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Dan Pitt: Monochrome

By Dan McClenaghan
September 12, 2020
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Toronto-based guitarist Dan Pitt debuted as a recording artist in 2019 with his trio outing, Fundamentally Flawed (Self Produced). A versatile gutarist who plays in a variety of styles, he has performed with cellist

Andrew Downing

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Downing, saxophonists

Tim Berne

saxophone, alto
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Berne and

Michael Attias

saxophone
b.1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Attias, and bassist

Michael Formanek

bass, acoustic
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Formanek.

Monochrome, Pitt's offering for 2020, is a solo guitar work, subtly and deftly augmented by pedal effects, loops and sampler phrases. Pitt explores his inner musician on this thirty-eight minutes of (mostly) meditative sound, beginning with "Ghosts," a luminescent, textured tune that brings to mind

Bill Frisell

guitar, electric
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Frisell's and

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny's ruminative alone-with-the-guitar outings. The metallic sustain and the lonely atmospherics of the opener give way to "Attraction," a crunchy, energetic, Link Ray-esque rumble of a tune.

The set is all originals from Pitt's pen, including the brief, acoustic "The Sorrow," and "Ditto," working a spacious tension/release mood, and "Which Way Is Up?" that could serve as a soundtrack to a lonely walk as night settles in and colors fade to shades of grey as the stars begin to appear.

"Benched" has a gregarious Latin tinge, and "BroOke" has an electro-orchestral, almost radioactive feel, while "Lester Sleeps In" sits in the closing tune/highlight-of-the-album position, with its beautiful, subdued melody and a serenade of (pedal effects?) crickets.

Dan Pitt has given us a very good trio outing and now a compelling solo set. Could a larger ensemble outing be in the works?

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Track Listing

Ghosts; Attraction; The Sorrow; Ditto; Which Way Is Up?; Benched; Subtext; BroOke; Long Lake; Lester Sleeps In.

Personnel

Dan Pitt

guitar

Additional Instrumentation

Dan Pitt: guitar, acoustic guitar, nylon string guitar, effect pedals, loops, sampler phrases.

Album information

Title: Monochrome | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced

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