Gradwohl, Gerald: ...Or What?

There are so many guitarists out there today, how does one get the chance to be heard? An impressive line-up accompanies guitarist Gerald Gradwhol on ...Or What?, and I'm immediately impressed with the rocking fusion of the opener "Paradoxon". Gradwhol uses tricky rhythms, cool licks, and jazzy chords to lay the foundation for his lead work. "Cheap Chunk" opens with a raunchy funk, and the sax playing of Bill Evans lights this song up. Adam Nitti (bass) and Kirk Covington (Drums) lock into a nice groove here; you won’t be able to help yourself from head boppin' to this track. "Colour of Magic" slows things down for you to enjoy Gradwohl's beautiful melodic phrasing.

The Hendrix like lick and tone propel "Uterwurzacher" into more groovy territory with catchy guitar lines. The chimey tight rhythm guitar playing is so solid here, while "What Are We Gonna Do Tomorrow" is infectiously fun, and the talking/rapping works (even for me!). Gradwohl brings out the acoustic for "Still There" showing his skill for making an instrumental track stick in your head. Bassist Adam Nitti is featured in this one and Gradwohl's clean soloing shows off another facet of his playing "The Course", the band gets rocking and everyone seems to let loose which is quite impactful. The best thing about this album is that it doesn't lose momentum, a great listen from start to finish. The closing "Gerephitti" is a wonderful track full of little licks and phrases, as the band lays down a Latin type groove for Gradwohl's wonderful playing.

I hope if you a guitar fan, you'll check out ...Or What?. Gradwohl is an impressive player and writer, and the band really gels behind him, you can’t ask for more than that combination to create a winner

Track Listing
1. Paradoxon
2. Cheap Chunk
3. Colour of Magic
4. Unterwurzcher
5. What Are We Gonna Do Tomorrow
6. Still There
7. The Course
8. Gerephitti

Added: September 15th 2024
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
Hits: 507
Language: english

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