ALBUM:
Shimmer & Thrum
TAYLOR USED:
512
555
SONG CLIPS:
Nowhere Fast
28k | 56K
Dissatisfied
28k | 56K
CONTACT INFO:
200 W. 15th St., #7A
New York, NY 10011
E-mail:
Jalbrink @aol .com
Web:
www. jonal brink .com
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Jon Albrink's jazz-flavored, acoustic guitar-centered pop reflects his shift from
accomplished jazz sideman to singer-songwriter. Growing up in West Virginia, Albrink
absorbed everything the radio waves could dish out, from country music out of Wheeling to
Philly soul to British Invasion rock. His early bands played coal miner bars and frat
parties, but Albrink's musical epiphany arrived with the adventurous electric bass of
Weather Report's Miroslav Vitous. Albrink eagerly bought a plywood Kay stand-up bass for
eighty bucks, honed his chops, and moved to New York to join the percolating jazz scene.
There he played and "learned on the bandstand" with jazz beacons Milt Jackson, Buddy Rich,
and Mary Lou Williams.
Albrink's development as a sideman eventually led to writing his own songs; he began singing
and playing guitar into a cassette recorder at home after his jazz gigs. He's since written
hundreds of tunes, over 40 with Jim Gately and singer Peter Valentine (the trio performed as
27 Heavens). Albrink also began to experiment with the tension between different musical
styles ("I love the sting of jazz harmony and the drone of dulcimer"), and deepened his
expressiveness as a lyricist, drawing inspiration from such modern American poets as Charles
Simic and James Tate.
Shimmer and Thrum is the fruit of his musical journey, a sophisticate's pop record rife with
musical cross-pollination, yet spacious and poignantly rendered. Producer/drummer and R&B
pioneer Billy Ward assembled a stellar cast of musicians: guitarists Marc Schulman and
Bruce Gaitsch, bassist John Patitucci, keyboardist Jim Beard, and violinist/violist Allison
Cornell. Albrink's voice has a warm familarity, often suggesting the smooth, mellow
timbre of Sting, Paul McCartney, Mark Eitzel, and Donald Fagan, sharpened by a Dylan-esque
folk sensibility. It's a truly eclectic record, full of serendipitous creative collisions
and unique collaborative moments, wonderfully stewarded by Ward. Albrink draws from
Senegalese drummers, The Kingston Trio, kiddie drum toys, wilting Christmas roses, and of
course, the endless color and texture of living in New York City. With its insightful
lyrics and subtle shadings, Shimmer and Thrum gets better with every listen.
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