Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Nate Najar: This Is Nate Najar

Nate Najar: This Is Nate Najar

By Edward Blanco
February 26, 2017
View read count

Hailing from St. Petersburg, FL, guitarist Nate Najar unveils his third full length recording for the Candid Records label on the simply-titled This Is Nate Najar where he touches on the music of

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea and

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim as well as delivering a straight jazz sound with several cover tunes and a couple of originals. A fingerstyle guitarist on the acoustic classical guitar, Najar is one of the few in the modern jazz genre utilizing the nylon-string guitar employing a right-hand technique allowing him to play single-string lines or strums unlike most conventional guitarists.

Early influences on Najar's were such icons as

Wes Montgomery

guitar
1923 - 1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Wes Montgomery and

Django Reinhardt

guitar
1910 - 1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Django Reinhardt but, having perhaps the primary impact on his playing style was, the great

Charlie Byrd

guitar
1925 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Byrd. This is quite evident throughout this album as you can almost pick up certain riffs that seem designed to channel Byrd's distinctive sound. Helping the guitarist on this project are

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington bassist

John Lamb

bass
b.1933

" data-original-title="" title="">John Lamb, UK drummer

Matt Home

drums
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Home and St. Pete local trumpeter

James Suggs

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">James Suggs.

The music begins with Najar strumming the unamplified guitar in the introduction to Corea's "500 Miles High," a journey that takes off with Suggs trumpet phrases, Lamb's delicate bass lines and features more of the leader's handy work. Offering splendid finger play on the strings, the original "What Would Ola Mae Do?" displays a mid-tempo groove with the trumpeter on the muted horn to make it interesting. The Corea influence emerges again on "Chick's Tune" and the finale "Crystal Silence" while Najar's penchant for the Brazilian flair comes across with a stylish rendition of Jobim's famous "Insensatez" and an extended version of "O Morro Nao Tem Vez (Favela)."

The soft spot of the album goes to the warm Suggs original "But Oh, what love!" where the trumpeter plays softly as the leader executes intricate chords on a beautiful and sensitive love ballad setting the stage for Harry Edison's humbling down tempo "Centerpiece" rounding out a varied and creative ten-piece repertoire that's quite engaging. Not yet familiar with this musician, This Is Nate Najar will provide one with an exciting introduction to one of the finest classical guitarist in the business today on a set of music that swings lightly with a touch of class.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

500 Miles High; What Would Ola Mae Do?; Sidewalks of New York; Prelude In E Minor (Op.28 No, 4); Insensatez (How Insensitive); Chick's Tune; But Oh, what Love!; Centerpiece; O Morro Nao Tem Vez (Favela); Crystal Silence.

Personnel

Nate Najar

guitar, acoustic

Nate Najar: unamplified guitar; James Suggs: trumpet; John Lamb: bass; Matt Home: drums; Mark Feinmann: drums (5); Ella Fredrickson: cello (5).

Album information

Title: This Is Nate Najar | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Candid Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Acceptance
< Previous

Joy Comes Back
Next >

Nate Najar Concerts

Sep 19 Fri

Love & Bossa Nova Hits Temecula!

The Merc
Temecula, CA

Sep 21 Sun

Love & Bossa: Daniela Soledade & Nate Najar

Casa Arjona
Lakewood, CA

Oct 10 Fri

Daniela Soledade And Nate Najar - Love And Bossa Nova...

Blue Bamboo Center For The Arts
Winter Park, FL

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.