lost" takes the shape of an alternative rock tune that threatens to spiral out of control, as Carney nimbly casts various rhythmic and comping spells into the mix. Buckingham's flute chops blow a fresh breeze into the rigorous set and add the kind of melodic ease and improvised notion the group dynamic begs for. More of a soloist than an interwoven part of the arrangement on some of the heavier outtakes, Buckingham adds limber swing to the jazzier excerpts of the record and truly blossoms there.
Sonny Rollins' "Oleo" and the Gigi Gryce-penned "Minority" belong to the light-hearted side of the set and also to the standout performances of the record. Here, improvisation and composition truly meet in the middle, seeing the musicians letting loose and delivering some of their best interplay. If one is not convinced of Carney's guitarist prowess up to this point (which would be an unfortunate oversight), then his bursting and popping solo halfway through "Minority" surely will change that.
Winding-down from the high-strung tension, "Things You Aren't" finds Carney presenting an intimate solo rendition of a cunning self-penned composition which highlights the range of his vocabulary and gentle touch. Performed on a Beale Street Blue Gibson Es-335, the chord-melody arrangement is probably the warmest thing the record has to offer.
Alter Ego presents a side to Carney's playing and composing that needs to be heard and explored more. Much nuance and color emanate from his strings, which appear eager to come up with new tricks at every turn. He is obviously a well-versed player and an unconventional composer, whose 2014 effort Amalgam was a mostly quiet, bluesy and successful effort at restraint, whereas Alter Ego represents a new beginning for his more extroverted instrumental ambitions. ">
Track Listing
Brain Freeze; Alter; Oleo; Lost; Pitchfork; Minority; Things You Aren't; Found; Ego.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Alter Ego | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Orenda Records
Tags
Zane Carney
Album Review
Friedrich Kunzmann
Alter Ego
Orenda Records
John Mayer
Katisse Buckingham
Jerry Watts Jr.
Gene Coye
Jimmy Page
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