Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Scott Sawyer: Dreamers

Scott Sawyer: Dreamers

By Jeffrey Uhrich
February 4, 2014
View read count

With a warm and inviting sound, guitarist

Scott Sawyer

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Sawyer offers an intriguing and engaging collection of songs in Dreamers, his latest release on Doll Records. Sawyer's style of playing is complex yet tastefully restrained and nuanced, reminiscent of guitar legends

Jim Hall

guitar
1930 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Hall and

Wes Montgomery

guitar
1923 - 1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Wes Montgomery. By doing so, he allows the song itself to shine as an artistic work, rather than using the song merely as a vehicle to display his prowess on the guitar. On Dreamers, Sawyer and his eclectic mix of side musicians explore genres beyond jazz with a collection of originals and covers (including songs by

Bob Dylan

guitar and vocals
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, and Irving Berlin} that resonate with a blues-tinged moxie apparently drawn from his surroundings and the rich music history embedded in his home- base of North Carolina.

IThe disc begins with "Booshki" (named for Sawyer's dog), featuring some wonderful improvisation by saxophonist

Dave Finucane

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Finucane—Sawyer quickly establishes a pattern of deftly holding back while his fellow musicians step into the spotlight with a solo or vocal, and then stepping back into the spotlight at just the right time with a well- crafted solo or to transition the piece in another direction. Finucane is featured prominently on Dreamers and several other tracks, as are

Ron Brendle

bass
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Brendle on acoustic bass and

Brian Sullivan

" data-original-title="" title="">Brian Sullivan on drums- -these musicians add a warm dimension to Sawyer's musical vision throughout the disc in songs such as "Gotta Lotta" and "Copperhead Stew."

A refreshingly compelling segment of the disc is a 2-song suite dedicated to a friend of Sawyer's from his days as a fledgling guitarist based in Greensboro. The suite begins with "Dakota," which combines a haunting guitar sound with a wonderful and heartfelt spoken-word poem delivered by Bruce Piephoff. "Dakota" perfectly sets up the second track of the suite, "Joe Dunn," an instrumental piece with a swampy blues vibe that really shows off Sawyer's guitar chops and also includes a captivating bass solo by Brendle.

Three tracks on the disc—"Dreamer," "River Man," and "Not Dark Yet" feature

Kate McGarry

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Kate McGarry as vocalist. She adds a pleasing dimension to the musical soundscapes painted by Sawyer, and establishes herself as a featured artist in her own right. In "Dreamer," her wordless vocal provides an ethereal quality in her interplay with Finucane's saxophone.

Sawyer proves himself to a versatile and cutting-edge guitarist throughout "Dreamers," and maintains a continuity of sound that embraces jazz and is still true to his musical roots.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Booshki; Dreamer; River Man; Gotta Lotta; Dakota; Joe Dunn; How Deep Is The Ocean; Not Dark Yet; Tony Speaks; Copperhead Stew; No Goodbyes.

Personnel

Scott Sawyer

guitar

Scott Sawyer: guitars; Ron Brendle: acoustic bass; Brian Sullivan: drums; Dave Finucane: tenor sax; Kate McGarry: voice (2,3,8); Bruce Piephoff: spoken word (5); Tony Williamson: mandolin (9); Bobby Cohen: drums (7).

Album information

Title: Dreamers | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Divine Travels
< Previous

That Which Is Planted
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.