Even if you’re not a jazz fan, you might find yourself succumbing to the infectious jazziness of Carter & Bodlovich. The guitar duo met as music students at Sonoma State University and have been performing in the Northern California region for over seven years. Their chops are formidable enough to have earned opening slots for Joe Satriani and for the fusion supertrio of Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty.
Isaac Carter and Jason Bodlovich write original music that draws from Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Gypsy Swing and Eastern Modal styles. The Shadow Out of Time is a showcase of two guitarists who produce the sound of a much bigger ensemble. At once hip and subtle, this duo is not afraid to shred: rock and blues licks sneak out in really cool places.
“Shock T” makes you want to get out of your chair and shake it. A lot. It’s a standard blues framework played at a solid 110 miles per hour. Even if you’re not dancing, you might lose your breath from just from listening — especially after the six-string duel at the end.
“DBV” starts with the sonorous and contemplative soundings of East Indian music. But this raga runs up to a summit of feverish fretwork that clearly establishes the duo’s musicianship.
“The Nihilist” is a locomotive through the minor key landscape. The acoustic-electric matchup generates a huge amount of steam through the middle section.
“The Moose” is ice-cool. Carter & Bodlovich play a steadily flowing jazz piece with an understated melody and then rip off a blistering syncopated bridge. They use the guitar as percussion accompaniment for a few measures, then slide back into the melody.
The music of Carter & Bodlovich is jazz that invites you in and makes you feel part of it. Its inventiveness and range could make jazz fans of even the most indifferent listener.
— Tim Whitehouse
Even if you’re not a jazz fan, you might find yourself succumbing to the infectious jazziness of Carter & Bodlovich. The guitar duo met as music students at Sonoma State University and have been performing in the Northern California region for over seven years. Their chops are formidable enough to have earned opening slots for Joe Satriani and for the fusion supertrio of Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty.