Personnel: Steve Cardenes (guitar); Larry Grenadier (acoustic bass); Kenny Wollesen (drums). Anyone enamored of Pat Metheny's harmonic sophistication or Bil Frisell's gently shifting guitar textures will be drawn to the solo debut of modern jazz guitarist Steve Cardenas. In the classic tradition of progressive jazzmen being prophets without honor in their own country, this New Yorker's album is out on a label based in Barcelona. It's apparent upon listening to SHEBANG that those Spaniards know a good thing when they hear it; in a pared-down trio setting that finds Cardenas accompanied by two of the most in-demand rhythm men on the New York jazz scene, we're treated to a variety of subtly crafted, flawlessy execute pieces. Sonic histrionics and showoff diplays of fancy fretwork are rejected by Cardenas in favor of a more penetrating, less-is-more aesthetic.
