JazzTrenzz
Karl Stober
Tracks: In Joy; Cross-Fada; One For Elegua; Fortunate Action; Star Crossed Lovers; Tell Me A Bed Time Story; Wise Mind; Non Linear; Eternal Recurrence.
Personnel: Alex Snydman: drums 1-9; Chris Pattishall: piano 1,5,6; Doug Abrams: piano 2,3,8,9; Miro Sprague: piano 4,7; Alec Derian: bass 1,3,4,5,6,7,8; Tyler Heydolph: bass 2,9; Carl Clements: tenor & soprano sax 3,8
Variation is the essence of success, for as the egresses to your next expedition open, they become more numerous and taxing. This is the path guitarist transformed to drummer; Alex Snydman has offered the listening public a new level of sound, with accolade-blanketed reactions. Snydman’s debut CD, as a leader, allows Fortunate Action to morph into a testimony to the maturation of a leader’s influence and design in a genre.
Built on an inspirational theme internally, Snydman dedicates this project to those who surrounded, supported, and injected a piece of themselves along his path. He takes an ambitious effort to pattern seven originals and only a few covers, to allow this project to define itself, with a logical leap to the next level.
In many ways I see his debut developing him into a new-wave musicologist. Snydman’s keen sense of modern jazz mixed with anything from Gospel to Neo-Soul, has one pondering how far his craft will allow him to venture. Snydman is not your cookie-cutter bandleader. More so a visionary whom arranges from the soul onto the music sheet… Thus making an adventurous exploration into melodies and rhythms.
In studio with Snydman, packages a trio of vested pianists, with a history all their own… Doug Abrams (Piano 2,3,8,9), Miro Sprague (Piano 4,7), and Chris Pattishall (Piano 1,5,6), all whom transform each sheet they are connected with a uniquness and atmosphere to the attended tendencies.
Pianist Miro Sprague seduces the audience with his shrewdly focused flow in “ Wise Mind.” As one of the three wise men of ivory, Sprague injects a tireless expression of maturity, as a mentor should. Snydman’s skins escort the dreamy drops falling from the mind and keys of Sprague with a comfort food swagger.
Bassist Alec Derian delivers a demanding intro to the exit cut “Eternal Recurrence,” offering a sturdy platform to inject the other sounds to fall in place uniformly. A strong ivory performance is inoculated by Abrams allowing Snydman to lay the beat down with that leadership role with a dramatic richness.
This self-released venture of Alex Snydman’s Fortunate Action is one of artistic resurgence. From frets to sticks, his conversion has proven to be a strategic masterpiece in ingenuity. I believe it has also allowed him to increase his innovative nature as a composer and arranger.
Keep it tuned…
KHS
