Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Steve Knight: Persistence

Steve Knight: Persistence

By Richard J Salvucci
August 8, 2022
View read count

Readers have surely heard of a "sniff test." It is an informal assessment that something, particularly in finance, just does not look right. It is usually intuitive rather than formal. But many analysts employ one before turning to more elaborate kinds of examinations to verify their suspicions.

Music has no sniff test, but it does have a "sit still test." Can one sit still while something plays? If not, that is probably a good thing, unless it is the urge to run screaming from the room. But that is not the meaning here. Rather, it is that something is so rhythmically engaging that it is hard to resist some kind of motion.

Steve Knight

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Knight's Persistence easily passes the "sit still test." It is very difficult to remain at rest, or to do much more than listen to the music. It is engaging at every level: harmonic, melodic, rhythmic.

There are two tracks, originals, one an alternate take, called "Sharps Disposal." Knight, a Chicago-based guitarist, explains that the title has nothing to do with the disposal of syringes or other drug-related paraphernalia. Rather, it is a blues in F# minor that contains, well, three sharps. Knight explains that someone will occasionally ask if it can be played in F instead, which, with one flat, is easier to execute. The answer, Knight says, is no. The sharps are not disposable. One assumes that is why there are two takes. The listener must decide which is preferable. Or so that is one version of the title.

There are no weak links in this chain of players.

Jeff Stitley

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Stitley is an exciting and rock-solid drummer.

Justin Peterson

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Justin Peterson is a marvelous bassist whose solos are something else. Knight has been influenced by all sorts of guitar players, of whom

Wes Montgomery

guitar
1923 - 1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Wes Montgomery is only the most obvious. "Cisco" goes well back (1967) to

Pat Martino

guitar
1944 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Martino. "Chop Chop" traces its blues roots to

George Benson

guitar
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">George Benson, another major influence. But there are tastes of others, like

Grant Green

guitar
1935 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Grant Green, here as well. It is hard to find anything to dislike. The CD comes with a digital download. The wav files work fine on a smartphone, so one can take it out to the patio and bop there.

In fact, this entire production works very well, whatever one's taste in guitar heroes might be. Knight maintains he does not practice his guitar. From time to time "I open the case and throw in a piece of red meat." If these are the results, get to a butcher shop, fast.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Suspects; Cisco; Real Type Thing; Sharps Disposal; Persistence; Chop Chop; Just Add Meaning; Mary Janes' Last Dance; Art's Rant; Workshop; Change the World; Sharps Disposal (alternate take).

Personnel

Steve Knight

guitar

Justin Peterson

bass

Jeff Stitley

drums

Album information

Title: Persistence | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jazz Festival Ljubljana 2022
< Previous

Juanma Trujillo, Ziv Taubenfeld��s ...
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.