Customer Reviews

Equilibre: Groovemasters vol.6

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not since Hedges and Manring teamed up has there been as symbiotic a combination of acoustic and bass. Manring does for Cullen's tunes what any 5 armed/ 20 fingered player can do. From the first tune, these guys enter a pocket from which they never emerge (thankfully). Perfectly matched, this is one of the rare occasions upon which, following the third tune, I wasn't wishing for percussion or keys to break the monotony. Kudos to Manring. The highlight of this record is Cullen's mastery of Manring's "Gizmo," a tune you can only hear here since "Drastic Measures" is now out of print. Complex beyond belief, the tune was incredible on bass and is stupefying with guitar/bass-matched lines. These two masters truly show the level of their artistry on that piece.
Participants in the amazingly successful "Groovemasters" series, these players deserve the company in which they have been placed. This is an album of tasteful, melodic playing by virtuosos in their respective fields.

Having seen Michael Manring with another Michael, I was amazed at the symbiosis between them and I didn't think I'd witness this again. Well, David Cullen is no Michael Hedges, but who is? David Cullen's bare-bones, straight-ahead, crystalline style meshes perfectly with Manring's sensational sense of music. To keep it short and because I'm running out of idioms and cliches: this is really fine stuff, great compositions, performed with taste and perfection, and I really like the collaboration and I really enjoyed this music. Goosebump sort of stuff, know what I mean?

This CD is pure magic....Manring is a world famous bass player and this fellow David Cullen on nylon string guitar sounds like Ralph Towner on steroids! The songs are catchy and still very inventive and intelligent. The interplay between these two is remarkable and yet according to the liner notes this was recorded as an afterthought to a jazz festival they both played at.....amazing. This is one of those rare recordings that actually improves with age and more playing...highly recommended.

A top class acoustic conversation between Michael Manrings bass and David Cullens classic guitar .MELODY DIVERSITY FLUIDITY ARTICULATION AND SKILLS IN LARGE QUANTITIES .

If you play bass and don't know who Michael Manring is, then this would be a great place to start; because you get a bonus and also get to hear the tasty nylon-string guitar player...David Cullen.
I simply can't get enough of this CD. Michael Manring is my favorite bassist and his bass lines are just smooth and incredibly perfect. He plays with so much feel and emotion while incorporating an ebow and slap / percussive (bongo-like) sounds from his Hyperbass. You have to hear the sounds he gets out of his fretless!!!!!
I didn't know who David Cullen was until now. He isn't flashy like Michael, but he plays with the utmost taste!!!!
If you want to sit back and relax while being dazzled with great duo improvisation...buy this disc.

Your packaging was very good and perfect.
I appreciate to your shipping. Thanks!