Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jim Snidero: Interface

Jim Snidero: Interface

By Dan McClenaghan
May 18, 2011
View read count

Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero is a masterful mainstream jazz man, though he's proven his versatility and overall musical acumen, including a third stream lean, on his Strings (Fantasy Jazz, 2003), a set that featured a jazz quartet teamed with strings.

Interface finds Snidero back in a straight-ahead frame of mind, teamed, for his third consecutive recording on the Savant Records label, with guitarist

Paul Bollenback

guitar
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bollenback. The pairing is an auspicious one. Bollenbeck—an outstanding leader in his own right—is also a masterful sideman, whether it's with vocalist

Chris McNulty

vocals
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Chris McNulty, or here with Snidero. The difference between Interface and the saxophonist's previous Savant outing, 2009's Crossfire, is his arranging alternately for acoustic as well as electric guitar. Bollenback's acoustic approach lends a warm and organic feeling to the music, especially on the smooth-flowing bossa nova of "Aperitivo." When the guitarist switches to electric, he lends the sound a modern metallic shine, whether its the torrid "Fall Out" or the more laidback "Expectations."

On this set of Snidero originals, there is a good deal of guitar/saxophone give-and-take. The saxophonist varies his tone throughout, with a bite-of-unsweetened-grapefruit tang on the title tune, a rich

Cannonball Adderley

saxophone
1928 - 1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Cannonball Adderley sound on "Silhouette," and a darker and even richer tone on the pensive "One By One."

The late-night "After the Pain" (written by Snidero after his mother passed away) is a bluesy marination in melancholy, with a feeling of acceptance tinting the sad mood. Bollenback is on acoustic guitar here, making some of the loveliest sounds on the set, with strong competition in that effort from the leader's gorgeous round tone that fights hard to keep the anguish at bay.

With Interface alto saxophonist Jim Snidero furthers his exploration of straight-ahead jazz, consistently finding new things to say in a tried-and-true format.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Interface; Silhouette; Fall Out; One By One; Aperitivo; Viper; After the Pain; Expectations.

Personnel

Jim Snidero

saxophone, alto

Jim Snidero: alto saxophone; Paul Bollenback: guitar; Paul Gill: bass; McClenty Hunter: drums.

Album information

Title: Interface | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Savant Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

The Music Of Randy Newman
< Previous

Istanbul Improv Sessions May 5th
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.