Perdomo, Fernando: Out To Sea

Unless you’ve been closely following the fortunes of progressive band leader Dave Kerzner (and if not, why not??), then there’s a pretty strong chance that you may never have heard of Fernando Perdomo. Handling both guitar and bass in Kerzner’s band, Perdomo has along the way been fortunate enough to perform beside the likes of Steve Hackett, Geoff Downes, John Wesley, Steve Rothery and many other leading lights of the prog scene. Hearing the multi-instrumentalist’s debut album, Out To Sea, it’s immediately easy to understand why. Other than the drums on one track on this debut, Perdomo provides everything else you hear on what is a hugely lyrical instrumental album.

Proud to wear his influences on his sleeve, Perdomo dedicates five of this album’s nine pieces to his heroes. “The Architect� opens proceedings, paying due respect to Peter Banks, the chunky guitar strikes and singing melodies the perfect way to give a nod to the founding Yes man. It’s Focus who are brought into the spotlight with “De Boerderji�, the slow acoustic intro which bursts into an immediately uplifting string infused guitar workout, which relies on taste and tone to get its message across, another well pitched dedication.

Proving that the inspirational net is cast far and wide, “The Future According To Roye� is a tribute to Roye Albrighton and his band Nektar, and again Perdomo manages to transpose the style of his chosen muse upon his own, while never making the results cloyingly reverential. Instead this is an eye catching pulsation of beat and melody that whisks you along for the ride. It’ll be no great surprise that “Sonja� turns its attention toward Sonja Kristina and Curved Air, although in a manner that’s a little more joyously forceful than you might expect. Before the album’s only cover version, “Starless�, becomes a fitting tribute to John Wetton; the King Crimson classic handled with no little skill and grace, while, again never sounding like a mere copy of its source.

Dedicating over half of an album to other musicians could be seen as a well running dry of inspiration but here nothing could be further from the truth, the tributes paid in individual style that while clearly harking back to days gone by, undoubtedly finds Perdomo revealing a clear voice and style of his own. That individual voice is also to be found on the album’s four other offerings, the clearly Genesis inflected “Dreaming In Stereo Suite� possibly the pick of a glorious bunch. Although the bold and confident title track, meandering surge of “Roses Spread All Over The World� and keyboard rich “The Dream� hardly lag behind.

I have to say that what Fernando Perdomo has created here is something of a revelation, the infectious and joy filled moods he provides striking that all too rare balance between retro glancing and forward thinking. It sounds stunning, comes adorned with a sleeve by early Genesis cover artist Paul Whitehead and with its heart clearly on display. That it also carries you along with every note is, however, its real triumph and something that comes to the fore each and every time you take this album for a voyage Out To Sea.

See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!

Track Listing
1. THE ARCHITECT (TRIBUTE TO PETER BANKS)
2. OUT TO SEA
3. DE BOERDERIJ (TRIBUTE TO FOCUS)
4. ROSES SPREAD ALL OVER THE WORLD
5. THE FUTURE ACCORDING TO ROYE (TRIBUTE TO ROYE ALBRIGHTON AND NEKTAR)
6. THE DREAM
7. SONJA (TRIBUTE TO SONJA KRISTINA AND CURVED AIR)
8. DREAMING IN STEREO SUITE
9. STARLESS (TRIBUTE TO JOHN WETTON)

Added: June 21st 2018
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Out To Sea @ Cherry Red
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Language: english

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