David Boswell: Bridge of Art (2006)

Guitarist David Boswell gets classified as a smooth jazz musician, but he starts exploding that definition almost from the beginning on his second album, Bridge of Art. Boswell leads a kinetic quintet that also includes his older brother John Boswell on piano, Dean Taba on bass, Tim McIntyre on drums, and M.B. Gordy III on percussion (including kalimba), and they all have plenty to do. Instead of setting up a synthesized rhythm track and soloing endlessly over it, Boswell interacts with real, live musicians in a much more conventional jazz format. The contemporary part comes in with his eclecticism and free-form structuring. Although Boswell claims allegiance to Pat Metheny as an influence, he doesn't really sound like Metheny except in the sense that he seems willing to try almost anything. He actually comes out of a rock background and hails from San Francisco, and there is a distinct go-anywhere, jam band feel to some of the group's playing, notably in the track "A Chosen Path," which actually follows several paths. On "Exclamation's a Smile" and "Salute to Kindness," Boswell gets a sitar-like sound out of a synth guitar and runs with it. He also gives that kind of freedom to his sidemen. "Salute to Kindness," for example, which is one of three tracks to cross the eight-minute mark, ends with a lengthy piano coda by John Boswell, while the even lengthier closing track, "Albatross," makes room for a long bass solo from Taba before winding down with some acoustic guitar work from the leader. The result is an album that is a cut above most of its contemporary jazz competitors.